§ Miss Emma NicholsonTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport what proportion of land area of England is(a) currently covered by road and (b) will be covered by roads by the end of the century based on current plans.
§ Mr. ChopeA precise figure is not available, but the percentage for 1990 is estimated to be between 1.2 and 1.5 per cent. It is not expected that this percentage will change significantly during the next 10 years.
The figure has been arrived at by taking known information on the length of roads in England and multiplying by an estimated average width. The data are as follows:
Length (miles) Width (ft) Area (miles2) Motorway 1,672 70 22 Trunk 5,083 33 32 Principal 15,439 26 76 B, C, Unclassified 147,456 20 560 690 The land area of England is 50,363 miles2
690/50,363 x 100 = 1.37 per cent.
Assumptions have been made about the average width of roads—particularly for minor roads. The percentage range given in the answer allows for the width of minor roads to be between 17 and 23 ft.