§ Mr. CohenTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will list the property acquired by his Department on possible routes for(a) the A36 Beckington-East of Bath road scheme and (b) the A46 Upper Swainswick-Tormanton road scheme; what was the total cost of acquisition of this property; and what is the current total estimated market value.
§ Mr. NorrisThe question is an operational matter for the Highways Agency. The chief executive, Mr. Lawrie Haynes, is writing to the hon. Member.
Letter from Lawrie Haynes to Mr. Harry Cohen, dated 20 July 1994:
I am writing in response to your recent Parliamentary Question to the Secretary of State for Transport about properties acquired in connection with the proposed A36 Beckington to East of Bath and A46 Upper Swainswick to Tormarton improvement schemes. This is a matter for which the Highways Agency is responsible.Three properties have been purchased as a result of the A36 scheme—The Villa and Dry Arch Cottage, Farleigh Wick, Bradford on Avon, Wiltshire, and Warleigh Lodge, Bathford Avon. For the A46 scheme, one property, Dunsdown Farm House. West Littleton, Avon, has been acquired. The total cost of acquiring these properties was just under £900,000.418WThe combined value of these properties was assessed by the Valuation Office Agency earlier this year as £785,000. The difference between the two figures arises mainly because purchase costs are assessed on an unblighted basis (ie ignoring the effect of the road proposals) whereas current value takes account of blight.