HC Deb 12 May 1994 vol 243 cc241-3W
Mr. Simpson

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if spent nuclear fuel rods from(a) Germany and (b) other European countries will be transported through the channel tunnel.

Mr. Freeman

This is a decision for Eurotunnel. I understand that it will not be allowing spent nuclear fuel rods or any nuclear waste to be transported throught the tunnel.

Mr. Simon Hughes

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) for what reasons his Department proposes to construct a split-level interchange on the A27 at Comps Farm; and what account he has taken in making this proposal of his decision not to proceed with the A26 Beddingham to Itford farm diversion scheme;

(2) what steps he is taking to incorporate the suggestions made by Lewes district council into his proposals for the A27 Lewes to Polegate improvement scheme; what assessment he has made of the environmental impact of his present proposals for the stretch of road at the foot of Mount Caburn; and if he will make a statement;

(3) if he will make it his policy in respect of the A27 Lewes to Polegate improvement scheme that he will undertake an assessment of the environmental damage lighting will cause before any decision is taken as to which stretches of the proposed new dual carriageway will be lit; and if he will make a statement;

(4) what percentage of land (a) used during construction of the proposed A27 Lewes to Polegate improvement scheme and (b) used as part of the new road or its immediate curtilage, falls within the Sussex downs area of outstanding natural beauty;

(5) what representations he has received from doctors in Lewes about the health implications of the proposed A27 Lewes to Polegate scheme; and if he will make a statement.

(6) what assessment he has made of the likely change in polluting gases from vehicle exhausts which will result from the construction of the proposed A27 Lewes to Polegate scheme; and if he will make a statement;

(7) what was the average daily flow of vehicles along (a) the A27 Lewes to Beddingham, (b) the A27 Beddingham to Polegate and (c) the A26 Beddingham to Newhaven for (i) 1983 and (ii) 1993; and what are the projected flows for (A) 2003 and (B) 2013;

(8) what steps he intends to take to improve road safety along the present A27 Lewes to Polegate road in advance of the construction of the proposed A27 Lewes-Polegate improvement scheme;

(9) what assessment he made of the potential growth in passenger and freight traffic of the Lewes to Polegate rail line before announcing his plans to construct a new dual carriageway from Lewes to Polegate;

(10) if he will indicate the location, frequency and severity of accidents along the A27 Lewes to Polegate road for each of the last 10 years; and if he will make a statement;

(11) how many hectares of countryside he estimates will be needed to enable the proposed A27 Lewes to Polegate improvement scheme to be built; how many of these hectares will be returned to countryside following the construction of this scheme; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Key

[holding answer 9 May 1994]: These questions relate to operational matters of the Highways Agency. I have asked the chief executive, Mr. Lawrie Haynes, to write to the hon. Member.

Letter from Lawrie Haynes to Mr. Simon Hughes, dated 11 May 1994:

A27 Lewes to Polegate improvement The Minister for Roads and Traffic, Mr. Key, has asked me to write to you in reply to your recent Parliamentary Questions about various aspects of the A27 Lewes to Polegate Improvement. The total estimated land take for the Preferred route is 233 hectares, subject to detailed survey and design. It is proposed that some 60 hectares should be returned to agriculture after regrading. Of the remainder, about 60 hectares are required for the new carriageway construction (including verges and central reserves) and 113 hectares for cutting and embankment side slopes, landscaping and planting. The accident data for the last 10 years is not readily available but data for accidents over the period between 1990 and 1994 is given below.

Number of accidents
Slight Serious Fatal
1990 21 12 3
1991 21 6 2
1992 33 7
1993 24 7 1
19941 9 2 1
1To March.

The accidents are spread along the length of the route from Lewes to Polegate with particular concentration in Firle Straight and between Ripe and Alciston. The 7 fatal accidents involved the deaths of 8 people. The A27 Lewes-Polgate Improvement scheme is necessary to solve existing problems of safety and congestion along this section of the trunk road, and meets the demands of predicted future traffic flows. No detailed assessment of potential growth in passenger and freight traffic of the Lewes-Polegate rail line has been made but it is considered that the effect of any such growth would be small in terms of the overall traffic flow on the A27 and would not affect the need for the proposed improvement. A number of small improvement schemes have recently been completed on the A27 between Polegate and Lewes as part of the Highways Agency's rolling programme of minor works. During 1994–95 the Agency will improve signing and carriageway markings between Salmeston and Alfriston roundabout as part of a maintenance scheme which will improve skidding resistance to the road surface and we have commissioned extra signing at Charleston Farmhouse where visibility is poor to warn drivers of possible queues ahead. We are also investigating whether safety improvements which might help reduce accidents at Alfriston roundabout and the Wilmington crossroads are feasible and justified. The recorded flows and the forecast flows of vehicles (Annual Average Daily Traffic) for the sections of road requested are summarised below—

A27 (a) A27 (b) A26 (c)
1993 114,500 111,200 6,150
1993 22,200 15,300 9,600
19982 31,200–34,200 22,200–24,300 12,100–13,300
20032 39,500–48,300 28,100–34,300 15,300–18,700
1 There is no automatic traffic counter data for 1983 on the A27. Flows are based on 1985 figures adjusted for growth from 1983 to 1985.
2 Forecast flows represent a range based on the low and high expectations of economic growth. Forecast flows for 2003 are not currently available but flows for 1998 are given.

These sections of road, as currently constructed, are not designed to accommodate the forecast levels of traffic growth. The pollution from vehicle exhausts will reduce in future years as a result of more stringent exhaust emission controls, irrespective of the scheme proposals. The scheme will however improve the free flow of traffic along the A27 and this is expected to contribute to a further improvement in air quality. Detailed air quality comparisons will be published as part of the Environmental Statement for the scheme. A letter has just been received from the doctors at the St. Andrew's Surgery in Lewes. The doctors seek further information on and express concern about the possible health implications from vehicle pollution. Of the areas of land so far identified for temporary construction works which will be returned to agriculture and for permanent use, about 50% would be within the Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty in both cases. The case for lighting parts of the route between the junctions at Lewes, Beddingham and Polegate has yet to be assessed. The environmental effects of any proposed lighting will be given in the Environmental Statement for the scheme. Lewes District Council have highlighted particular areas of concern where they believe the Preferred Route has an adverse effect on the landscape, on conservation interests or on people. Possible means of reducing these effects will be considered and detailed environmental assessments carried out before the draft Orders are published. The proposed split-level junction at Comps farm is to provide access to and from the new route for traffic wishing to access the port of Newhaven. The siting of the junction makes use of the natural landform north of Comps Farm to contain as far as possible the visual intrusion of the slip roads and roundabouts, and is considered to be the best location for the junction either with or without improvement of the A26.