§ Mr. GarrettTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport what discussions have been held between the Highways Agency and (i) the Norfolk and Norwich Health Care trust and (ii) the prospective developer of the proposed Colney hospital to discuss the possibility of an interchange on the A47 Norwich southern bypass; what response has been given by the agency; what is the estimated cost of such an interchange; and what advice the agency has given to the health care trust on the traffic implications of the proposed hospital for the A47 and A 11 trunk roads if no such interchange was constructed. [15644]
§ Mr. WattsThere has been no direct approach by the Norfolk and Norwich Health Care trust or the prospective developer of the proposed Colney hospital to the Highways Agency or its predecessor, the Department of Transport, about the possibility of an interchange on the A47 Norwich southern bypass.
However, the Highways Agency is opposed to the proposal for an additional interchange. It would encourage the use of the bypass by local traffic to such an extent as to undermine its role as a trunk road route for longer distance traffic. It would also present engineering and road safety difficulties.
No design work or survey has been carried out by the Highways Agency and therefore no estimate of the cost of an interchange can be given.
South Norfolk district council has been asked to ensure that the Highways Agency is consulted when the planning application for the proposed hospital is submitted and that a traffic impact statement, TIS, be prepared by the developer covering the effect of generated traffic on the bypass and relevant junctions.