M6: Lighting (Hansard, 24 October 2001)

I have asked the chief executive of the Highways Agency, Tim Matthews, to write to the noble Lord.

Letter to Lord Corbett of Castle Vale from the chief executive of the Highways Agency, dated 24 October 2001.

The Minister for Housing and Planning, Lord Falconer, has asked me to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question about the provision of lighting on the unlit sections of the M6 between junction 19 of the M1 and junction 5 of the M6.

The Highways Agency is responsible for the management of the motorway network, including the provision of lighting. When considering whether or not to light a particular section of motorway, the Agency is required to strike a balance between the potential benefits anticipated from reduced accidents and the capital maintenance and energy costs which would be incurred. Increasingly, account must also be taken of the results of environmental pollution from any additional lighting, particularly in rural areas where there is little or no existing light pollution. In effect, this means that lighting is only installed where there is a poor night-time accident record.

The M6 is currently lit at its junction with the M1 (Junction 19), at Junction 2 and north of Junction 4. We estimate that the cost of lighting the remaining sections would be in the region of £7 million. However, there are no plans at present to provide any additional 132WA lighting on this length as the accident rate is lower than on other comparable sections of unlit motorway. In the circumstances, such expenditure would be difficult to justify given that there are greater priorities elsewhere.

If you would like further information, please contact Peter Adams at our Birmingham office. He can be contacted at Broadway, Broad Street, Birmingham 815 1BL, or by telephone on 0121 678 8215.