HC Deb 30 October 2001 vol 373 cc575-8W
Mr. Don Foster

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions which major road schemes each highway authority has included in its full local transport plan and first annual progress report where funding is not being sought in the Local Transport Settlement 2001. [10487]

Mr. Jamieson

Not all local authorities have included in their full local transport plans or first annual progress reports information on those road schemes for which they are considering making a bid for LTP funding in future years. In many cases they have yet to make decisions on whether to make such a bid. We know of a number of schemes where the authority has forewarned us that they may be making a bid and in some cases has provided us with some information. These include:

  • A171 Burniston/Cloughton Bypass
  • A19 Shipton/Beningbrough Bypass
  • A24 Ashington to Southwater Route Safety Strategy
  • A228 Leybourne and West Mailing Bypass
  • A228 Ropers Lane (Phase 2)
  • A260 Hawkinge Bypass
  • A38/A390 Link Dobwalls
  • A391 Corridor
  • A418 improvements including a Rowsham Bypass
  • A418 Wing Bypass
  • A605 Stanground Bypass
  • A684 Leeming/Aiskew/Bedale Bypass
  • Botley Bypass
  • Chickenhall Lane Link Road
  • East Kent Access (Phases 2 and 3)
  • Newhaven Port Access Road
  • North-West Relief Road, Shrewsbury
  • Tunstall Northern Bypass.

There are other schemes which have been bid for in the past but which were not accepted for funding. Where such schemes were not rejected outright authorities are free to bid for these schemes again. These include:

  • A57 Cadishead Way
  • Heysham—M6 Link Road
  • Wylye Valley Relief Road.

In other cases, authorities are seeking decisions in December 2001, although the planned spend profile of the schemes concerned means that no funding is sought for the 2002–03 financial year.

Mr. Don Foster

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions when(a) English Nature, (b) the Countryside Agency and (c) English Heritage (i) were and (ii) will be consulted on local road schemes being considered for funding in the Local Transport Settlement 2001. [10485]

Mr. Jamieson

Local authorities bidding for road schemes under the Local Transport Plan system are required to consult the four statutory bodies—English Nature, English Heritage, the Countryside Agency and the Environment Agency—before submitting their bids. In addition, once the bid documents were received by my Department in August the Appraisal Summary Tables for all road schemes were sent to the four bodies to seek their further views on the schemes. The bodies have been kept informed of alterations to the tables.

Mr. Don Foster

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions (1) if he is presented with appraisal summary tables for each of the options before deciding whether to approve a major road scheme; [10633]

(2) if his Department requires appraisal summary tables to be submitted for more than one option when a local authority seeks funding for a major road scheme. [10634]

Mr. Jamieson

Before major local road schemes can be accepted for funding, local authorities need to demonstrate that they have considered alternative approaches. Submission of appraisal summary tables for each alternative is not required but decisions will only be taken once we are satisfied that these have been subject to proper consideration. Decisions are based on all of the evidence available to the Department.

Mr. Don Foster

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions if he will list the major new road schemes submitted by local authorities for funding(a) by 31 July and (b) after 31 July. [10488]

Mr. Jamieson

The following major new road schemes were submitted for funding by(a) 31 July:

  • A1 South East Northumberland Link Road
  • A1198 Papworth Everard Bypass
  • A182 East Durham Link Road
  • A228 Main Road to Ropers Lane (Phase 1)
  • A24 Horsham-Capel Improvement
  • A34 Alderley Edge Bypass
  • A350 Westbury Bypass Town Centre Scheme
  • A36 Codford-Heytesbury Improvement
  • A52 Grantham East-West Bypass
  • A57(T) M1 Junction 31-Todwick Crossroads
  • A6096 Ilkeston Awsworth Link
  • A612 Gedling ITP Scheme
  • A628 Cudworth and West Green Bypass
  • Aston Northern Bypass (Phase 2)
  • Bletchley Link
  • Central Route, Sunderland
  • Central Somerset Access Package
  • East Middlesbrough Corridor
  • Junction 11 M4 Improvement Proposals
  • Kiln Lane Link, Surrey
  • Markham Employment Growth Zone
  • Northern Gateway Stage 2, Newcastle
  • Oakham Bypass
  • Poole Bridge Regeneration Initiative
  • Roscommon Way Extension, Essex
  • Selly Oak Relief Road
and (b) after 31 July
  • Luton East Corridor.

Information on the scheme listed in (b) was submitted after 31 July with the full agreement of the Department.

In some cases revised information on the schemes listed in (a) was sought from authorities after 31 July.

Mr. Don Foster

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions if the New Approach to Appraisal applies to(a) national and (b) local major road schemes which are financed by private capital. [10486]

Mr. Jamieson

The New Approach to Appraisal (NATA) applies to all trunk and local major road schemes that have some element of public funding. For developer-funded trunk road highway works, the principles of NATA apply, though the form of application may vary. For developer-funded local road schemes, local highway authorities have scope to decide on the appropriate approach and may apply NATA.