§ Ms Shipley: Ms Debra ShipleyTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport what his sponsorship of(a) the New Government Building, Leeds and (b) the Highway Agency's Stonehenge improvement entails. [83351]
§ Mr. JamiesonThe new Government Building, Leeds and the Highways Agency's Stonehenge improvement are two Departmental projects selected by the former DTLR for inclusion in the Better Public Building Initiative.
663WThe Highways Agency is the largest and the leading partner in a project to co-locate five departments in a single new office at Leeds. The design of the new office is being developed with input from the Commission for Architecture in the Built Environment (CABE).
The project is a Private Finance Initiative scheme and is at a stage where five outline proposals have been submitted by developers. It aims to provide a combination of a pleasant working environment for staff with high quality exterior design which enhances the local environment and meets government targets on sustainability.
The Highways Agency's A303 Stonehenge Improvement is a central component of the Stonehenge Project, which will help to restore the setting of the scheduled monument within the Stonehenge World Heritage Site. The Project brings together a number of government and non-government agencies and other organisations in partnership. Detailed development work is currently being undertaken by the Agency.
The principal feature of the improvement will be a tunnel past the Stones. High quality design will be essential for all parts of the scheme that have an impact on the World Heritage Site. CABE is already involved in assessing the detail of the proposals.