§ Mr. Nigel JonesTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) what assessment he has made of(a) traffic flows and (b) congestion on the A40 in Cheltenham since the opening of the new GCHQ building; [138915]
731W(2) what assessment he has made of the effect on traffic flows of recent changes to the A40 Sixways Junction in Charlton Kings, Cheltenham. [138916]
§ Mr. JamiesonI have asked the Acting Chief Executive of the Highways Agency, Mr. Stephen Hickey, to write to the hon. Member.
Letter from Stephen Hickey to Mr. Nigel Jones, dated 18 November 2003
I have been asked by David Jamieson to reply to your recent Parliamentary Questions about what assessments have been made on traffic flows and congestion at specific locations on the A40 in Cheltenham.
The Highways Agency conducted a queue survey at the A40 Sixways Junction in Charlton Kings on Tuesday 4 November 2003. In the morning peak there appears to be little change in the length of queues; the main change is in the way the traffic moves. Since the installation of the new signals, traffic moves through the junction in a more orderly manner.
No formal assessment of traffic flows has been carried out since the assessment that was made as part of the planning process for the GCHQ building. Not all relocations to the new building are complete therefore it is too soon for a meaningful assessment of the impact of the development to be conducted. GCHQ, Gloucestershire County Council, Cheltenham Borough Council and the Highways Agency are working together to find ways to mitigate the impact of the new GCHQ building.