Part of the debate – in the House of Commons am 12:00 am ar 19 Rhagfyr 1973.
I should like to begin by apologising to my hon. Friend the Under-Secretary for keeping him up so late. I realise that he has much to occupy him and that he has not been too well recently. I also take this opportunity to thank him for his unfailing courtesy and considerable help over a long period in what is an extremely important constituency issue. I hope that he will set his seal on all his endeavours by giving me a good answer tonight.
My hon. Friend is slightly lucky on this occasion, because when I last raised this subject on the Adjournment in February 1971 we began at 4.14 a.m. Therefore, he has escaped lightly compared with his hon. Friend, now the Minister for Aerospace and Shipping, who had to answer at that time, and my hon. Friend the Member for The Wrekin (Dr. Trafford), who, again, I am pleased to see this evening.
The improvements that are necessary to the A5 and the siting of the M54 form a very important constituency issue for Cannock. It goes back before the General Election. Indeed, it was one of the local issues in the election. At that stage the proposal was to drive a motorway link from the M6 to Telford and three possible routes were being discussed.
I took a different line from the beginning, with almost unanimous local support. I suggested that the proper solution to the traffic problems of Telford and the least damaging environmentally would be to widen and to improve the existing trunk road—the A5. I advanced that solution on a number of occasions, including the last debate on the issue in the House.
As a result, my hon. Friends were helpful. An inquiry was held at which a northern route—not the A5, but a road near it, which was not a very satisfactory route—was considered as an alternative to the so-called southern route.
The inspector made his report and the Minister made his decision. The inspector's report was not entirely satisfactory, in as much as he did not come down firmly in favour of one route or the other. He pointed out that there were considerable environmental objections to the southern route and suggested that perhaps further investigation should be conducted in the northern corridor near the A5.
However, my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State, over a year after the inquiry had finished, decided that it should be the southern route. I must say, in as restrained and respectful a manner as I can, that the way in which my right hon. Friend made his decision has caused a great deal of disturbance and ill-feeling locally. The impression was given that the whole thing was a fait accompli from the start and that the inquiry was superfluous and the inspector's recommendations were not listened to. I do not go along with that. I do not believe that is was a fait accompli. I believe that the inquiry was a valuable exercise. But local people, inevitably close to the problem and terribly affected by it, feel extremely disturbed.
The attitude, on environmental grounds, of the CPRE and the important article in Country Life in the summer served to underline this dissatisfaction. The reason was the fact that the landscape through which the southern route would carve its way is of quite outstanding quality. I do not want to expand upon its beauties at great length because I want to leave time for my hon. Friend the Member for The Wrekin to make some comments. But it is a beautiful landscape. I should like to mention one or two places. There is Chillington, within my constituency, which with its wonderful Capability Brown landscaped park and the countryside around is one of the gems of rural England. The whole area between my home village of Brewood and the neighbouring village of Codsall is tremendously attractive. The fact that it is so near one of the biggest conurbations in the country makes it that much more attractive by comparison. In my hon. Friend's constituency, around Tong, the gems are there for all to see.
What I shall suggest tonight, in the light of the recent announcement of cuts in public expenditure, is that my right hon. and learned Friend should perhaps rethink this matter. Perhaps this could be one of the roads which could be cut or at least deferred. I hope that my hon. Friend the" Under-Secretary will say something about that.
However, whatever happens with regard to the M54, the problem of the A5 remains as acute as ever, and improvements between Gailey and Weston-under-Lizard are absolutely essential. They would produce the same sort of miraculous improvement in traffic flow as has been achieved in Brownhills recently.
I shall make the rest of my remarks on the assumption that the decision will not be reversed, because we have to act on that assumption tonight. As I said, whatever happens with regard to the M54, the A5 must be improved. It is inadequate throughout this whole stretch. As long ago as September 1970. the then Minister said that there was no doubt that the existing length of the A5 was inadequate for the traffic then using it. Since then the daily traffic flow has risen by 20 per cent., according to an Answer that I was given as recently as 28th November.
I want to speak briefly about two particular sections of the A5. Ivetsey Bank and Weston-under-Lizard are both accident hazards. Ivetsey Bank crossroads are on the crest of a hill. Something must be done about that, and done soon. But perhaps the most crying need of all is for the village of Weston-under-Lizard. This charming and delightful rural spot is an obvious candidate for a bypass, and for some 50 years a by-pass has been on the cards and pressed for by local people. Surely the time has come when their pleas and prayers should be answered. Every walk taken in that village is almost a walk with death. The peace of the area and the nerves of its people are shattered. Will my hon. Friend give a little hope that these people will be able to live in an atmopshere of tranquillity, calm and safety?
With regard to the M54, at present the proposed southern route is the subject of a great deal of anxiety. I have mentioned the beauties of Chillington, the area between Brewood and Codsall, and so on. The level of the road in certain places is causing acute local concern. If this route is to be persisted with, we should have a new and radical departure in motorway preparation.
Perhaps my right hon. and learned Friend the Secretary of State will consider the idea which I put to him some time ago of a landscaping consultant answerable directly to him through my hon. Friend the Under-Secretary—somebody who would talk to the people, who would discuss their problems, who would listen to their proposed solutions, who would allow of a real degree of public participation.
I am not casting any aspersions on the RCU, which has a difficult task to do and which does it as conscientiously as it can, but it is not sufficient for local people—my constituents—to talk merely to civil servants: they need somebody else. Although this would be creating a precedent, I believe that it would be a happy one and would show that the Minister has at heart the beauties of the environment. Although there may be occasions when economic considerations have to outweigh environmental ones, if this were done at least it would be shown that every step was being taken to safeguard the environmental glories that are there.
May I ask my hon. Friend, finally, whether at least he will agree to come to my constituency and discuss these issues with the people there, so that they can talk to him. I will say no more tonight. I hope that I shall have some reassurance on these various points from my hon. Friend—in other words, a promise on the A5, a landscape consultant or something equivalent, and the promise of his presence in my constituency at an early date.