Commons Sense

House of Commons · Westminster Hall

A46 at Tewkesbury

09 May 2023 · 0 other contributors · 3,557 words

Opened by Laurence Robertson Con Tewkesbury

Responding minister: Richard Holden

Transport

Summarised by AI from the official record, so it can contain mistakes.

Read the full transcript on Parliament.uk

At a glance

Laurence Robertson raised concerns about a46 at tewkesbury in Westminster Hall. A government minister responded.

Key points

  • The area around junction 9 of the M5 is experiencing significant growth with 10,000 additional houses planned and major industrial sites nearby.
  • The proposed improvements to the A46 are considered insufficient and include reducing junction 9 to a two-way junction and building a link road through flood-prone land near schools.
  • The MP requests the government reject the current business case and develop proposals to increase A46 capacity for local traffic, rather than focusing on bypasses without sufficient evidence.

Key requests to Government

The MP requests that the government reject the current business case and instruct Gloucestershire County Council to develop proposals specifically aimed at increasing the capacity of the A46 to handle local traffic, rather than focusing on bypasses without sufficient evidence.

How the debate unfolded

MPs spoke in turn to share their views and ask questions. Here's what each person said.

Opened the debate

Laurence Robertson Con Tewkesbury

The area around junction 9 of the M5 is experiencing significant growth, with an additional 10,000 houses planned and major industrial sites nearby. The proposed improvements to the A46 are insufficient and could include reducing junction 9 to a two-way junction and building a link road through flood-prone land near schools. There is also concern about the lack of evidence for traffic relief benefits from bypass options.

Government Response

Richard Holden

I thank my hon. Friend the Member for Tewkesbury (Mr Robertson) for introducing the debate on the proposed changes to the A46 in his constituency, and welcome the opportunity to discuss this important road project involving the A46 and proposals being developed for it. The proposals are led by Gloucestershire County Council with National Highways advising extensively due to the scheme's impact on the strategic road network and M5. I have looked into specific concerns regarding the grey route and confirmed that the Department for Transport will consider removing or changing this route if desired by the council, which is crucial given planned large-scale developments in Tewkesbury. The A46 faces congestion challenges between the Teddington Hands roundabout and junction 9 of the M5 with journey time reliability issues. Gloucestershire County Council submitted a strategic outline business case for the scheme in September 2022, which is currently undergoing rigorous assessment by my Department to ensure value for money and alignment with national strategies. I am willing to meet further with my hon. Friend's officials to consider other options if the council is open to it. The process involves considering various route options before deciding on a preferred scheme and seeking Treasury approval for construction, expected in RIS4 timescales.

Get updates like this by email
▸ Assessment & feedback
Summary accuracy