M56 (Junctions 12 to 14)

Tuesday 17th November 2015 Westminster Hall

[Sir Roger Gale (in the Chair)]

Before we begin, I notice that hon. Members are present who, geography suggests, might have a constituency interest. I have received no notice of any other speakers having been agreed with the Minister or the Chair, but if hon. Members wish to intervene, they may do so with the consent of the hon. Member in charge of the debate.

11:00

[Graham Evans (Weaver Vale) (Con)]

I beg to move,

That this House has considered Junctions 12 to 14 of the M56 motorway.

It is a pleasure to serve under your chairmanship, Sir Roger. I have secured this debate because I have serious concerns about the stretch of motorway between junctions 12 and 14 of the M56, which is a major motorway in its own right that links three other motorways—the M6, the M60 and the M53—connecting Cheshire, north Wales and Greater Manchester. The M56 eventually becomes the A55, which continues to Holyhead, providing the single most important transport link for moving freight into and out of north Wales.

Accidents happen all too often on the M56, particularly between junctions 12 and 14, which is the stretch that runs alongside the important communities of Helsby, Frodsham, Sutton Weaver, Preston Brook, Norton and Beechwood in my constituency of Weaver Vale. There is a long, straight stretch of motorway between junctions 12 and 14, running east-west from Runcorn to Chester. There are services at Hapsford, but there is very little technology or electronic signage alerting drivers to potential hazards ahead. The purpose of this debate is to try to get technology on that stretch of motorway.

This is a busy stretch of motorway, with more than 120,000 motorists using the M56 each day and just short of 10,000 vehicles passing through junctions 12 and 14 in both directions during the 5 pm to 6 pm evening rush hour, with even more using the same stretch between 7 am and 8 am during the morning commute. I routinely use the M56 when attending engagements around Weaver Vale, and my constituency office is located off junction 11 at Sci-Tech Daresbury. I therefore have first-hand experience of the challenges that motorists face along the M56.

The section of motorway between junctions 12 and 14 is predominantly east-west, and the setting sun can have knock-on safety implications, particularly at this time of year, or when inclement weather makes it difficult for drivers to see. There have been a number of incidents in the past 12 to 18 months. Sadly, some of those incidents have been extremely serious and have had a devastating effect on the local community. Last month, the police declared a major incident and shut the motorway in both directions from junction 14 to junction 11 after a chemical tanker overturned on the eastbound carriageway near Helsby, just past junction 14.

[Justin Madders (Ellesmere Port and Neston) (Lab)]

I am grateful to the hon. Gentleman for securing this debate on an important issue that affects not only his constituency but mine. Junction 14, of course, is just within the boundary of Ellesmere Port and Neston, and we have Members here from other constituencies in the wider area that are also affected. He has clearly set out some of the issues. Statistics reveal that the number of incidents on this stretch of motorway has doubled in the past four years. Does he have any thoughts or theories as to why we have seen such an increase in serious incidents on this stretch in recent years?

[Graham Evans]

I welcome the help and support of the hon. Members for Ellesmere Port and Neston (Justin Madders), for City of Chester (Christian Matheson), and for Halton (Derek Twigg), and I look forward to working with them. There have been issues on this stretch of the M56 for many, many years. Indeed, as the hon. Member for Halton will know, junction 12 is currently under pressure from severe roadworks. As I will say later in my speech, the Mersey Gateway bridge is also adding pressure, so there are factors that may be regarded as temporary, but that does not detract from the purpose of this debate, which is to get smart technology installed on the whole stretch between junctions 12 and 14. I will explore the short-term measures that could alleviate the problems, but I am looking for significant investment in the whole area for a long-term solution.

There were eight casualties in the recent accident, and five were treated by the North West ambulance service, which does a fantastic job, at Hapsford services off junction 14. Three casualties were taken to the Countess of Chester hospital, but they have all since been released. A secondary collision on the eastbound carriageway occurred at 8.31 pm that evening involving a car transporter and a car, which resulted in a 24-year-old man, a 26-year-old man and a one-year-old baby boy suffering serious injuries.

The motorway was closed for several hours following the tanker crash last month as an investigation was conducted to ascertain the nature of the chemical carried by the tanker. In the meantime, a 1,500-metre cordon was established that also shut down the Holyhead to Manchester railway line. Mid-Cheshire was brought to a complete standstill, and commuters were left stranded, unable to travel by car or rail. I understand why there are very strict safety protocols that must be followed in the event of a chemical spillage, but for some reason the investigators were not able to contact the chemical company to ascertain the contents of the tanker. I am looking into how that came about.

Last year, an empty bus collided with a car and two heavy goods vehicles near junction 12. Police and fire and rescue teams attended the scene and tried to cut a man and a woman out of two different vehicles. Sadly, both the man and the woman were declared dead at the scene. These are not isolated incidents. Accident rates have worsened since 2013, as the hon. Member for Ellesmere Port and Neston highlighted, with accidents clustered around the junction 12 exit slip road and the chevron-marked area between Runcorn and Frodsham all the way through Hapsford services at junction 14. There have been more than 160 road traffic collisions on this stretch of motorway since 2011, more than 50 of which have caused either injury or death.

Unhappily, there was a significant tanker fire in August in the vicinity of junction 14, which prompted me to organise and facilitate a multi-agency meeting in October in response to the increasing frequency and seriousness of the incidents. Present at the meeting were senior representatives from Highways England, Cheshire constabulary, the Mersey Gateway company, Halton Borough Council and Cheshire West and Chester Council, and I made it clear that the meeting was the start of an ongoing process to ensure that we address all the concerns of constituents across the area affected. A number of issues and potential initiatives were explored, such as the introduction of smart motorway technology, enhanced cameras, improved advance notice of incidents and electronic signposting. We also discussed how the various agencies respond to incidents, both in the immediate aftermath and as a situation unfolds, such as the use of carriageway gates to release trapped drivers. Our principal objective was to identify key issues; consider solutions and seek to introduce them in an effective and timely manner to minimise the possibility of accidents recurring; and reduce disruption when accidents occur. At the meeting, a Highways England representative informed me that, two years ago, it considered an alternative traffic management plan for when this section of the M56 is seriously gridlocked, but that plan has not yet come to fruition. I urge the Minister to ensure that the plan is revisited as a priority.

[Derek Twigg (Halton) (Lab)]

As the hon. Gentleman knows, this is a serious issue of concern in Halton. What evaluation has there been of these accidents? At what time of day do they happen? In what weather do they happen? Were mobile phones being used? Has there been a road safety audit of this stretch of motorway? If so, what was the result and what was done about it? There have been cuts to incident support units, which is an added factor in being able to get to such incidents quickly.

[Graham Evans]

The hon. Gentleman raises serious and important points, some of which I raised with Cheshire constabulary. I was somewhat disappointed with the response. Cheshire constabulary looks at every accident; it says that there is no connection, and that they are individual accidents with no linked contributing factors. I agree with his underlying point, because I think there is a connection: the east-west aspect of the motorway and the timing of these accidents when the sun is setting at rush hour.

A further point raised at the meeting was the use of carriageway gates, which I touched on briefly earlier. Several reservations along the M56 have carriageway gates that can be opened to release trapped drivers. They are located roughly every 2 km, and the keys are kept centrally and delivered to the relevant personnel when needed. Keys are now kept on all Highways England vehicles, which is a definitive step in the right direction, although the challenge in using the carriageway gates remains in getting the appropriate personnel in place to close and monitor a lane on the opposite carriageway so that traffic can be released from the affected carriageway. I was interested to note that the keys were not carried in the vehicles; I found it quite amazing. Apparently they are now. I look forward to working with the relevant agencies and the Minister over the coming months to discuss how we can achieve that more readily on that stretch of motorway.

There is little digital signposting along this stretch of motorway to alert motorists to incidents or danger ahead. I have made it clear that I fully support the introduction of smart motorway technology to improve safety and traffic flow. The introduction of smart motorway technology is planned for junctions 6 to 8 of the M56 and junctions 5 to 11 of the M53, and I have been campaigning for similar technology along the stretch between junctions 12 and 14 of the M56.

The key to preventing the build-up of tailbacks following an incident is moving vehicles away from the area as quickly and safely as possible. The M56 between junctions 12 to 14 is unfortunate in that it has few trunk roads that can handle overspill traffic when an incident occurs. The main route at present is the A56, which goes through the residential areas of Frodsham and Helsby and has numerous pedestrian crossings, making it unsuitable to cope with the volume of motorway traffic following a severe accident on the M56. I would be interested to know whether it is possible to bias the timing of pedestrian crossings in favour of traffic flow when an incident occurs, to help relieve tailbacks faster.

The Government have already invested heavily in the area. Work has been undertaken to improve safety and traffic flow on the motorway; £2.3 million in improvements have been made to access roads on junction 11. The works include installing signals on the roundabout, widening the carriageway at key locations on the roundabout, constructing an additional lane on the M56 westbound exit slip and constructing an additional lane on the A56 approach to the roundabout, as well as resurfacing and road marking. The scheme was opened fully in September. As part of the Government’s road investment strategy for my area, work was announced last December on junction 11A to connect the M56 with the A533 at Runcorn to create a new, improved link with the M56 to the new Mersey Gateway bridge, which is under construction.

Likewise, improvement works are being undertaken on junction 12 to link up the Mersey Gateway bridge, which might or might not contribute to some of the accidents around junction 12. Part of the knock-on effect of the improvement works has been an increase in use of roads through Beechwood, including Halton Station road. Very big HGVs and coaches are using that small, residential one-way street, and my constituents are concerned to know what can be done to alleviate the problem.

The works at junction 12 finished yesterday, on time. I am not criticising the workers and their work; they work hard, and they are doing a good job. When complete, the Mersey Gateway bridge and the improved access to the M56 will undoubtedly ease congestion in the area. Likewise, I was delighted when my right hon. Friend the Chancellor confirmed that the Halton curve scheme will be part of a joined-up transport strategy for Weaver Vale, mid-Cheshire and beyond. I have worked closely with the Chancellor, the Department for Transport, Merseytravel, Cheshire West and Chester Council, Halton Council, the North Cheshire Rail Users Group and north Cheshire rail users to ensure that funding for this important transport link is delivered. The Halton curve is a game-changer for the area, providing a direct link for Frodsham, Helsby and Runcorn—areas running alongside the M56. It provides essential potential to ease traffic congestion in those areas by taking commuters off the M56 altogether.

[Justin Madders]

What the hon. Gentleman says about the Halton curve is important. Obviously, increased rail services will be needed to reduce the pressure. An issue raised with me by constituents is the convergence of different sets of traffic from Wales, Merseyside, Chester and Cheshire Oaks, as well as the heavy industrial traffic entering at junction 14 from Elton, Stanlow and Quinn Glass. Does he think that there is an opportunity for some of that industrial traffic to go by rail as well?

[Graham Evans]

The hon. Gentleman raises some good points; perhaps that is a subject for another debate in the House. I totally agree. Electrification of north-western rail, and electrification generally, are part of the northern powerhouse, as is a deep-water port in Liverpool connected to a railhead. We have an opportunity to get a lot of the products of the valued heavy industries in our constituencies on the railway. It is a massive infrastructure project, but perhaps we can work together to get freight off the M56.

The hon. Gentleman highlights an important point: in order to import and export from Holyhead along the A55 from north Wales into Manchester and the north-west generally, we must improve not just the M56 but transport infrastructure generally, creating a linked-up service. Commuters are important. Disruptions and road closures on the M56 sometimes include closure of the railways, which has a far larger knock-on effect on constituents across Cheshire and north Wales.

Each incident is an incident too many. Injuries and fatalities cause untold devastation to the families of loved ones affected; they have long been calling for action on this stretch of the road. Something can and should be done about this. We cannot leave things as they are and allow more families to suffer. I firmly believe that the increasing frequency and serious nature of incidents warrant close inspection and action.

Although my main priority in calling this debate was to bring to light and discuss ways to make this section of the road safer, the other aspect is the huge delays and disruptions in surrounding areas caused by incidents on the motorway. If the motorway snarls up, many people hop off and go down the A56, causing huge traffic jams, as I highlighted earlier, through residential areas such as Sutton Weaver, Frodsham and Helsby. It makes everyday life difficult for residents near the motorway.

In the two years between 2012 and 2014, the average incident length on the eastbound carriageway increased by 10 minutes to 32 minutes. However, over the same period, on average, the incident length on the westbound carriageway has doubled from 30 minutes to 60 minutes. The M56, like the new Mersey Gateway bridge and the Halton curve, are integral to the delivery of the northern powerhouse. I am committed to securing the best possible infrastructure facilities for Weaver Vale and the surrounding area.

I look forward to continuing to work with the Minister and the agencies that I mentioned earlier, and to working cross-party with my parliamentary colleagues throughout Cheshire, north Wales and Greater Liverpool to discuss how progress can best be achieved in a timely manner, and how we can improve safety and reduce disruption along this important stretch of the motorway.

11:17

[The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Transport (Andrew Jones)]

It is a pleasure to serve under your chairmanship, Sir Roger. I congratulate my hon. Friend the Member for Weaver Vale (Graham Evans) on securing this debate on road safety, an issue I know he champions consistently. I am grateful for the opportunity to update the House on current and planned action between junctions 12 and 14 of the M56.

I know that my hon. Friend is concerned about the number of incidents on this stretch of the strategic road network. He has made his case eloquently and I want to reassure him and the House that I take safety seriously. I share his concern that some of the incidents have resulted in serious injuries and, sadly, fatalities. Highways England is already investigating the reasons for that worrying trend, examining the data in depth to see whether any trends emerge in terms of causation factors. It is too early to say at this point what final measures the review might identify or the time scales for implementing them, but I will ensure that that is given priority and that Highways England is aware of the concern in the House, which is shared by colleagues on both sides.

[Derek Twigg]

Has the Highways Agency carried out a road safety audit? If not, why not? If it has, what were the results?

[Andrew Jones]

I thank the hon. Gentleman for that intervention. He has been assiduous in asking about safety on the M56 and he will recall that I wrote to him about it in September. I assure him that safety is a top priority for the Department and for Highways England. The investigatory work is ongoing and I will make sure that the results of that work are shared openly and given appropriate priority by Highways England. I will also make sure that a report of this debate is sent to Highways England with immediate effect.

I will say a little about the long-term investment in the road network. We are taking a strategic and long-term approach to planning our network and we are providing stability of funding for Highways England, so that it is better able to plan its investment in the network. My hon. Friend the Member for Weaver Vale will recall that the first road investment strategy, which Highways England is now delivering, includes a commitment to invest in stretches of the M56, including the new junction 11a to link the M56 to the A533 at Runcorn, creating an improved link to the new Mersey Gateway bridge from the south.

The first RIS was informed by a comprehensive review of the entire strategic road network through a series of route strategies, prepared at that time by the Highways Agency. The pressures and needs of the M56 were assessed as part of the broader south Pennines route strategy. Such route strategies marked the first time that the needs of the strategic road network had been comprehensively assessed, link by link and junction by junction. I am pleased to advise my hon. Friend and indeed the House that such an assessment of the M56 and other parts of the network is not a one-off.

We are developing the process for preparing a second RIS, which will cover the period after 2020. A key part of the evidence base will be Highways England’s next iteration of these route strategies, which it will use to identify the current and future constraints that the performance of the strategic road network places on economic growth. It will then use this information to identify how future delivery and investment plans might address and remove those constraints. As we take the local route strategies forward, I think we will see greater collaboration with local authorities, local enterprise partnerships and other local stakeholders to determine the nature, need and timing of the future investment that the network requires.

To inform the second RIS, Highways England will begin to develop the next round of route strategies with a view to publishing them at the end of 2016-17. I want to change the process a little bit for our second RIS, to make it far more open and to ensure that colleagues here in the House are able to contribute to it with their suggestions. There is no shortage of ideas about the improvements that are required across our network and I want to make sure that colleagues get a chance to contribute to, inform and shape the strategy.

[Justin Madders]

I think we will all be grateful for the opportunity to make an input to this process for investing in the network. Will the investment plan also consider the day-to-day operational costs and expenses of running the network? The hon. Member for Weaver Vale (Graham Evans) highlighted the increase in the time taken to deal with incidents, and my hon. Friend the Member for Halton (Derek Twigg) mentioned the reduction in the number of incident support unit officers. Will some consideration be given to reinvesting in incident support units, to alleviate the impact of collisions on the whole network?

[Andrew Jones]

Road investment strategies are focused upon capital, but I am acutely aware that in certain cases capital brings with it revenue implications, and we consistently hear arguments about that. Today, however, I am talking specifically about capital investment.

I expect to make announcements about RIS2 and the process for it within the next few weeks. I expect that the assessment of the M56, as part of the route strategy work, will include consideration of any further safety-related measures, as well as consideration of whether or not to upgrade this section of the motorway to a smart motorway. I noted the support of my hon. Friend the Member for Weaver Vale for smart motorways. They work by using technology to control traffic and to vary speed limits, with detectors in the carriageway that monitor the flow of traffic. I have seen these smart motorways being introduced up and down the country, and they have been highly successful. I have also noted that colleagues have expressed support for them on many occasions in other debates. These solutions are very much long-term solutions, and if a decision is made to upgrade this section of the M56 to a smart motorway, it may be that the construction work could commence after 2020, but I assure the House once again that as we develop RIS2, safety will be central. It is one of the key requirements in the first RIS and it will continue to be a priority as we develop our plans.

In the meantime, I recognise the importance of minimising the disruption to road users when incidents occur. Highways England is considering, subject to final funding decisions, improving technology around the junction of the M56 and M53, known as Stoak interchange, or junction 15 of the M56. There are plans to install portable variable message signs at this junction. When an incident occurs on the M56 that results in severe congestion or even a closure, Highways England’s north-west regional control centre would be able to activate these signs, which would highlight the problems ahead and advise motorists to look for alternative routes, for example a signed diversionary route.

On a different issue, I notice that my hon. Friend has an online campaign to support quieter road surfacing on the M56. I fully understand his concern, and he has spoken powerfully on behalf of his constituents. Like all colleagues, I recognise how distressing traffic noise can be. It can be extremely loud, even if it is a clear fact that road surfaces have improved significantly in recent years. As a Minister with responsibility for roads, I am taking a great interest in asphalt technology and bitumen. I am keen to impress on my officials the importance of working with the sector, particularly contractors, on bitumen research and development to deliver better surfaces and quieter roads. Such work is a part of improving our road network, including its durability and safety. I have also received a very interesting presentation on this subject from Shell, which then kindly presented me with “The Shell Bitumen Handbook”—a surprisingly large tome.

I understand that my hon. Friend has been out with Highways England to see some of the resurfacing work on the network, and I commend him for that. Of course, road surfaces can help to reduce noise levels, but it is not just the road surface that highway authorities should consider to mitigate the noise for residents living close to a busy road. There are other measures that can be taken, such as erecting noise barriers, walls or noise embankments.

I will quickly mention the local road network. The Government are providing local authorities with £6 billion between 2015 and 2021 to improve local roads. This certainty of funding will ensure that local authorities can plan ahead and use cost-effective and sustainable materials for their roads to mitigate excessive road noise. I am pleased that local residents close to the M56 will benefit from the resurfacing of the westbound carriageway with a material that makes less noise than the material used in 2014. I think they will be reassured to know that Highways England will consider resurfacing the eastbound carriageway within the next two to three years.

Finally, my hon. Friend and the House will recognise the benefits for the region that will result from the plan to relieve build-up in and around Runcorn, and the new junction 11A, which forms part of the Government’s commitment to the northern powerhouse. Rebalancing the economy by creating a northern powerhouse is part of our long-term economic plan. Our objective is simple: it is to allow the north to pool its strengths and to become greater than the sum of its parts. That plan puts transport right at the heart of the agenda. We are making huge progress. By committing £13 billion to transport across the north in this Parliament, we aim to capitalise on the success of transport investment in London to create the northern powerhouse, which will be a second powerhouse region in the UK.

Rail investment has been mentioned, but I think that is a subject for another day.

I thank my hon. Friend the Member for Weaver Vale for all he does in championing his constituency, and I hope that he is reassured that the Government are listening. A fantastic level of investment is going into our transport infrastructure, now and in the future. Safety is at the heart of that investment and it will remain so. My hon. Friend made some specific points and I will write to him with detailed responses, but I assure him that road safety is at the heart of our plans. In fact, the first piece of work that I commissioned as a Minister was on road safety, which I hope indicates my personal commitment to the subject. I thank all Members for their contributions to this debate.

Question put and agreed to.

11:29

Sitting suspended.