Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to page 41 of the Road Investment Strategy: Investment Plan, published on 1 December 2014, and the proposed study of a scheme to be developed for improvements to the A45 from Thrapston to Stanwick, (a) when that study will begin, (b) which body will undertake the study, (c) what the timescales for the study will be and when the study will conclude, (d) what public consultation will be involved in the study, (e) who will evaluate the study, (f) what funding has been allocated to undertake the study, (g) whether the announcement of a study is a guarantee that road improvements will take place in a future road period, (h) what the earliest year would be in which improvement work could be undertaken on the A45 Thrapston to Stanwick following the study, (i) what submissions about the A45 from Stanwick to Thrapston were received from the Highways Agency in connection with the development of the Road Investment Strategy and (j) what cost estimates were considered in relation to dualling from Thrapston to Stanwick.

The Government is committed to upgrading the A45 from Thrapston to Stanwick which is why the scheme is named in the new Road Investment Strategy. The previous administration failed adequately to improve Northamptonshire’s infrastructure when they had the opportunity, despite holding a number of parliamentary seats in the county for all or part of the 13 years from 1997.

The proposals to improve the A45 between Thrapston and Stanwick will be developed by Highways England during the first Road Period, which runs from 2015/16 to 2019/20, but may not enter construction until the next Road Period as the environmental sensitivities of the site are recognised by the Department for Transport. It is important that we get this right.

Evidence gathered as part of the Route Strategy process was used to inform the development of the Road Investment Strategy (RIS). The investment commitment in the RIS provides funding for the development of a scheme to upgrade the existing single carriageway section of the A45 between Thrapston and Stanwick so the A45 can provide a continuous Expressway between the A14 and the M1.

In committing to develop schemes for the next RIS period we have been clear that the design of the proposal may be complex, and in relation to the A45 scheme, it will be necessary to ensure that the proposal carefully manages the interaction of the road with the Stanwick Lakes SSSI and the wider Nene Valley. While it is too early to set out the detailed arrangements and a timetable for development of the proposal, we do know that delivery will require the successful completion of the necessary statutory planning processes, which include public consultation.

By naming the A45 in the first ever Road Investment Strategy this government has shown its commitment to Northamptonshire and will continue to press ahead with improvements to this important artery. This comes on top of the £20.5 million investment towards the cost of the the A43 Corby link road which opened in 2014 and up to £25 million that has been allocated for improvements to the Chowns Mill roundabout as part of the RIS.

By contrast the previous administration dropped several schemes in Northamptonshire from the national road building programme in 1998 including the A43 Moulton-Broughton improvement; the A43 Geddington bypass; as well as the A45 Weedon, Flore and Upper Heyford bypass.

At the time of the publication of the RIS the Department set out the expected cost category for each of the investment commitments, with the A45 Thrapston to Stanwick scheme falling in the £100 to £250m cost category.