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A14/A45 (North Northamptonshire)

I am delighted to be here to support my parliamentary neighbour, my hon. Friend the Member for Wellingborough (Mr. Bone). He works tirelessly day in and day out for his constituents, and I congratulate him on securing this special and important debate. It is obvious to anyone who lives in and around Kettering that the A14 needs urgent attention. There are far too many accidents on the road and it is getting increasingly congested. Kettering simply will not be able to cope with the thousands of extra houses unless the A14 is improved fast. The Government and the Highways Agency have dithered for far too long over this issue, yet it is the most important infrastructure improvement that Kettering needs. Local roads are becoming more and more congested, and the Kettering rail service is to be cut back. The strain on existing public services is increasing as each month passes. Unless the Government agree to guarantee the additional infrastructure that Kettering needs, the plans for housing expansion in the area need to be radically scaled back or stopped altogether. The Government's overall plans for Kettering envisage 13,100 new dwellings by 2021, which would increase the population of the borough by one third. There are to be 145,000 new houses across the county as a whole, increasing Northamptonshire's population from 660,000 to 1 million. Yet the current situation with the A14 is that there are no official plans to improve the road around Kettering until 2017 at the earliest. However, more than 70,000 vehicles a day already use the A14 around Kettering and the road is at capacity. Specific detailed plans to improve the A14 have been awaited for at least two years. Growth in local traffic is such that the Highways Agency is now considering restricting local vehicular access on to the road through so-called demand management measures. Planning approval for large-scale housing expansion to the east of Kettering, possibly involving up to 5,000 homes, simply cannot proceed until improvements to the A14 are announced. BB Developments and Buccleuch Estates have submitted to Kettering borough council, of which I am proud to be a member, a planning application for 5,500 houses to be built to the east of Kettering. Without guidance from the Highways Agency that plans are to be put in place to improve the A14, Kettering borough council is unlikely to be able to make a decision either way on the application within the requisite timetable. That is likely to lead to an appeal by the applicants to the planning inspectorate, which would involve the council in a costly and lengthy planning inquiry. Likewise, plans to develop the old scrap yard site at the junction of the A43 and the A14 near Broughton are blighted until firm proposals for an improvement to the A14 are announced by the Department for Transport. Since being elected in May 2005, I have asked a series of parliamentary questions about the A14, and the timetable for an announcement about the road continues to slip. In July 2005, the answer given was:"““The HA has commissioned an options study, and is currently gathering information and constructing a transport model for the area. The study is expected to report in February 2005””.—[Official Report, 20 July 2005; Vol. 436, c. 1793W.]" In May 2007, the answer from the Minister's predecessor, the hon. Member for South Thanet (Dr. Ladyman), was:"““I have asked the Highways Agency to submit recommendations on potential improvements this autumn.””—[Official Report, 15 May 2007; Vol. 460, c. 459.]" In September 2007, the answer was:"““The Highways Agency is finalising an options appraisal on how to improve the capacity of the A14 around Kettering, which I expect shortly.””—[Official Report, 10 September 2007; Vol. 463, c. 1945W.]" In November 2007, the Minister said:"““The Highways Agency is investigating possible low-cost improvements to the A14 around Kettering with a view to assisting the delivery of growth…This study is due to report early next year””.—[Official Report, 14 November 2007; Vol. 467, c. 246W.]" At the other end of the A14, Government plans for the Catthorpe interchange with the M1 and the M6, which is used by 100,000 drivers every day, continue to be delayed. A £200 million improvement scheme was announced in December 2006, with works to start in 2009. However, plans are still being prepared and have yet to be presented to a public inquiry. Only £500,000 has been spent on interim improvements since the announcement of the scheme, and the interchange approach continues to be subject to frequent accidents. The A14 is one of the most congested roads in the country. It is a killer road and it will block all the Government's plans for developing the local area. The Department for Transport needs to make an urgent announcement about how it intends to improve the road, and the improvements need to be delivered extremely quickly.