Petitions Petitions Tuesday 10 December 2013 Observations Communities and Local Government Hawthorns Skate and BMX Park Desborough, Northamptonshire The Petition of supporters of the Hawthorne Skate and BMX Park Desborough, Northamptonshire, Declares that the Petitioners support the campaign to save the Hawthorns Skate and BMX Park in Desborough, Northamptonshire, which is a large park, with ten varied wooden ramps built to national competition standard, which was first established in 1999 and which has since benefitted from National Lottery funding and has been maintained, repaired and rebuilt by the voluntary efforts of the local community; further that it has been used by thousands of local boys and girls, and now faces the threat of closure by Kettering Borough Council, which owns the land on which the park is sited and which wishes to build residential properties on the park site and the eight acres of neighbouring green space, which were established for leisure and sports use in 1974 and which the Petitioners believe are unsuitable for housing development because they are located by a nature reserve. The Petitioners therefore request that the House of Commons urge the Department of Communities and Local Government to encourage Kettering Borough Council to review the planned closure of the Hawthorns Skate and BMX Park. And the Petitioners remain, etc.—[Presented by Mr Philip Hollobone, Official Report, 4 July 2013; Vol. 565, c. 1160.] [P001193] Observations from the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government: Decisions about the future of this skate park are a matter for the local authority. It is important, as with all decisions about the provision of local facilities, that there is effective consultation with the local community. Sport England works closely with local authorities to develop a strategic approach to the provision of facilities ensuring that local authorities have the right mix of sustainable provision. Sport England is supporting the provision of new facilities in Kettering, which has now been incorporated into a borough wide sports facilities strategy currently being implemented by the council. If there is to be a material change of use for the site this will require planning permission. In considering any application there will be an opportunity for those with an interest to submit comments which the local planning authority can consider in coming to a decision on the planning application. While this is a matter for the local authority, it would be inappropriate to comment on the detail of any proposal as it might come before the Secretary of State in due course. Transport A14 road improvement and financing The Petition of the people of Suffolk Coastal and the wider Suffolk area, Declares that the planned road improvements on the A14, a key route connecting the Midlands with the UK’s leading container port of Felixstowe and designated as a Trans-European Transport Network, will be welcomed by most users of the A14, particularly by residents in Cambridgeshire, and is expected to reduce congestion on this key route for commuters and businesses alike; further declares that this is one of several major road improvements proposed by Her Majesty’s Government though notes that this is the only road improvement scheme proposed to be partially financed by a toll; further declares the concerns of the petitioners that this will have a detrimental effect on the economy of Suffolk. The Petitioners therefore request that the House of Commons urges the Government to remove the planned requirement to toll vehicles on the A14. And the Petitioners remain, etc.—[Presented by Dr Thérèse Coffey, Official Report, 8 November 2013; Vol. 570, c. 608.] [P001257] Observations from the Secretary of State for Transport: The Highways Agency recognises the vital link of the A14 in the Trans-European Network and to the national and local economy. In developing the proposals for A14 Cambridge to Huntingdon improvement scheme the Government considered tolling as an option. A recent public consultation exercise was undertaken to consider the route options for the A14 scheme and the impact of proposals to introduce road-user tolls on part of the route. The Government have listened to the concerns of business leaders and communities in the region centring around the impact of tolling on local competitiveness and congestion on less-suitable un-tolled alternative routes, and has decided not to introduce tolls on the A14. The Highways Agency are currently producing a consultation report which will be published later this month on: http:www.highways.gov.uk/roads/roads-projects/914-cambridge-to-huntingdon-improvement-Scheme. The views received from this consultation will then be used to support the further development of the scheme design with the next stage being the publication of a Preferred Route Announcement early next year. The Petition of the people of Suffolk Coastal and the wider Suffolk area, Declares that the planned road improvements on the A14, a key route connecting the Midlands with the UK's leading container port of Felixstowe and designated as a Trans-European Transport Network, will be welcomed by most users of the A14, particularly by residents in Cambridgeshire, and is expected to reduce congestion on this key route for commuters and businesses alike; further declares that this is one of several major road improvements proposed by Her Majesty's Government though notes that this is the only road improvement scheme proposed to be partially financed by a toll; further declares the concerns of the petitioners that this will have a detrimental effect on the economy of Suffolk. The Petitioners therefore request that the House of Commons urges the Government to remove the planned requirement to toll vehicles on the A14. And the Petitioners remain, etc.—[Presented by Dr Thérèse Coffey, Official Report, 22 November 2013; Vol. 571, c. 3P.] [P001299] Observations from the Secretary of State for Transport: The Highways Agency recognises the vital link of the A14 in the Trans-European Network and to the national and local economy. In developing the proposals for A14 Cambridge to Huntingdon improvement scheme the Government considered tolling as an option. A recent public consultation exercise was undertaken to consider the route options for the A14 scheme and the impact of proposals to introduce road-user tolls on part of the route. The Government have listened to the concerns of business leaders and communities in the region centring around the impact of tolling on local competitiveness and congestion on less-suitable un-tolled alternative routes, and has decided not to introduce tolls on the A14. The Highways Agency are currently producing a consultation report which will be published later this month on: www.highways.gov.uk/roads/roads-projects/A14-Cambridge-to-Huntingdon-Improvement-Scheme The views received from this consultation will then be used to support the further development of the scheme design with the next stage being the publication of a Preferred Route Announcement early next year.