A34 slip road safety issues get hearing in Parliament

The issues around the slip roads on the A34 near Newbury get a Parliamentary hearing tomorrow (Tuesday).

Reading West and Mid Berkshire MP Olivia Bailey will be presenting the A34 Slip Road Safety (East Ilsley and Beedon) Bill to Parliament.

This is a Ten Minute Rule Bill - a way to bring the Government's attention to a specific issue and push for change.

“I said I would use all legislative levers available to me, and this is one of them,” she said.

“I'm looking forward to the opportunity to share constituents' concerns in my speech presenting the Bill to the House and my colleagues.”

The ten minute rule allows a backbench MP to make his or her case for a new Bill in a speech lasting up to ten minutes.

An opposing speech may also be made before the House decides whether or not the Bill should be introduced. If the MP is successful the Bill is taken to have had its first reading.

Ms Bailey has been campaigning for safety improvements to the A34 slip roads at East Ilsley and Beedon, and has spoken about it before in the House of Commons.

After a site visit to meet officials, she said they discussed implementing safety improvements in the short term and undertaking a full safety review of the A34 in the long term.

Ms Bailey, who is concerned about the slip roads being too short and having poor visibility, arranged for a survey to be carried out into the problem junctions, and said 450 people had been in contact.

It found 96% of residents agreed that the slip roads were dangerous, and 91% had personally experienced issues.