Skip to main content
Service phase: Beta

This is a new way to search our records, which we're still working on. Alternatively you can search our existing catalogue, Discovery.

Series

Department of the Environment: A66 (Workington to Barons Cross, Penrith) Trunk Road...

Catalogue reference: AT 70

What's it about?

AT 70

This series contains records of the A66 (Workington to Barons Cross, Penrith) Trunk Road Public Inquiry.The majority of the records are copies provided for the use of the Inquiry by the Department of the Environment's Highways 2, Trunk and...

Full description and record details

Reference

AT 70

Title
Department of the Environment: A66 (Workington to Barons Cross, Penrith) Trunk Road Public Inquiry: Inquiry records
Date

1951-1972

Description

This series contains records of the A66 (Workington to Barons Cross, Penrith) Trunk Road Public Inquiry.

The majority of the records are copies provided for the use of the Inquiry by the Department of the Environment's Highways 2, Trunk and Principal Road Administration Division and Road Construction Units (Northern and North Western).

Held by
The National Archives, Kew
Legal status

Public Record(s)

Language

English

Creator(s)
  • Department of the Environment, Road Construction Units, 1970-1976
  • Department of the Environment, Trunk and Principal Road Administration Division, 1970-1973
Physical description

12 file(s)

Access conditions

Open

Immediate source of acquisition

in 2005 Office of the Deputy Prime Minister

Accumulation dates

1971

Accruals

Series is accruing

Selection and destruction information

Records relating to the objections from the major organisations have been preserved in their entirety. Specimens of records relating to objections from other organisations and individuals have been preserved.

Administrative / biographical background

Section 279 of the Highways Act 1959 (c25) empowers the Minister to hold a public inquiry to hear objections to orders made under sections 7 and 9 of the Act. The A66 was made a trunk route in 1968. Due to the level and number of objections the minister decided in October 1971 to have an enquiry. Sir Robert Scott (former Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Defence) was appointed inspector to chair the Inquiry.

The Inquiry was held at Penrith from January to March 1972. Responsibility for the administration of the enquiry was shared between Highways 2: Trunk and Principal Road Administration Division and Road Construction Units (Northern and North Western).

The most substantial objections were those of the Countryside Commission, the Lake District Planning Board and the Friends of the Lake District. Objections were also received from other organisations and individual members of the public countrywide.

This inquiry was exceptional in its scope in that the proposed scheme raised issues which made it of national importance. The route passed through part of the Lake District National Park and many objections were to the disruption of the National Park landscape on principle. The decision to make the route a trunk road was taken on the advice of Cumberland County Council who considered the potential economic benefits out weighed the detrimental impact on the environment.

Record URL
https://beta.nationalarchives.gov.uk/catalogue/id/C15489/

Catalogue hierarchy

Over 27 million records

This record is held at The National Archives, Kew

26,204 records

Within the department: AT

Records created or inherited by the Department of the Environment, the Department...

You are currently looking at the series: AT 70

Department of the Environment: A66 (Workington to Barons Cross, Penrith) Trunk Road Public Inquiry: Inquiry records