Editing M25 motorway (section)

===Plans===
[[File:Ringways 3 & 4.png|thumb|left|Map of Ringways 3 & 4 showing sections combined to form the M25]]

The idea of a general bypass around London was first proposed early in the 20th century. An outer orbital route around the capital had been suggested in 1913, and was re-examined as a motorway route in [[Charles Bressey|Sir Charles Bressey's]] and [[Edwin Lutyens|Sir Edwin Lutyens']] ''The Highway Development Survey, 1937''.{{sfn|Bramley|1946|p=146}} [[Patrick Abercrombie|Sir Patrick Abercrombie's]] ''[[County of London Plan|County of London Plan, 1943]]'' and ''Greater London Plan, 1944'' proposed a series of five roads encircling the capital.{{sfn|Smith|2001|p=148}}<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=sWw9AAAAMAAJ&q=%22county+of+london+plan%22+1943+orbital|title=County of London plan|publisher=London County Council|author=John Henry Forshaw, Sir Patrick Abercrombie|year=1943|page=13}}</ref> The northern sections of the M25 follow a similar route to the [[Outer London Defence Ring]], a concentric series of anti-tank defences and pillboxes designed to slow down a potential German invasion of the capital during [[World War II]].{{sfn|Hamilton|2015|p=19}} This was marked as the D Ring on Abercombie's plans. Following the war, 11 separate [[county council]]s told the [[Ministry of Transport (United Kingdom)|Ministry of Transport]] that an orbital route was "first priority" for London.{{sfn|Asher|2018|p=113}}

Plans stalled because the route was planned to pass through several urban areas, which attracted criticism. The original D Ring through northwest London was intended to be a simple upgrade of streets. In 1951, Middlesex County Council planned a route for the orbital road through the county, passing through [[Eastcote]] and west of [[Bushey]], connecting with the proposed [[M1 motorway]], but it was rejected by the Ministry two years later. An alternative route via [[London Borough of Harrow|Harrow]] and [[Ealing]] was proposed, but this was abandoned after the council revealed the extent of property demolition required.{{sfn|Asher|2018|p=113}}

In 1964, the [[London County Council]] announced the [[London Ringways]] plan, to consist of four concentric motorway rings around London.{{sfn|Asher|2018|p=43,112}} The following year, the transport minister [[Barbara Castle]] announced that the D Ring would be essential to build. The component parts of what became the M25 came from [[London Ringways#Ringway 3|Ringway 3]] / [[M16 motorway]] in the north and [[London Ringways#Ringway 4|Ringway 4]] in the south.{{sfn|Asher|2018|p=113}}

The Ringways plan was controversial owing to the destruction required for the inner two ring roads, ([[London Ringways#Ringway 1|Ringway 1]] and [[London Ringways#Ringway 2|Ringway 2]]). Parts of Ringway 1 were constructed (including the [[West Cross Route]]), despite stiff opposition, before the overall plan was postponed in February 1972. In April 1973, the [[Greater London Council]] elections resulted in a [[Labour Party (UK)|Labour Party]] victory; the party then formally announced the cancellation of the Ringways running inside Greater London.{{sfn|Asher|2018|p=103}} This did not affect the routes that would become the M25, because they were planned as central government projects from the outset.{{sfn|Asher|2018|p=111}}