'Planners wrong over bridge'

SIR - I have read with some disquiet the further insistence of the County Council’s bid for a £70 million grant from the Department of Transport to complete the work of making the A4440 into a dual carriageway, including the Carrington Bridge.

Your artist’s projection of how the renewed bridge will look with the attendant widening of the barrage was excellent. Despite this the planners are still wrong.

The Carrington bridge over the Severn is described as a notorious bottleneck but it is the existence of traffic islands at the Ketch and Norton Lane that are responsible for the congestion at peak times.

These two islands in particular need urgent attention by converting to under pass or overpass and yet it seems that the appropriate authorities are not intending to deal with this problem.

I would suggest yet again that our local planners make a visit to the A419 at Swindon to see what can be done by an authority that understands the needs of road users and prepared to do something to ease the flow of everyday traffic.

It is a matter of some concern that some local authority councillors and politicians are sponsoring this project claiming that the end result will be for the benefit of the people of South Worcestershire.

I suspect that it is more likely to be seen as a useful item to add to their personal CV.

Cllr. Brian Regimbeau.


'Parking chaos at rail station'

SIR - As a regular user of Pershore train station and Pershore car park I would like to bring the following matter to your attention.

Pershore train station car park has around 17-20 car parking spaces which are free to use for rail travellers.  This is fantastic - free parking!   As I am sure you are aware, there is a long running dispute between Carlton Smith Ltd and GWR with regard to the car park which no one seems able to resolve.

In the meantime, local rails users have to fight for a space with Carlton Smith staff and also, get this, passengers who leave their car there on a Monday and don’t bother picking it up again until Friday!

However, it’s OK because we can always find space in Carlton Smith’s car park and pay them £5 per day whilst their staff park for free in the station car park.

We can always park our cars on Station Road where there are no parking restrictions at all! And if we block the traffic, well it’s already at a standstill because of the ridiculous traffic light system in place at the Wyre turn.

But seriously, when is someone going to sort this mess out?

Angie Colombo


'Greens side with Labour'

SIR -It is a great pity that in responding to my question to the Green Party about Pitmaston Park, Cllr Laurenson just provided words of personal abuse rather than simply answering the question, namely why did the Greens oppose the annexation of part of Perdiswell Park at the June Planning Committee and then - at the same meeting an hour later - vote to annex part of Pitmaston Park?

This shows just how flexible their principles are. Whilst they go around Battenhall they don’t tell people that Green Party policy is to allow in another 240,000 Syrian immigrants, support unilateral nuclear disarmament, and abolish the monarchy.

They are consistent on one point - they always vote with Labour. Of the 12 recorded votes during last year’s City Council, they supported Labour on every single occasion.

Interesting definition of being “neutral”!

Joe Amos


'Get a grip on the vandals'

SIR - Sir I am addressing my letter to the mindless vandals who destroyed 12 of the newly planted trees in Diglis park.

It is impossible to understand the motivation of these idiots who get some perverse pleasure by destroying trees put there for the pleasure of local residents.

To the parents of these thugs I would say get a grip on what your children are up to.

To other residents I would ask you to remain vigilant and let’s catch these idiots before the rest of the trees are ruined.

G Torbitt


'No benefits in stadium plan'

SIR - I was astonished by the feature ‘Stadium plan debated again’. The planning committee are being basically warned that there may be consequences to their vote against the building of this great white elephant as a challenge could lead to the applicants’ being awarded costs. CONSEQUENCES!

What about the impact this venture will have on people who live in the area and those who use it? What cost will they pay - increased pollution, noise, light pollution, anti social behaviour, increased traffic, litter, the loss of a beautiful place.

As for benefits to the community, where or what does this high and mostly empty stadium bring. As Alex Ferguson often said “ I can’t see it”.

The planning officers should vote using their own minds and not be cajoled into making a decision that will effect the life’s of thousands for years to come or until the club goes bust .

David Clayton