Whenever the subject of a bypass for Devizes is raised, I put pen to paper to voice my solution to the

indisputable problem of the traffic attempting to pass through the town.

In my view, and in the view of

others to whom I have talked, the only reasonable, rational,

responsible and environmentally friendly proposal is to construct a road tunnel beneath Devizes, from Cannings Hill to the bottom of Caen Hill.

There could also be a branch off towards Potterne, below Broadleas.

This would completely alleviate the problem of despoiling the

acknowledged and renowned Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty the Vale of Pewsey.

Devizes is on the western border of this glorious and for the most part unspoilt stretch of countryside (that is, if the greed of developers and planners can be restrained from covering the whole area with a

concrete jungle).

The construction of tunnels in this country has been successful for the past two or more centuries. Two years ago, we cruised through the three-mile long Standedge Canal Tunnel, crossing the Pennine Ridge, 600 feet above sea level and 600 feet below the summit.

Norway and Switzerland have many lengthy road and rail tunnels through their mountains chalk downs must be an easier task to

tunnel through than that.

Let us not forget Brunel or our Channel Tunnel.

After the Winchester bypass was completed, the then Minister for Transport publically announced that, with hindsight, it should have been a tunnel, not a cutting!

A surface bypass is not the answer and would mar the countryside forever.

S Padwick

Devizes