Given the number of road accidents there have been in recent years on the A36 Codford-Heytesbury bypass, and the subsequent pressure from local councillors and residents to get on and build the original road improvement, which was inherited from the Dept. of Transport, one can understand why the County Council has put in a planning application for it even before the current route study is complete.

However, people should be aware the revised figures for the economic benefit of this scheme (which is likely to cost the taxpayer between £8-10m), taking into account traffic accidents, are now less than half what was predicted two years ago. Also, CPRE and others put forward ideas for less costly schemes which were never even considered.

Nobody would deny measures to reduce speed and accidents on this route need to be taken. CPRE and others in the A36/A350 Corridor Alliance believe re-alignment of road junctions, plus traffic lights and other traffic calming, such as speed cameras, would reduce both speed and accidents at less cost, both to the taxpayer and the Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty including the local archeological heritage at Knook.

Objections to the Planning Application for this scheme No. W.03.0354 CP (which can be seen at County Hall and West Wilts District Council Planning Office) should be sent to Jason Day, Environmental Services Department,County Hall, Trowbridge before April 11.

Mrs R E Marx,

Chairman West Wilts Group,

Council for the Protection of Rural England (CPRE).