AT last there has been some action near the Downfields roundabout. One day last week, the venerable orange bags on Soham s newest pelican crossing were removed and we now have four permanent green lights. Additionally, numerous trees were planted around

AT last there has been some action near the Downfields roundabout. One day last week, the venerable orange bags on Soham's newest pelican crossing were removed and we now have four permanent green lights.

Additionally, numerous trees were planted around the base of the spiral and at the Fordham end of the ramp. Could it be that the hope is that when these trees grow tall the unofficial network of spies will no longer be able to see and report back that nobody is actually using the bridge?

It would appear that the powers-that-be have no intention that the bridge should remain unoccupied forever. A little bird (actually, he's quite a big bird, and there is no way that I ever want him to sit on my shoulder and say "Who's a pretty boy, then?") tells me that the reason we now have a cycleway to Fordham is that most of Fordham is within three miles of the village college.

"So what?" I hear you ask. The county council doesn't have to provide free buses for students who live within three miles of the school, is what.

And now that there is a "safe" route you can guess what will happen at the start of the next school year. That's right, no school buses from most of Fordham. The fact that a lot of the route is in open country, albeit with street lights, will almost certainly worry the mums of several

11-year-olds even if the 11-year-olds are quite happy.

By cutting a bus from their budget, the county council will be contributing to more pollution and global warming by encouraging more and more parents to deliver their offspring to school themselves.

Still, never mind, the new trees should absorb some of the carbon dioxide.

While we are on the subject of the cycleway and street lighting, someone blundered along Lower Carter Street.

Some time ago, a friend pointed out that the lights at the bottom end of LCS were, in fact, positioned strategically in the tree foliage on the eastern side of the road.

Ideal for insomniac nestlings, rubbish for passing cyclists.

So what is the easy solution to this problem (apart from think what you are doing in the first place)? Move each and every lamppost with its wiring to the other side of the road, of course.

If the trees hadn't suddenly grown they could have saved no end of money by getting it right in the first place. Or perhaps nobody actually came and looked at the site before spending your money (twice).

If our cash keeps being thrown about like this we'll be lucky if we can afford any bikes for the kids to go to school on.