I NOTE with concern that the new Masterplan for Ely has, as a priority, the creation of the Southern Bypass – a road that the county council has bid for twice. On both occasions it was refused and, in August 2006, the Government confirmed that it would n

I NOTE with concern that the new Masterplan for Ely has, as a priority, the creation of the Southern Bypass - a road that the county council has bid for twice. On both occasions it was refused and, in August 2006, the Government confirmed that it would not be considered again for 10 years. In the meantime, the estimated cost has risen from £15 million to £27 million.

The county council prepared a full bid for the road and the Government's conclusion was that there had been insufficient examination of lower cost alternatives. Despite this, we now have a further £50,000 of taxpayer's money being spent on yet another report that duplicates this work, a road which is not even within the district council's remit, while lower cost solutions to the problems at the crossing have still been insufficiently investigated. When the county council's area traffic committee considered this issue last April they voted against the recommendation that they "recognise that the low cost alternatives would not provide an adequate long-term solution and support the implementation of Ely Southern Bypass.

The district council would be better advised to spend our money investigating other, more practical, solutions for alleviating congestion; such as the opening of a rail halt at Soham, separate HGV queues at Ely level crossing, improving and promoting the Felixstowe to Nuneaton rail freight route and even severely restricting HGV access to Ely itself.

NIGEL BELL

County Councillor Ely North & East

Stuntney