Solution For Ely Is A Bypass

I HAVE just read the excellent letter from Les Walton (Ely Standard, February 26). I cannot agree with him more but I would like to add a few observations. The East of England Regional Assembly (EERA) is an un-elected body that costs millions of pounds a

I HAVE just read the excellent letter from Les Walton (Ely Standard, February 26). I cannot agree with him more but I would like to add a few observations.

The East of England Regional Assembly (EERA) is an un-elected body that costs millions of pounds a year to run and was set up by John Prescott as another tier of expensive bureaucratic nonsense.

EERA has accepted re-consideration of the "Mereham" issue, although it was submitted after the deadline. Also it had been rejected by a three-month inquiry and the Secretary of State (the full democratic process).

I have asked EERA to advise me when they are debating "Mereham" and they seem unable to do this. They also appear unable to allow me or fellow anti-Mereham voters to address them if the issue is being discussed.

It cost Cambridgeshire County Council and East Cambridgeshire District Council about �250,000 of tax payers money to fight the Mereham issue and now it will cost more of that precious commodity to fight it again.

I have asked EERA to advise me of the allowances/remuneration levels enjoyed by members, and, to date, I have not received a straight answer.

The lack of an Ely Southern by-pass will cause a large increase in traffic on the Soham, Wicken, Stretham, Wilburton, Haddenham and Earith route and this will be particularly evident when the A14 roadworks start and Northstowe comes on line.

I am reliably informed that within about six or seven years, the increased rail traffic in Ely will cause the level crossing to be closed for about 55 minutes in each hour.

Lancaster Way is due to expand and should create more local jobs. It will also create the need for extra vehicle movements and a level crossing at Ely that is only open for five minutes in the hour without a Southern by-pass will be a recipe for gridlock.

Vehicle "stacking" is not the answer. The only solution is a by-pass that either goes over or under the river/railway lines and provides a direct link from the A10 to the Ely-Stuntney road . . . a Southern By-Pass.

Central Government should stop forcing this area to accept massive increases in housing and at the same time allowing the EERA to deny us the Southern By-Pass.

In my opinion, we should not have large increases in housing without the infrastructure of schools, open spaces, roads and, vitally extra, top quality jobs to sustain the area.

We cannot allow East Cambridgeshire to be a political football to be kicked and kicked again.

BILL HUNT

County Council Member Haddenham Division