I AM absolutely certain that the economic future of the West Country largely depends upon a radical improvement in our road transport infrastructure. Our over-dependency on the M5 motorway for direct access to Devon and Cornwall must cause many companies to think twice about relocating to the South West or to start up here in the first place. They cannot risk the frequent delivery delays that regularly occur when the motorway is blocked by road works or accidents. The need to provide an adequate second dual carriageway route into the West Country is, therefore, of paramount importance. All our local councils and Government agencies favour the removal of the bottleneck on the Blackdown Hills, by an upgrading of the single lane A30/A303 route to a dual carriageway. Transport Minister Darling has, however, decided to save £92 millions and, instead, opted for an alternative route via the A385 to Taunton. This is a craven decision which will do little to assist the economic regeneration of Devon and Cornwall. The Government may think they have saved money by this decision but, in the long term, the West Country will pay the penalty for penny pinching. The fact is we need both the A30/A303 and the A358 upgraded. The latter is a much-needed route improvement which will link Weymouth and the Dorset coastal area to the M5 motorway. Nevertheless, the key second route to Devon and Cornwall is still the A30/A303 and we must continue to cajole, plead and bully this Government into completing the upgrade of this important route. After all, Gordon Brown is spending taxpayers? money like it is going out of fashion, so let?s see some value for it in the South West. Giles Chichester Conservative MEP for the South West and Gibraltar MR QUINN?S letter (Times, December 9) nicely illustrates the point that I made in mine (December 2), namely that the anti-roads lobby?s ?support? for the A358/M5 diversion was merely a tactic to kill off the A303/A30 dualling project. Mr Quinn made no reference to the former at all. Quelle surprise! He even shot his own argument in the foot by sounding off about carbon dioxide. I infer that he has studied the issue insufficiently to realise that the A358/M5 scheme will generate 4,000 tonnes more carbon dioxide per annum than the dualled A 303/A30 because of the former?s greater length. I repeat my prediction that his lobby will now turn its attention to killing off the A358/M5 scheme ? not that it was ever a serious contender as a second strategic route to the peninsula ? and neither project will be begun. I also repeat my question: was that what the government intended all along? Cllr Roger W Mathew
