THE recent Queen's Speech stated that local councils are to have wider powers to charge motorists in order to reduce road congestion.
Have our local councillors brilliant foresight? By creating the recent and ongoing congestion they have so successfully achieved, their powers have dramatically increased. Or is it a coincidence? Consider the so-called improvements:-
(a) Mill Road. Why are traffic lights required and why three pedestrian crossings? They only serve to prevent the free-flow of vehicles.
(b) North Street. An already narrow road, severely reduced in width, a cycleway introduced that is positively dangerous. A drastically reduced exit that has already produced an accident, a lamp-post has already been replaced.
(c) Lodge Hill. The new roundabout system will be confusing, tailbacks of traffic inevitable, accidents highly likely. Large delivery lorries to the two supermarkets will find it difficult to negotiate without encroachment into oncoming traffic.
The recent, current and ongoing chaos has hit our traders hard, the large catchment area that Okehampton relies on will be going elsewhere, and who can blame them?
Personally, I preferred the Okehampton of 20 years ago.
M H Wadmore
18 Fern Close
Okehampton