Street is unfit for the traffic that uses it

I refer to John Morgan’s letter in last week’s Chronicle on the subject of Low Traffic Neighbourhoods (LTN).

As a resident of Church Street in Widcombe for many years, I found it quite astounding.

We live in a very narrow street that only permits one car’s width so that there is a perpetual confrontation between vehicles in opposite directions as to who should reverse down a narrow and difficult carriageway.

If Mr Morgan would care to spend a few minutes observing these confrontations, he will undoubtedly learn a few new words and gestures and be able to examine the damage to residents’ cars that are parked there!

Together with this addition to his education, Mr Morgan will also be able to observe that there is a sign at either end of the street indicating that the road is “no entry except for access”. This legal prohibition has been there for many years and is universally ignored by all drivers and never enforced by the police.

Mr Morgan states that there has been no proper consultation by our councillors. I beg to differ – there have been numerous consultations over the years by the council and by Councillor Born and the late and much-appreciated Councillor Gilchrist. Where does he find the evidence for his allegation of “secrecy”?

The basic fact is that Church Street is totally unfit for the traffic that currently (and illegally) uses it. Certainly, if it were to be shut to through traffic, there would undoubtedly be a diversion onto adjacent main roads that are designed to handle two-way circulation and would only entail a short extra journey.

To label such efforts as “councillors currying local favour in a cynical and vote-gathering exercise” is insulting, ignorant and itself truly cynical!

Richard Turner

Bath