IN A letter in the Courier (July 11), Graham Pearcey discussed the lack of forethought by Devon County Council (DCC) about the work on the junction of Commercial Road with Exhibition Road. I understand that this work was included in the contract which DCC signed with the contractors, but that that was as far as the preparation work went, as they had not approached the owners of the adjacent playing fields from whom they need to purchase some land at the corner. Sadly this is another example of the stubborn reluctance of DCC to prepare for the opening of this contentious road and the consequent changes to traffic patterns. Crediton Traffic Action Group had sought assurances from DCC that they would examine carefully the expected changes and carry out the necessary modifications to the road system to accommodate changes. In particular TAG had previously monitored traffic flows to and from Barnstaple Cross along Higher Road, down Jockey Hill and then along Blagdon to the Mill Street - Exhibition Road junction, but although these figures were supplied to DCC, they have been ignored. It will be surprising when the new road is opened, if more traffic does not use this route to reach the new Commercial Road junction and thence up and onto the new Relief Road. If a significant amount of traffic does use this route to avoid congestion in the High Street and Exeter Road, then it will expose problems at the Jockey Hill end of Higher Road and at the bottom of Jockey Hill at the Blagdon roundabout. There would be a positive effect of this in that the traffic related emissions in the High Street and Exeter Road would be reduced. Courier readers will probably recall that DCC are on record as telling us that if the Relief Road is built, it will improve air quality in Exeter Road, but not in the High Street. So it is possible that their prediction will be shown to be too conservative if much traffic does use the Higher Road route for which they do not seem to have made any allowance. John Boyle Wescott Fordton Crediton