IN YOUR last issue it was reported that Devon County Council had proposed an additional alternative route for a relief road.

What was not stated in your report, was that the DCC predictions shown below, were presented to the Executive Committee on February 24.

These show that the effect of the Western link is considerably less effective in encouraging HGVs and other vehicles to avoid Exeter Road, although it appears to be cheaper to build than either of the other two routes.

Traffic, Noise and

Emissions

An analysis to compare the effects that the three options would have on the existing road network has been carried out. The analysis is based on predictions to the year 2016, when it is considered that future development proposals in Crediton will be in place, e.g. construction of the "Tesco" development is anticipated to start in April 2009.

Thus, even if either Option 1, previously presented as the Hillside Route, or Option 3, now presented as the Western Route, are built, then in 2016 Exeter Road will carry more traffic than it did in 2004, (about 14,000 vehicles in total) when the Air Quality was identified as being unsatisfactory!

Councillors are reminded that the primary objective for any relief road should be to remove the maximum number of HGVs and other vehicles from Exeter Road, so that the Air Quality in Exeter Road is improved.

Air Quality standards are being tightened, as the negative effects of poor air quality are increasingly identified.

You reported that the Councillor Margaret Rogers Executive Committee, who is the executive member for the environment, described the Western route as "an excellent compromise," in spite of it being environmentally inferior to Option 1 based on the traffic predictions.

On Thursday, March 27 2009, when increased expenditure of £17m on roads in Devon was announced, Housing Minister Margaret Beckett said the funding, from the Community Infrastructure Fund, would help to deliver new homes that were "desperately needed" in the county.

She said: "We know that good transport links are vital to successful communities and these projects will unlock the potential for new housing where it is needed."

South West Minister Ben Bradshaw, MP for Exeter, said that, without transport improvements, such housing could not go ahead. He said: "It's mainly about making sure we have the infrastructure in place so that when the upturn comes, as it inevitably will, then we're in a good position to benefit from it."

Ben was a young reporter for the Express and Echo when I was a district councillor and he interviewed me after a meeting at Tiverton, so I am sure that he is aware where Crediton is, and he might even remember that we needed a by-pass in 1984 and have had no transport improvements for 25 years.

Sadly, Crediton gets no support, from Mid-Devon, DCC or Westminster. It must be time to investigate whether we can get the European Commission to take court action against one or all of these bodies on the grounds that Crediton Air quality does not meet the European standard.

John Boyle

Fordton Cottage

Fordton

Crediton

EX17 3DH