Letter: Benefits outweigh bypass damage
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.Sir: Over the past 20 years nearly all the towns and many of the villages on the A30 and A38 in Devon and Cornwall have been bypassed. The results refute most of the arguments of the Newbury protesters. The environmental impact has been acceptable even where it occurs in National Trust or National Park land. Nor have the bypasses become overloaded. Even the Plympton bypass out of Plymouth, now 20 years old, is still quite adequate despite being reduced from six to four lanes because of concrete cancer on a major bridge.
There has been virtually no satellite or ribbon development on the bypasses. Both counties have a virtual embargo on such development and the ministry has backed them up. Many of the towns freed from continuous heavy through traffic have greatly benefited. Ivybridge has been one of the fastest- developing towns in the country, not only as a commuter suburb of Plymouth but with much industrial development of its own. So much so that last year BR reopened the station there that had been closed for many years.
The benefit in cutting pollution has been equally dramatic. I can now drive from near Truro to Perth, Swansea, Dover or Newcastle in economy fifth gear all the way, instead of grinding through towns having to use first and second gear. Even with the lower car population of 20 years ago I once took 12 hours from London to here, which now takes less than five.
W K Stead
Falmouth,
Cornwall
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments