According to an article in last week’s paper, the replacement Balkerne Bridge is designated as a “landmark”.

So it is now up there with the Golden Gate Bridge, Sydney Harbour Bridge, Tower Bridge, Gateshead Millennium Bridge etc.

Or perhaps the inference is it is only a Colchester landmark, up there with the Castle, St Botolph’s Priory, St John’s Abbey Gate, Jumbo et al.

It now has to be supposed Sir Bob will have to include such an important structure in his heritage tours of Colchester. Though, considering his views on said bridge, it may be through gritted teeth.

The truth however is this bridge is a complete waste of taxpayers’ money and was only installed because some people on bikes felt so inconvenienced because on the old bridge they had to dismount, walk a few yards and then remount.

If Essex County Council feels it has to waste even more taxpayer money, here’s a suggestion.

In every cycle lane in Colchester install a continuously moving conveyor belt just below the pavement with fittings that would allow bikes to be attached and carried along, this way those on their bikes wouldn’t then even have the inconvenience of having to pedal.

Richard Hart Harwich Road, Colchester

  • Lock up criminals for all their crimes

Yet again, another example of our great British “justice system” in action.

Mr and Mrs Patel have every right to feel aggrieved, disappointed, even angry, regarding the sentence given to an armed robber who terrorised them in their own shop (Gazette Thursday). Most of us might be deeply traumatised had it happened to us.

Unfortunately, the judge thought it apt to hand out such a penalty.

And, once again, this thug benefits greatly from concurrent sentencing.

Three separate offences yet, effectively, only one stretch of jail time to be served.

It is about time this system was put right, and criminals served the time they should, and without yet further time off for so-called “good behaviour” either.

Paul Hart Alexandra Drive, Wivenhoe

  • Safety doesn’t cost £2.7m crashes do

At the end of January I asked why various highway authorities were pushing for the upgrading of the A120 to dual carriageway, but never talking about safety improvements that could be put in place in a matter of months. Now we have the financial costs of procrastination on safety, which is £2.7million a year.

I don’t believe anyone in authority is concerned about your safety along a road they don’t use, but they do care about finance.

Simple safety measures like reduced speed limits and no overtaking won’t cost that much. We cannot take safety for granted on the A120 unless measures are carried out in the coming months, not years like the authorities keep talking about.

It is good news the A120 headline this time wasn’t yet another casualty, so let’s have meaningful safety improvements before it is.

John Riley Mumford Road, West Bergholt

  • West Tey budgets are all wrong

Colchester Council has recently stated the budget for West Tey is £1.425billion and this includes £39million of contingencies for uncertainties or cost overrun.

This contingency is therefore 2.7 per cent of the budget.

I worked for a major oil company for 30 years in project management and at this ill-defined stage of West Tey, we would allow 30 to 40 per cent contingency.

The A120 dualling between Braintree and the A12, now in the public consultation phase and managed by Essex County Council, has 44 per cent contingency.

How does Colchester Council, which has no experience of such large projects, expect to deliver West Tey starting with such a naively low contingency?

On this basis, West Tey will flounder very early on due to wholly inadequate economics. Who will pick up the tab for the wasted money?

Philip Jellard Buckleys Lane, Coggeshall

  • It’ll be a gateway to more congestion

Gateway 120 is often quoted suggesting its proposed 17,000-home new town would save our local villages from development.

Yet it is clear this is not an either/or choice.

Both West Tey and growth of our villages are being proposed, placing our infrastructure and services under extreme pressure.

Feering, adjacent to the western boundary of West Tey, will have to take 1,000 extra houses, and Kelvedon 300.

I believe our councillors should fight to preserve our rural way of life while striving to meet local housing needs.

West Tey would destroy 800 hectares of countryside and do nothing to protect our villages. It would not meet local housing needs but draw in more commuters. Rather, with the new A120 not due for completion until 2026, it would be the gateway to more traffic and pollution hell.

Ron Marks Skye Green, Feering

  • Get official to sort out the school run

I WAS pleased to read recently that Ray Gosling has appointed a travel planning officer at Essex County Council.

After consultation, he has recognised the need for a named officer to take on the responsibility of preventing congestion at school run times in Colchester thanks to the amount of new build and extra school places being provided.

It can hardly be helped the school places will not all be in the right places for the families which use them. Parents are allowed to express preferences for their child’s school place and the school they want is not always going to be the one in their own vicinity.

Could Mr Gosling confirm the officer will be dedicated to this task? Or has it been added to the job description of an officer in the education transport team?

Janet Coppen Hines Close, Aldham

  • John Ball plaque to be unveiled again

​I READ with delight that Colchester Council has pledged to support the John Ball Society’s plan for John Ball Day to commemorate one of the most important people in the history of our town. 

I also applaud plans for a statue. 

However, I wish to point out that, contrary to the impression given in your report, there are already commemorative plaques in the town centre, one in St James the Great Church on East Hill, where John Ball was a curate, and one on the green in John Ball Walk.

The latter was, I believe, commissioned by the late Rev Brian Bird, who lived in the Dutch Quarter, and. He was an authority on the life of John Ball. 

It was erected on the front of a house in John Ball Walk but was removed some years ago as its position was not suitable. While a new site was being considered, it was mislaid. 

Colchester Civic Society instigated a search and eventually located it. It had been damaged and the society arranged for it to be repaired, a task undertaken by Collins and Curtis Masonry, to whom we are very grateful. 

The long search then began for a new site. The stone is large and extremely heavy so this was easier said than done.

With advice and huge support from Colchester Council and Colchester Borough Homes, we eventually managed to re-erect the beautifully inscribed stone earlier this year. A formal unveiling will take place very soon.

Jo Edwards Chairman, Colchester Civic Society Priory Street, Colchester​