I have been reading Tracey Chapman’s statement regarding Sadlers Farm (April 13).

As a resident of Bowers Gifford, I take issue with this. If “every effort was made to keep traffic flowing”, why cause months of disruption by working on the roundabouts before opening the underpass to the A130?

Why were there no temporary traffic lights at the B1464 entry to the roundabouts, to allow drivers to make some headway? The traffic takes up to 40 minutes from Pitsea to the junction, as the vehicles coming off the A13 are constant and you cannot get out. Ask any driver on the five roads approaching the complex what they think about flowing traffic.

As for disruption “kept to a minimum for residents” – the London Road is filthy with mud from the tippers that use this road to carry the soil away (if it all stays on site as said in the statement, why the constant parade of six-wheel lorries past our residences?).

So much came off their wheels on to the roads and pavements it blocked the road drains down Gun Hill.

Mrs Chapman said the delay in funding and the two winters presented challenges.

Winters come every year.

We are told the roads have largely been kept open. Not so, the roads to and from Basildon and the A130 have been closed, necessarily for the safety of the workforce and the public.

I also found the reference to Alf Partridge as a “poor old fool” and “ignorant”, as derogatory and insulting, even though I have never met him. It seems Mrs Chapman is only fooling one person, herself.

Finally, who was it who decided to improve the road from Tarpots at the same time as this large and complex alteration, to one of the busiest commuter junctions in the south east?

Residents have been inconvenienced and left with filthy vehicles; local businesses have suffered loss of revenue and commuters used extra fuel and suffered an extended working day sitting in traffic.

So, please, no more self justification from the people in control.

C Norton
London Road
Bowers Gifford

...I know public standards of behaviour are sinking depressingly. However, I was shocked by the rudeness of county councillor Tracey Chapman’s comments on the Sadler’s Farm situation, which has caused so much inconvenience for so long.

Legitimate questions and anxieties have been ignored or brushed aside without explanation and the doubts surrounding the whole progress of this major scheme were certainly sufficient to have justified a resignation.

So, we all assumed “personal reasons” (left unspecified) for her resignation from the cabinet, were the normal diplomatic way of doing it.

There was a time when the culture of County Hall was courtesy, hard work and a respect for, and desire to serve, the public.

When the Paul White (I refuse to call him Lord Hanningfield any longer) scandal arose, I assumed the continuing arrogance of his response was an unfortunate exception of one individual. Now I am not so sure.

Alan Kipps
The Crescent
Hadleigh