If the reports of Southend Council leader Nigel Holdcroft’s statements concerning the proposal to build a road through St Laurence Park, Southend, were correct, they are revealing.

He announced the road would be built before the council meeting which would take the decision had been held. In other words, the road would go ahead because the Dear Leader had decided it.

Southend now has all the democratic accountability of North Korea.

We were told the £2million of council funds to be spent on the road was a contribution to improve its quality. Now we are led to believe this is the whole cost. Bearing in mind its complexity – three roundabouts, a deep cutting, a pump and pump house – this seems unlikely.

It is a pretence to state the road would improve traffic flows. At least half the traffic that uses the present lane does so from Whitehouse Road or Cherry Orchard Way.

Drivers coming from this direction would need to be psychic or they would not know the barrier was down before joining the traffic queue.

The barrier is infrequently deployed, despite the airport doing so at every possible occasion.

Aircraft which take off going east in half the runway length are sent to the extreme west end of the runway to justify using it.

Anyone who has examined the drawings for the runway extension can see it is shoehorned in and is right on the edge of what is practically or safely permissible. Indeed, the second applicant for judicial review, an air safety expert, believes it is not.

The Civil Aviation Authority has not received the finalised drawings for the extension and has yet to give its approval.

If built, there would be major obstructions on both sides and an embankment for the extension to keep the runway’s vertical curvature within acceptable limits.

Councillors who are unable to read and understand drawings and specifications should not be allowed to take such complex planning decisions.

B J Free
Eastwoodbury Lane
Southend