Letter to Leader of Wokingham Council about highways consultation
Dear Clive
Thank you for extending the period of this consultation. It is important more people are made aware of it given its significance for our community. I trust the Council will seek to make it better known in the days that remain.
The power and responsibility to make changes to our roads, cycleways and paths rests with Wokingham Borough Council as the Highways Authority.
The central government does not require you to make specific changes to roads or junctions and certainly does not want to see a policy of impeding the reasonable use of motor vehicles for people getting to work, to the shops, and to leisure facilities. Nor does it wish to see good access blocked for emergency vehicles, service providers and delivery vehicles.
As Wokingham is currently experiencing fast growth in population with a substantial rate of new housebuilding under our local plan it is most important that we expand road, cycleway and walking route capacities to meet the rising demand.
I trust the Council will continue with the policy of putting in extra good road provision to bypass busy settlements and to remove dangerous road bottlenecks.
It should also wish to ease congestion at junctions to reduce pollution, reduce tensions between different users of the roads and make for smoother and safer journeys.
The government does provide additional money for suitable schemes for roads and cycleways but does not lay down where or how these should be introduced.
Yours sincerely
John Redwood
Rt Hon Sir John Redwood MP
