Let's Put the Facts Straight!

Written by Jill Shortland and published in West Somerset Free Press on Tue 21st Oct 2008

Dear Sir,

I am writing in response to your front page article 'Road Rage - West Somerset is snubbed in list of transport schemes' (10 October) and wondering whether Cllr. Anthony Trollope-Bellew dreamt his version of the meeting he refers to when he says; "There is no chance for safety schemes like a roundabout at Washford Cross" and "I shall be keeping up the pressure". The true account of the meeting is as follows:

Fact 1

The items on the agenda related to the Government call for roads that met their criteria, which were schemes over £5m and related to the major growth areas of Somerset which are listed by them as Taunton, Bridgwater and Yeovil. No other road schemes were acceptable to government at this time. Regionally significant routes were accepted but that is only the A303 in Somerset.

Fact 2

The Scrutiny meeting would not have mentioned local schemes for the reasons set out in fact 1 and no-one present at the meeting can recall Cllr. Trollope-Bellew 'fighting for' anything in his area!

Fact 3

Somerset Liberal Democrats have been lobbying for local road schemes to be funded by this government just as we lobbied for local road schemes to be funded by the Conservatives when they were in power. Neither party has funded local road schemes of the scale required.

Fact 4

The Tories have seats of power on the County through the Scrutiny Sub Committees for which they are paid. Why don't they ask questions like this in committees and hold the administration to account as they are paid to do. What are they spending their time doing? Sending out scurrilous, misleading press releases. Is this a good use of taxpayers money?

Yours faithfully,

Jill Shortland

Leader of Somerset County Council