Take the through traffic away! It's not rocket science

“I’M talking to my tomatoes,” said my husband, as he prepared breakfast in the lovely tree house where we were spending the weekend.

That’ll teach me not to interrupt his concentration. Classic “men can’t multitask” territory!

And to be fair, he had brought the tomatoes with us from our greenhouse, where he’s been tending them for several weeks now.

Anyway, the trip to the glorious countryside of Herefordshire, a first for me, was much needed for reasons I won’t bore you with. It does us all good to get away from home sometimes, to see our preoccupations from a new perspective.

We’re back to find the debate over city centre ‘sort of’ pedestrianisation more polarised than ever, with nine city councillors signing up in support, as opposed to seven against.

Seeking to reassure the ‘anti’ brigade, Wiltshire’s cabinet member for transport, Bridget Wayman, says Highways England is “working closely with us to monitor traffic flows on the A36, and we are also developing a contingency plan should there be a need to use it”.

I think we need to know what that plan is, and how much chaos there will have to be before it’s brought into effect, if her words are to inspire us with confidence.

But I’m delighted to hear that Highways England is about to “conduct a major review to consider the need for investment in the strategic road network through Wiltshire, between the M4 and the south coast”.

It’s long overdue. How much ‘reviewing’ do they need to do before they accept the case for taking through traffic away from our ring road? Hasn’t it been obvious for decades now?

Or is this just another way of kicking a problem into the long grass because there’ll be ‘no money’?

And why would we trust them anyway, because their plans for Netherhampton Road and the Harnham Gyratory are all about making life easier for through traffic, including long-bodied lorries?

If you don’t believe me, click on this link and skip to Page 46:

https://westerngatewaystb.org.uk/media/2090918/wg-reb-part-3-mrn-llm-priorities.pdf

It doesn’t appear to consider Harnham part of the “historic city with an air pollution problem caused by traffic”.

Apparently the A338 from College Roundabout to Harnham Gyratory “forms part of a tactical diversionary route for the A36”.

I tell you, they just don’t get it. Wherever you divert through traffic in Salisbury, it’s still through traffic in Salisbury.

Take it away.