LAST January 27th, the MP for The Cotswolds, Geoffrey Clifton-Brown, promised Tetbury’s Highways Committee that he would “make a big fuss” if there was no funding for “significant” measures to counter the problem of increasingly heavy traffic passing through the town - nearly 10,000 vehicles daily, including 44-tonners despite weight restrictions. 

“We cannot just settle for low tech adjustments”, he said. “And the money is there”. 

But he has settled and the money isn’t there. Richard Gray, Highways Manager, reports that nothing will be done other than some “low-tech adjustments” to road signs because “funds are limited”. And Mr. Clifton-Brown now limply parrots this - his promised “big fuss” is indeed for the birds.

“There is a huge cry for the infrastructure to keep pace with changes”, he told the Highways Committee. “In 25 years while I have been an MP, nothing has been done”. Quite an admission!  

Just to make matters worse, Mr Gray explained that “we prioritise our funding towards sites where there is a significant history of injury accidents”.

In other words, until more people are seriously hurt or killed, nothing will be done. Traffic will continue to pour through Tetbury’s congested centre, passing within inches of pedestrians, filling lungs slowly with potentially lethal fumes, undermining 70 listed buildings with their vibrations.

Were we wrong to expect our MP to honour his promise?    

DAVID LOSHAK

Tetbury