ALONG with several dozen other residents of Billington, I attended the County Highways sub-committee on June 24 which dealt with the proposal to introduce a traffic management scheme that would allow more than 50 houses to be built on a site behind our village Post Office.

Unbelievably, the site had been approved by Ribble Valley Council, even though a safe access has not been found.

Many bus loads of children pass under the railway bridge and through our village on every school day and it is obvious to anyone that this junction will generate up to at least 100 extra vehicles, not counting delivery vans etc.

Two massive petitions have been presented at County Hall by our representative, County Councillor Chris Holtom, and it is the almost-unanimous view of Billington residents that to permit this access would make a dangerous bend even more hazardous.

We were extremely annoyed by the dismissive manner shown by some members of the sub-committee to Councillor Holtom's presentation.

The Conservatives and one Liberal member voted to reject the proposal, but the entire Labour group approved the plan, despite the fact they had not been for a site visit.

Our MP, our County Councillor, the Parish Council and most of the residents are against this plan - so much for local democracy listening to the people.

The next meeting will be at County Hall on September 9 and the residents hope the councillors will have a change of mind - for our safety in Billington.

KATH ROBINSON (Mrs), Calder Avenue, Billington.

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.