SIR – Re John Matthews’ letter, ‘Traffic in a jam – but the bus lane is empty’, September 14. Don’t hold your breath Mr Matthews; no matter how often our councillors meet they aren’t going to solve Worcester’s traffic problems. They are going to make them infinitely worse.
Our former Labour council were told many times by me, through letters kindly published by the Worcester News, that their Park and Ride schemes ‘...were stark raving mad!’ They ignored me and many others who rubbished their P&R schemes. Labour refused to listen. That’s why I christened Perdiswell P&R as ‘Labour’s Monument to Stupidity.’ Now our council doesn’t have the money to tear up miles of bus lanes. In a while it won’t matter. When our clowns have built another 30,000 houses in and around Worcester, and added another 100,000 people to our local population, our traffic will be perpetually gridlocked.
Traffic congestion isn’t our problem, believe it or not. Our problem is there are too many people living here for our infrastructure to cope, but nobody’s listening. They’ll carry on chucking up the concrete until all of us are living shoulder to shoulder, like some 21st century version of China’s ‘Terracotta Army.’ The fact is we don’t need more roads. What we need to do is demolish half the houses we have in and around Worcester, and that will slash our traffic by half. No more ‘congestion!’ SIMPLES!
N TAYLOR
Worcester

A classic case of
councillor spinning
SIR – So, according to Wychavon District Council’s leader, Linda Robinson, Droitwich is making “huge progress” (Worcester News, September 22). 
This seems to be an attempt to put some spin on the following facts:
Housing : Councillor Robinson refers to 401 homes that are due to be built under the emerging development plan. 
I can only assume these are in addition to the 1400 new homes for which planning approval has already been given. This development plan has been under consideration for so long that developers have been able to do just as they wish. Indeed they have already begun to desecrate the area between Droitwich and Salwarpe to be followed by an equally monstrous intrusion on to the green lung of Yew Tree Hill. I attended the inquiry into this application and was amazed when the solicitor acting for Wychavon left just before the inquiry reached its climax. This certainly emboldened the barristers acting for the appellant developers. To be fair, Wychavon had originally refused the application but were no match for the  developer’s legal teams.
Empty shops: Too many shops in Droitwich are either charity shops or coffee houses. There is no greengrocer or sports shop in the town. Whether we are below or above the national average for empty shops seems little reason to rejoice.
It seems as if Councillor Robinson is trying to use the  new housing estates to paint a bright future for the town.  This is not how most of the residents see things. Does she feel that Evesham and Pershore should perhaps have taken their share of new development?  The 1400 homes now seems to be 1800.  There has always been plenty of space on Bredon Hill!
MICHAEL JOHNS
Droitwich

We have no room
for Syrian refugees
SIR – The city councillor say let Syrians in.
He says in the Worcester News he is speaking on behalf of thousands of Worcester residents that they want these refugees in our city.
Mr Adrian Gregson I can not think where you get your figures from. Most of people in Worcester I know don’t want these refugees here. It’s crazy to think we can cope with any more people. 
It’s not that people don’t feel compassion for these refugees we do. There is no room here at all. We will not have any where for them to live. They will be sleeping rough and on benefits and we don’t need it here. Jobs are few here our own people should come first but they don’t. A lot of the houses now are being bought up by mostly foreign nationals. 
In town every tenth person you pass is a foreign speaking person. It’s like living in a different country.
Come on councillors. We have people here need any job going and houses. What will it be like they will be asking for more food banks and beggars on the street. Try thinking with your head not your heart. It don’t make sense to a lot of people.
MRS CAROLE ROBERTS
Worcester

What goes around
comes around
SIR – Readers who protest about people who want to come and live in this country might do well to study the history of Britain and other European powers over the past 200 years. 
Building empires, British, Dutch, French, German, Italian, meant taking possession of land across the globe, with little or no consideration for the people who already lived there, to exploit foodstuffs, minerals etc. from their new colonies and so increase the wealth of those already rich nations.
The tide has now turned, technology enables poor people to see how we live in rich countries, and people are on the move across the world. This trend will not go away, and will be one of the biggest challenges of this century for those of us living in the developed world.
The saying ‘What goes around, comes around’ seems to sum it up.
DEREK FEARNSIDE
Northwick