Tuesday's letters including 'It’s obvious – build houses near station'

SIR – In response to the proposed SWDP which is reported to have taken a decade to decide, I am concerned that not enough attention has been given to future transport problems and, the pollution resulting from the emissions of an added over 50,000 vehicles needed to take householders from their proposed 28,400 homes to places of employment and recreation.
Worcestershire already has huge traffic problems at peak times and, has always suffered from short-sighted planning as with the inadequate Carrington Bridge. This mainly due to private developers insisted on building on land preferable for them and, not for the benefit of the public and, being supported by weak planning departments. This proposed plan will create traffic chaos and, increase harmful pollution emitted from thousands of exhausts from stationary traffic, not only the case of pollution but a waste of the world’s resources from fuel being burnt to go nowhere in a traffic queue. The planners’ solution – “build more roads”. No! Build houses where residents can access an alternative form of transport without using a car.
The world leaders have recently signed an agreement in Paris to reduce harmful emissions as quickly as possible but, for the Worcestershire planners (so called) it is business as usual.
The obvious alternative to the car is the train. A decade ago the Worcestershire parkway plan was not taken seriously but, mainly thanks to public and private investment a new railway station is going to be operational by 2017. The Cotswold line has already been restored to dual track as far as Evesham and will be completely dual track in the near future. Even the Victorians realised to build within walking distance of the railways.
Given all these facts why are our “planners” proposing huge developments in areas where car travel is the only option? Oh yes there is the weekly dirty old bus service where, if you stand in the freezing rain you can maybe take a bus if the driver has bothered to come to work that day. With thoughtful planning, a new housing development could be constructed around the new parkway station giving people the option to go to work by train, into town by train, or the cinema, and to anywhere in the country. Maybe one day England will follow the continent and have trains that carry your own car. Don’t wait for that one but hopefully take your bicycle from your home on the train. The obvious solution is to build new homes within walking and cycling distance of the new  station and provide safe cycleways, not a line drawn on a road but, tarmac routes away from other road users. This will give residents the option of sitting for hours in a traffic queue or, reducing their impact on the planet by using the trains. This is planning for the future, which is not what the proposed SWDP is offering.
HARRY JONES
West Malvern