Sir – I was interested to read councillor Godden’s nimbyist letter of last week over the Newbridge proposals; I consider myself a member of Oxfordshire County Council and therefore, I hope, represent the residents of Oxfordshire and work in their combined interest.

While correcting my geography, she proceeds to state that ‘residents want to restrict the A415 traffic by closing one lane and installing traffic signals.’ These mitigation measures are those proposed by Oxfordshire County Council and do not represent the wish of local residents. Such measures will be totally ineffective.

Local residents do have valid concerns about the safety and, as publicly admitted by experts, the appropriateness of using the A415 for all size HGVs.

Even with the current restriction of 18 tonnes gross laden weight which exists today, two Standlakians have been struck by lorry wing mirrors while walking along the pavement on Abingdon Road in the last three weeks. Children need to cross the road for school, play and access to friends.

Householders frequently wait for more than ten minutes to access the A415 from their drives. It takes little imagination to perceive what it will be like with a new bridge and the resultant increased traffic.

The only solution is a bypass for Standlake, Kingston Bagpuize and Marcham; Oxfordshire County Council will tell you that that is living in financial cloud cuckoo land. So, therefore, the heavy traffic must be directed to travel by the designated trunk roads (A40/A420/A34) and the bridge at Newbridge reinforced to take ten tonnes at the least.

In so doing, the spectacular vista of medieval England that is the view on to Newbridge will be preserved and the residents of Standlake, Kingston Bagpuize and Marcham, as well as Cumnor, will be given respite.

In addition, Oxfordshire County Council will not have spent a very large sum of money inflicting further levels of inconvenience on an already oppressed community.

Charles Mathew, Oxfordshire county councillor for the division of Eynsham