We villagers of Merton (and Ambrosden) are having to endure a daily barrage of lorries rattling both ways past our homes, seemingly right on the speed limit, as the Oxford-Bicester rail link is improved for an eventual link-up to Cambridge.
It might be an improvement for the Bicester to Oxford Collaboration undertaking the project, but it has been a major deterioration for those of us living nearby.
The aggregate lorries are gouging holes in the edge of the tarmac as they have to pull right over to pass anything wider than a family car, churning up and begriming grass verges and parked cars, and occasionally hurling out sizeable rocks on to road and pavement.
As for collaboration with us – zilch. I complained to the Collaboration, forlornly speculating on compensation for those of us in the line of fire, and received a reply stuffed with platitudes.
Today’s letters
The barrage went on all summer and autumn, despite ‘reassurances’ to the parish council that things would calm down from August onwards.
No such luck. I have watched 10 go by in the past 10 minutes, twice in convoys of three.
I appreciate jobs have been created, and the line might eventually benefit the local economy, but ... we innocents on the filthy end of it are paying the price now.
Frank Rawlins
Main Street
Merton
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