IT IS great news that common sense has finally won out over the lengthy saga of the Cogges Link Road (Oxford Mail, June 16).

Full credit must be given to the campaigners who have worked so hard over many years to protect local residents from increased noise and pollution, environmental damage to the Windrush Valley and Cogges Hill, and related flooding threats.

I met campaigners when I visited Witney in January last year, and they have clearly volunteered many hours to protecting residents from this shortsighted scheme.

As a member of the European Parliament’s transport committee, I consider the impact of transport policy on air pollution to be particularly important and last year launched a campaign on air pollution.

The UK is failing to meet European Union air quality standards and the link road would only have worsened the health impact on Cogges residents.

Transport policy cannot only be about getting people from A to B, it must take the environmental and social impacts into account too.

Sadly, the news that the Government has thrown out the link road is marred by the significant amount of public money Oxfordshire County Council has thrown at the scheme.

Had it opted for the Shores Green proposals in the first place, not only would thousands of pounds been saved, but the alternative proposals could have been implemented by now.

In a time of severe council budget cuts, this waste of money is even more shocking.

I hope that the county council will now take stock and understand that the people who worked so hard to stop the road had the best interests of residents at heart, and that, from now on, the county will consider all local opinion before attempting to push ahead with any more costly schemes.

Keith Taylor, Green MEP for South East England, London