Readers' letters - August 10

A suggestion to cut delays and misery
Broughton RoundaboutBroughton Roundabout
Broughton Roundabout

I write regarding traffic congestion around Broughton roundabout, pictured, and the resulting daily tailbacks, particularly on Eastway. The new Broughton Bypass has resulted in a great improvement in traffic flow north of the roundabout. The bottleneck, which I hope you are now aware of, is where vehicles want to leave Eastway and Tom Benson Way to gain access to Garstang Road (A6). This single carriageway is controlled by traffic lights. Vehicles can only turn left and have a choice of lanes: M55, A6 North and M6. There are currently two lanes for M6 and one each for M55 and A6. Only when proceeding on to the roundabout, A6- bound vehicles have then got two lanes to choose from. Experience of daily commuting in this area has shown that A6 traffic heading north backs up from Broughton roundabout traffic lights and prevents further vehicles entering the A6 from the Tom Benson/Eastway access road. This tailback then blocks the Tom Benson/Eastway roundabout, causing very regular bumper-to-bumper tailbacks, one to two miles back along Eastway. An unacceptable situation, I am sure you will agree.A simple change of road marking could help vehicle flow and ease congestion.Add a choice for A6-bound traffic to share one of the M6 approach lanes to the Broughton roundabout. That change would offer two lanes for A6-bound vehicles before the roundabout and access to the existing two A6 lanes beyond the traffic lights. This creates the potential for more vehicles heading for the A6 to leave the Tom Benson/Eastway access road, now being able to share one of the two M6 lanes. The suggestion would be worth investigation and cost the price of painting an A6 marking and an arrow, but would save delay, pollution and untold misery of your road users. Ian Brooksvia email

communitySave pubs and jobsIt was very disappointing to read the latest figures showing that the pub industry is still struggling to survive, with 18 closing their doors for the last time in Britain every week.Sadly this decline has been ongoing for a long time now and the North West is the hardest hit area, along with the South East.The Campaign for Real Ale (Camra) has revealed that there were 476 closures nationally in the first six months of this year, which is 13 more than the previous half year.The Government could help ease this situation as one third of the cost of a pint is made up of various taxes but there is little evidence that they are going to do so. The combination of high beer duty, VAT and rising business rates is crippling the industry and killing off the traditional boozer.And, at the same time, booze in supermarkets and off licences is comparatively cheap, encouraging people to drink at home. The Government urgently needs to reduce the beer duty and VAT so that the food and drink industry can compete with those shopping outlets.It is easy for people to just shrug their shoulders on reading that yet another pub has closed its doors, but it should not be forgotten that every closure means not just a loss of an amenity but a loss of jobs.Pubs are at the heart of communities, urban and rural, up and down this land, and a cynical observer might think that the Government – of whatever hue – is happy for the places where people gather to chew the fat should vanish.We all know that politics, local and national, is a regular topic while a pint or two are downed and, with the increasing dumbing down of society, I fear the powers-that-be would prefer citizens to be at home mesmerised by their electronic devices rather than discussing societal issues.Paul NuttallNorth West MEPUK Independence Partycity centreBuilding comes back to life

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Regarding your article relating to the former church in Fishergate re-opening as a French restaurant, can I just say you incorrectly stated it was a former Methodist church when in fact it was a Baptist Church (LP July 28). It is good to see the building coming back to life again and not standing idle. It’s a lovely building and I wish Robert Beacham, co-founder of Bistrot Pierre, well.Carole CainPenworthamtelevisionGet Preston recognisedEver since I was a young lad, I have watched North West Tonight, the BBC regional news programme. My dad always used to watch it after the main BBC One news, usually on at 6pm. I have recently noticed that, when they show the weather forecast for the North West, there is no mention of Preston.On a map of our area, different places such as Manchester, Lancaster, and Liverpool are highlighted. What’s annoying to me is, unlike Granada Reports, which always highlights Preston, the BBC regional news doesn’t highlight our city.So come on my fellow Prestonians, let’s phone up BBC North West Tonight about this on 0161 335 6000.Stephen Naltyvia email