IF Councillor Steve Barber and the tram constructors are surprised by the difficulties of bulldozing a route through Beeston and Chilwell, then they must be the only ones who are.
It comes as no surprise to most local residents or myself as a county councillor.
I was elected to represent Beeston South and Attenborough in 2009, but before that my Conservative colleagues Councillor Richard Jackson and the late Councillor Tom Pettengell repeatedly expressed their belief that the proposed route was inappropriate, including at the public inquiry attended by Councillor Barber in 2007.
One of their specific points was about the narrowness of High Road/Chilwell Road compared to the vast boulevards of many European cities, where trams are far better suited.
We are told that the proposal to close Chilwell Road and part of Chilwell High Road for such a lengthy period of time, rather than implement a one-way system, is for safety reasons.
I do wonder whether this is driven more by cost pressures and a desire to save time to avoid hefty fines for late project completion.
It don't think it's an exaggeration to say the traffic situation in Beeston, Attenborough, Chilwell and Toton over the past few months has been absolute chaos. I doubt there are many car drivers, public transport users or pedestrians who have escaped the effects.
In view of the obvious impracticalities, I still find it astonishing that the public inquiry found in favour of the tram route, just as local people shook their heads in disbelief at Nottingham Express Transit's claims that many residents supported it.
Councillor Barber sticks to his assertion that the tram will be beneficial to Beeston, but I have serious doubts, not least around value for public money.
The cost of the NET Phase Two project was being estimated at £600 million before work started and we can only wonder what the final figure will be.
The workplace parking levy is intended to meet part of the cost of the new lines, but the pressure to make the tram pay will be intense and I believe the temptation to promote it at the expense of other public transport options will be significant.
Conservative-controlled Notta County Council withdrew funding and support for the Phase Two extension in 2009. Others decided to take the tram project forward and our sole focus now is to protect the best interests of county residents.
Councillor Barber neglects to mention that the framework for a traders' financial assistance package was negotiated as part of our withdrawal, on better terms than traders in the City received for NET Line One.
We have already negotiated a package with bus operators to protect services during the construction phase and we have made a clear pledge that a workplace parking levy will never be introduced within the county while we remain in control.
COUNCILLOR ERIC KERRY
Long Lane
Attenborough
LISTENING to someone who's just failed a driving test, I felt saddened by the reasons for the failures.
In my opinion the examiner should be the person that has taken you week in week out, for all your lessons.
I can imagine (and know) how a test can make you nervous. A friend of mine said it was luck.
I was good on the test. It's £100 plus every time to take a new test and its all so unfair, and there's the waiting game – ten days or more. Letters like this don't always get printed, but I'm sure if they did readers would agree, some people who have passed their test shouldn't be on the road, while those that can't pass a test are very often "good drivers".
I wanted to be driving when I was 30, then 40, 50 and then 60 years old.
Every two years, I had to take the theory again, even then I had three passes, three fails, but the years ran out. I had four tests, but failed each time on something else.
I stopped in the end because of the cost. If I win the lottery I'll go on a course or hire a chauffeur, ha ha!
JEAN TAYLOR
Barlock Road
Basford
ONCE again AJ Askew reiterates a view I have expressed several times in my letters. We have every reason to use our fossil fuel resources and none not to do so, apart from threats from the EU to penalise us if we do.
Like the USA, Britain has planted huge numbers of trees. Unlike the USA, Britain does not optimally use its coal resources.
Yet several large countries are not only burning coal but are also destroying forests. There is something wrong here. I am moving off the fence.
Some of our trees are now threatened by a disease which has swept across Europe. The EU failed to act effectively against it.
Whatever advantages there are to being in the EU they are far more outweighed by the reasons for leaving it.
From the date we joined, too much of our financial input has gone to supporting inefficient French farmers who use blackmail tactics every time any move is made to put this right.
There is the corruption and high rates of pay and expenses for politicians and officials, as well as a willingness to increase spending unnecessarily whilst everywhere else there are cuts. In addition we have the Human Rights nonsense which gives criminals a better deal than honest citizens, and has huge financial threats if we fail to deliver to criminals things which goes far beyond what human rights should be about, food, shelter and freedom from torture.
The financial penalty imposed on us by the EU if we meet our energy needs by burning our coal would probably make it not worthwhile.
That is the last straw. The EU membership becomes more and more of a burden. Unless Europe backtracks a long way we would be better off outside of it.
RL COOPER
Harlequin Close
Radcliffe-on-Trent
WITH reference your story about the new medical centre planned for Wilford Lane, West Bridgford ("£8m super surgery gets go-ahead," Post, December 13).
I am thankfully not a resident of West Bridgford. I live in a nearby village with excellent medical centres that are within easy walking distance for 95% or so of its inhabitants.
However, I was still shocked to read that the much protested against amalgamation of several Bridgford practices, to be housed in a purpose-built building on the outskirts of the town, had been passed with about as slender a majority as is possible.
This is just another case of damn the public, our plans will go ahead regardless.
We see it on a regular basis where controversial plans that usually involve spending wads of cash, building on green areas and adding to traffic congestion, etc, go ahead despite any amount of protest by local inhabitants.
I was also intrigued to note that several workmen's vans were on the proposed site several days before the vote was decided!
A medical centre by its very nature deals in most instances with people who are for one reason or another less able to travel distances.. the pensioner, the disabled, the young mum or mum-to-be or simply the unwell citizen.
One is forced to ask the question "Who will benefit from this move?"
ANTHONY O WILKINSON
Clifton Road
Ruddington
After watching the St Margaret's Players pantomime, Beauty and the Beast, I must say the cast was really good. It was a great show, Josh Knott as Madame was so funny. We are still laughing.
ELAINE WARBURTON
Cardale Road
Bakersfield