Driving in my constituency, I keep seeing men working on a glaring – and frustrating – example of the government’s willingness to waste large sums of public money.
Britain’s public deficit has passed the levels in Greece and drawn fire from the European Commission. There are also lots of worthy road improvements sorely needed. Yet a bridge has just been constructed across the A2 linking up a bridleway a few miles Southeast of Canterbury, which is almost unused. The structure, built by the Highways Agency, has cost the taxpayer £1.3 million.
Very few people want this bridge. In fact, local residents have protested to me that it is a visual intrusion. At both ends, the approaches have been permanently (and expensively) scarred by tarmac paths. And the robust steel frame dominates the skyline, in an area of outstanding natural beauty.
Why was it built? I wrote to the minister concerned, Lord Adonis, now Secretary of State to ask why they wanted to waste money on this. The scheme was originally passed a decade ago, when Canterbury Council was run by a Lib Lab administration. Lord Adonis informed me that the death of a pedestrian at the site made it urgent. The fatality occurred eleven years ago. It was a very sad event but the pedestrian was walking along the road in the fog, not crossing it, so a bridge would have made no difference.
Britain urgently needs to bring government borrowing under control. Let’s start by saying ‘No more bridges to nowhere.’
( 4 comments ) Tags: European Commission, Greece, Highways Agency, roads
Comment by David Wookey on March 21, 2010 at 4:29 pm
Please, Please, Please win the general election. Hammer New Labour on the 13 years of mismanagement of our country.
Remember ALL the things they’ve been involved in……..Mandelsons mortgage and passport dealings, Blunket’s resignation, Frank Field’s dumping when he dared to ”think the unthinkable” as he was asked, the state of the NHS, despite throwing money at it no major improvements, but lots more non front line employees on high saleries with grandiose expectations. The new Doctors contracts giving more money to them for reduced working hours and poor out of hours cover. Dentists on NHS….the joke situation, wasted resources on ID cards and computer schemes, the vast array of stealth taxes introduced, selling gold reserves at bottom of market prices, abolishing 10p tax rate, the benefits dependant economy, meaning its financially better not to work, poor sourcing of correct equipment for troops and of course the ”dodgy dossiers” that got us into the wars in the first place, the David Kelly whitewash, and all their other LIES…….sorry, but i think i could go on forever…………..again, Please, Please, Please, make sure you win.
Comment by M. Coates. on March 22, 2010 at 3:44 pm
Well said Mr. Wookey, If only all that could be sorted out, but the fact is there are too many people making too much money from the projects, when an honest politican comes forward like Frank Field, he’s ignored and then rejected. It seems like honesty is a dirty word in the house of commons. Would’nt it be a change to see some honest debating in the house, instead of our MPs acting like kids in a school yard, calling each other names, and seeing just who can outdo each other with the best insult, and these are supposed to be intelligent, well educated adults. Is it any wonder other countries laugh at us, and dont take us serious. I’m beginning to think only a coalition government can get this country on track again, The best person for each job, no matter what the party. Still ! I live in hope.
Comment by Steve Willis on March 25, 2010 at 12:34 pm
Labour seem to be pretty good at the road to nowhere.
Comment by Mai Griffin on March 27, 2010 at 11:58 am
The Labour Government, untroubled by the quality of the surface, has professed to be on the Road to Recovery for thirteen years. Unfortunately the gear was stuck in reverse – and now they are on the same road in triplicate, so look out for a fatal crash if they win the coming election!