The chairman of Hertfordshire County Council's environment committee has dismissed claims by green groups opposing the Elstree bypass as "exaggerated and sketchy".

Councillor Brian York said this week that a Metropolitan Transport Research Unit report, Moving on in Elstree -- which was recently commissioned by Hertfordshire Friends of the Earth and other groups -- lacked detail, revealed nothing new and did not stand up to scrutiny.

He said: "Firstly, the 'traffic management' proposals down play the significance of Watling Street as a main distributor road. Squeezing this road is unlikely to be effective in re-routing a significant amount of traffic as the majority of drivers use it to gain local access.

"Furthermore, installing more restraint measures could simply worsen traffic congestion and force drivers onto undesirable rat runs.

"Secondly, the 'demand management' -- aimed at a shift away from the car to other means -- are accepted as worthy measures within a wider, long-term strategy.

"However, they cannot be effectively focused on a complex local traffic problem and achieve tangible results in a reasonable time scale. We must be realistic about what can be achieved in the foreseeable future."

Mr York was particularly concerned about "exaggerated" claims about the negative effect of the bypass on Aldenham Country Park.

He pointed out that the road would affect only an isolated corner of the park which has little scope for wildlife. Additionally, landscaping was proposed to accommodate any adverse affects on adjacent land.

"It is important that inaccurate allegations at such a critical stage in the process are not allowed to distract attention away from the real issues.

"The failure of this planning application will result in a continuation and probable worsening of traffic problems in Elstree with no effective solution in sight."

But a spokesman for the Metropolitan Transport Research Unit said: "The report reviews the recent changes in national transport policy. It then analyses the Elstree situation using data supplied by the county.

"The conclusion is that there is a range of actions and initiatives which could be taken to reduce traffic in the area without a bypass.

"Broadly these have two purposes -- to maximise the use of the trunk road network by longer distance through-traffic and to reduce the overall demand for car use working to produce viable and attractive alternatives to the car.

"The impact of these measures combined would probably not be as great as the bypass but only marginally less."

A revised version of the bypass plan is now on show at Hertsmere Borough Council, Civic Offices, Elstree Way, Borehamwood.

They are available for viewing until April 27 and feature the planning application and a full environmental statement.

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000.Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.