The town council and Hertsmere Borough Council have clearly decided to oppose the Elstree environment bypass proposal. In these circumstances it is probably not possible for the county council to take it forward.

There are three bypasses in the east of Hertfordshire which have the support of both public opinion and district councils. A bypass for the villages on the A10 has just been reinstated by the Government in its own roads programme.

Clearly, the county council will now want to give these priority over Elstree.

There will be many disappointed people in Elstree and I know of two families who have already decided to leave the area as a result. There will be many members of the Elstree Transport Forum, who worked so hard over nine months to produce workable answers to the traffic problems, who will be doubly disappointed -- as will the 56 per cent of households who voted in favour of the environmental bypass.

Residents in Sullivan Way may not now get the proposed landscaped parkland and play areas, although I shall continue to press for these. I hope that it may still be possible to get a better events field than the current one for Aldenham Country Park.

It is important now that everyone works together to achieve some environmental improvements for Elstree. The county council will continue to promote its strategic Travelwise policies, now supported by the Government, to improve public transport and facilities for cyclists and pedestrians.

However, at least in the short term, there is no doubt that traffic in Elstree will worsen. Traffic in the county increased again last year, by 2.5 per cent, for the fourth consecutive year of increase. Centennial Park will produce longer jams in peak hours.

The Elstree Transport Forum saw only one realistic approach other than an environmental bypass, a mini gyratory system at the crossroads. That scheme now needs to be examined fully. It will not remove any traffic from the village, but it will improve its flow.

However, as the county councillor for Elstree, I intend to do all in my power to defend the interests of residents. We may now have to contend with continued noise and pollution in the village environment, but safety must be the priority, In particular, that means protecting the many senior citizens in the High Street from lorries that mount the pavements near the Hollybush pub.

It means protecting children, especially on their way to St Nicholas School. We have been warned enough by the near-fatalities of recent accidents. I shall press not only for pedestrian phases in a mini-gyratory scheme, which will still have traffic lights, but also immediately for these to be installed at the existing traffic lights.

It will increase the jams but safety of residents has to be paramount.

Brian York,

Hertfordshire County Councillor,

Elstree Ward.

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