THERE were several letters published in these pages recently concerning the junction at the top of King Street and the Esplanade and the lack of barriers along the roadside.

There was even one from a former borough engineer starting that it was a potentially dangerous situation.

Yet, as ever, the county council appears to know better than the people who use these roads every day and, to my reading, appear to put aesthetics above safety.

Yesterday, as I was approaching the Esplanade on a green light a young boy of no more than six or seven ran straight in front of me. He had obviously run ahead of his parents and was probably following a path he had taken previously in attempting to cross the road rather than taking the underpass, which as far as I can see, is almost entirely redundant and the haunt of drug takers and those wishing to relieve themselves at night.

Luckily I was going very slowly as I always do in anticipation of exactly this type of incident. Usually it is older people who step out blithely unaware that the traffic is about to start up from a red light or the determinedly rude who believe they have the right of way whatever the situation.

It is all to easy to say that someone will die but what is the point when the council appear not to see any problem. But then again the council never admit to ever having done anything wrong.

They dismiss complaints or even well-intentioned ‘advice’ gleaned from everyday observations as the ill-informed views of the general public who know nothing compared to the County Hall experts who undoubtedly have a certificate in road design but a total lack of common sense. Sadly, it is thus across the land.

They know best, we are always wrong. So what about actually going to have a look for yourselves? We see plenty of cars parked up at junctions doing road surveys for the council. How about getting out of County Hall and see what is happening in the real world? All it would need is a deckchair, a clipboard and a few hours sitting on the wonderful Esplanade. I recommend an ice cream from Rossi’s as refreshment.

I have a feeling that is exactly the sort of thing the council mandarins may actually excel at.

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