ON November 4, a writer proposed that new roads for more cars would solve local problems.

One of the most treasured assets in Dorset is the World Heritage Jurassic coast. Should we build all over it?

One problem is that more roads lead to more traffic.

How much better if instead we nurtured jobs with wind farms, tidal energy, wave power and aquaculture delivering local well paid jobs.

Most cars have one occupant.

The response to the climate emergency should be to massively invest in public transport with buses that carry 50 people or trains that carry 200 at a time.

Greens put forward a motion to bring new council jobs back home to Weymouth.

This was defeated by Conservatives who concentrated jobs in Dorchester, causing more car journeys.

Political decisions have transport effects.

We are missing 40 000 nurses due to bad policies (removing bursaries, regrading nurses, repelling overseas nurses) that caused local beds to be lost in Portland and Weymouth. Then to get to hospital people need to drive further away.

Housing estates are crammed in around Weymouth.

Thousands then travel by car to work miles away.

Sensible planning would see home, work, school, recreation and retail all in walking or cycling distances.

Dorset schools have been denied a fair share of national funding per pupil.

This, combined with cuts to behavioural units, led to previously good local schools being put in special measures.

Now some parents drive their children past the local school to more remote education.

The writer states that the recent conservative MP backs new roads.

Consider the A31 Charborough estate wall.

I prefer to travel by train but it is strange that our main road route to London is slow and restricted to benefit one man’s private parkland.

Jon Orrell

Crescent Street

Weymouth