After spending more of my ever-shortening life in yet another traffic jam caused by water mains work I would, if possible, like to direct the following questions to the ‘planners’ at Wessex Water: 1. Bearing in mind that problems have existed with this water main for many years why wasn’t the work delayed until the relief road was completed?

With the relief road open it would have been possible to shut that short section of the Littlemoor Road down to through traffic. The trench could then have been opened for almost its full length in one go, which would have permitted the employment of more people and more plant.

The work could then have been completed in a matter of weeks rather than months. This way the impact on the local community, road user and industry would have been infinitely less.

2. Was the decision to start in 2009 based upon what was considered best for the community or what was considered best for Wessex Water?

3. Even allowing for the way you have planned this job why has it taken over six months (and still counting) to lay a relatively short length of pipe? To call the progress glacial would be an insult to many glaciers.

4. Now, ignoring the first answer you came up with to the above question, how long would it have taken to carry out this work if you had to pay for a licence, based on time, for the privilege of ripping up the town’s roads?

And how long would it have taken if you had to pay a substantial fine for every hour you exceeded the time allowed on that licence?

Paul Pearson, Louviers Road, Littlemoor, Weymouth.