MADAM, The serious traffic accidents that have occurred in Herefordshire recently must surely mean that road safety has to be treated as a top priority.

As a consequence I cannot for the life of me see how the council can sanction an application for outline planning permission to construct up to 38 dwellings on land in Lea adjacent to Rudhall View and just off the B4222 road to Aston Crews. Narrow, twisting, prone to flooding in places and barely deserving its B road designation, the B4222 is inadequate for the existing volume of traffic it has to support and cannot realistically be expected to absorb any more.

Its shortcomings, combined with concerns over visibility, mean that vehicles entering and leaving the proposed development will create a serious highway safety hazard. Bear in mind that the B4222 is heavily used by agricultural traffic; and a fully-laden tractor and trailer cannot stop quickly in an emergency.

Steve Banner, Lea