LETTER : Meadows safe

I am writing to counter some long-standing misconceptions which featured in your front page article, "Immortalised by Constable, threatened by the Tories..." (23 February).

First, your headline was misleading in that the Water Meadows made famous by Constable in his painting are in no way threatened - these are at West Harnham. It is true that it is proposed to cross the Britford Water Meadows: these are little known and some of the area is occupied by the sewage works. Secondly, Mr Meacher is reported as saying that the by-pass would not solve the problems of the (Wyle Valley) villages. The Department of Transport's figures forecast an 85 per cent reduction in traffic through them - a very big difference.

Thirdly the article says that only 6 per cent of the vehicles entering the city are through traffic. This is incorrect - the figure given by the Department of Transport's survey carried out in 1990 is around 40 per cent. It is also certain that much local traffic would use the by- pass to reach the Salisbury General Hospital, the cattle market and the racecourse and so on, which all border its route.

VJ Wrigley

Salisbury By-pass Supporters

Salisbury, Wiltshire