WORDS almost fail me!

Do the planners on Bolton council actually have any knowledge of planning? Their latest idea is to create a new road and bridge right through the centre of an area that needs to be a pedestrian zone. They can't even get the existing bridges sorted! By connecting a point on St George's Road, that is currently buses only, to a point on the edge of a pedestrian zone on Deansgate, they think they will reduce the traffic and allow more pedestrian areas. That will just increase the amount of traffic at the Deansgate junction and flowing around the Crescent.

Here's my much cheaper alternative suggestion. If they re-opened St George's Road, then many cars that currently use Knowsley Street would no longer need to do so. If they prevented buses using Knowsley Street and the associated section of

Deansgate, they could pedestrianise those roads. By closing Knowsley Street, the congestion due to the Knowsley Street/St George's Road junction would be eliminated.

Buses could travel along Marsden Road with limited effect on those people who catch them along Deansgate or the Market Hall. They could also divert the buses that use Bridge Street and send them down Manor Street (side of Preston's) to allow easy and safe walking around that end of Deansgate and Bridge Street

It would be nice to link Churchgate in somehow. Perhaps the pedestrianisation of Deansgate would enable a simpler set of lights with a more pedestrian-biased crossing? The only link still to be made for pedestrians would be to the open and covered markets. Push the buses around the end of Deansgate on to Moor Lane and you could link the precinct area across a section of Ashburner Street to the market, The Water Place (oops, too late for that) and all the area around Sainsbury's.

Motor access can still be available from the edges of town into the relevant car parks. Deliveries can still get to the shops by their current routes.

This would allow easy expansion of a giant pedestrian area, eliminate the risk from bus and pedestrian clashes and enhance traffic flow without the expense of building a new road and compulsory purchases of some properties.

Now, having sorted out the pedestrianisation, how about altering the areas that were to be made available in the currently non-pedestrian area around Bark Street and create some free parking to encourage more people to come into the town and spend their money in the shops.

None of my suggestions would be particularly expensive when compared with building bridges and creating new roads and all of them could be done for a trial period to see if they are effective.

Bury took a similar approach and they are thriving, while Bolton is dying. Hmmm, I've just realised, Bury, who must come under the same rules as Bolton, don't seem to have bus and cycle lanes in ridiculous places either.

Neil Morgan

Crescent Road

Bolton