IN the distant past I took the trouble to attend St Helens Central Library in order to view the 'plans' submitted relative to the proposed and ridiculously named 'Blackbrook By-Pass'.

I noted that it depicted the by-pass as 'joining' the existing A58, by the stroke of a pen, very close to the Ship Inn and concluded that it would of necessity require a roundabout at that point.

This would then mean that all the traffic using the A58 into St Helens would be stagnated as the "fast tracked" (a familiar term to Mr Watts?) by-pass, would obviously take preference and the lower part of Haydock would become almost a static zone to our transport and I therefore made my objections known via your newspaper.

Mr Watts did enter the debate, but then suddenly 'decided to take his cricket bat home' by declaring, "I have said my last words on the subject!" I was therefore greatly pleased this past week to read of him being "furious" when he AGAIN went into local print to reveal that his scheme had been placed on the 'back burner.'

But at least he now has the time to open up the City Road and Green Leach routes into the town more, or, indeed to clear the bottleneck of Blackbrook, in proper preparation, which his brain child, the 'Blackbrook By-Pass' will never by-pass; and to cease directing traffic through Haydock from the East Lancashire Road, as is now the sad case.

While it has been officially stated that 75% strongly supported this scheme I feel that the public of St Helens should now be told that only the very miserable number of 311 persons responded in total to the proposal of this plan! So did our council therefore contemplate spending at the very least £8.5 million (and this estimated more than a year past!) on somewhat less than the views of all 311 persons?

Haydock resident (name & address supplied)

(As reported in the previous week's Star, the bypass project is now back on track after lobbying by Mr Watts)