Letters to the editor: Farnham town centre junction is accident waiting happen

The road junction at the top of West Street, Downing Street and The Borough in Farnham is proving to be a very dangerous place.

Heading towards The Borough from West Street, drivers find themselves trapped in the yellow box at the junction as the pedestrian crossing lights give the go-ahead for people waiting to cross.

To clear the box, drivers are forced to move forward onto the pedestrian crossing itself, which is in danger of being occupied.

It is a disaster waiting to happen. If motorists drive by the rules and wait outside the box on the West Street side, they are held up further by traffic which must leave Downing Street and which ends up blocking the box and the junction anyway!

To add to the mayhem, large vehicles, including buses, turning left into West Street cannot easily make the turn as the corner is too tight. Even cars come to a sudden stop if a delivery lorry or similar happens to be parked on the opposite side of the road, blocking Downing Street and West Street and causing serious tailbacks throughout the entire town.

And further, drivers now with the opportunity to turn right from Castle Street either can't get out or have to block The Borough at the first opportunity in order to make their exit.

On Saturdays, West Street tailbacks often go right back towards Wrecclesham roundabout. Motorists waiting to leave or enter The Hart are often trapped by drivers on the main road blocking their exit or access, thereby choking the road back to Downing Street in the opposite direction.

Tailbacks from the top of Downing Street can, at certain times, almost reach South Street.

In short, the town is choked and has lost a great deal of its character and charm. As a former photojournalist in and around Farnham, it seems to me to be an absolute disaster for the town, especially for the shopkeepers, many of whom have since disappeared.

The exhaust fumes from queuing vehicles in Downing Street in particular, being a fairly enclosed space, must be harmful to people passing by, not to mention the local environment.

While Farnham was never expected to see the volume of modern-day traffic, the previous road system worked as well as might be expected for a historic market town.

Les Millar,

Farnham

I have deep, well-founded concerns about the proposed replacement for Frimley Park Hospital, which I have voiced both publicly and at a council meeting.

I do not see how or why Rushmoor Borough Council, which represents so many people who depend on this hospital, can have no voice or input into what is being proposed.

If I give people a headache by continuing to badger them, so be it. I make no apology. The proposal, as it stands, is worthless.

So much time, energy and money has been wasted trying to convince people in Surrey Heath that this is a good idea, despite opposition from the day it was announced.

Those of us living in Rushmoor have had virtually no voice at all. Doing nothing, which seems to be the case, is not a way forward.

Most people I speak to are aware that Frimley Park needs rebuilding, but know little about the proposed location or what is planned.

There has been an almost criminal lack of information in Aldershot, across Rushmoor and further west, despite these communities being central to the hospital's catchment area.

We are all being sold a dud. The proposed Pine Ridge Golf Club site is simply not an acceptable location. Access to the current hospital has always been difficult and has become considerably worse over time. The golf course would be even worse.

Other suggested sites, including the former Johnson's Wax site, Pirbright, Chobham Common, Rushmoor Arena and Long Valley, also have serious shortcomings.

The only credible alternative I can identify is land close to Junction 4A of the M3, where much of the infrastructure needed to serve the hospital's catchment area is already in place.

It is in the middle of nowhere, but central to the whole catchment area, with good access from different directions. Its only apparent disadvantage is that it is not in Surrey.

This location could provide the space needed for future expansion, adequate parking for staff, patients and visitors, and separate access to different hospital departments.

There would also be opportunities to provide affordable accommodation for nurses, something already being developed at the Royal Surrey in Guildford.

A new hospital should be designed to meet the needs of future generations, not simply today's requirements.

The current location has proved unworthy of expansion to accommodate the ever-growing needs of an enlarging community.

The lack of connectivity at the current site has always been a problem. Any new hospital needs accessible routes from different directions, rather than forcing patients and visitors through already congested areas.

Much of the land I have identified is part of the Ministry of Defence estate, and the MoD is already a partner in the current hospital, with a military wing providing important services.

The lack of vision to future-proof this development is alarming. We need something that will outlast any of us and perhaps even our grandchildren.

The people of Rushmoor deserve proper information and a meaningful say in a decision that will affect their healthcare for decades to come.

Roger Watkins,

Aldershot

In question 14 of your pub quiz, you asked which country has the largest population.

The answer given was China, but this is incorrect. India now has a larger population, with more than 1.47 billion people compared with China's 1.41 billion.

I enjoy doing the puzzles, especially the codeword, although I thought the Sudoku was rather easy this time.

Steve Davies,

Woking