• I NOTE the proposed traffic restrictions in the area around St Paul’s School and St Mary’s Church. I don’t recall seeing this in any of the main parties’ council manifestos.

I could, I suppose, grudgingly concede that the plans could be covered by the wilfully obscure pledges to reduce pollution in the borough that all three of them print in their glossy brochures.

I’m not sure how moving the light traffic from a privileged area and adding it to already heavy traffic on Adelaide Road is reducing pollution. All this does is further the perception of us block dwellers being held in general contempt by the powers that be.

I can almost imagine them saying “What’s another lungful of soot for the proles. It’s not as if they look after themselves properly anyway.”

Let’s face it, though, when councillors profess enthusiasm for this meritless scheme, they are merely dissembling.

The true progenitors of this madness are the bureaucrats.

Yet again, like the installation of flammable cladding, and gagging orders, this is a scheme proposed by a quango and approved by middle class “officers” who have often left university with their degrees and no grasp of how real life works.

The only interaction from elected representatives (often former council bureaucrats themselves) is to rubber-stamp such proposals despite the millions of pounds of public money involved.

If councillors were really troubled as to why they are thought of in poll after poll as largely spineless, and only motivated by potential personal gain, then they would stand up to these “officers”; but they never do, which furthers the suspicion that they have no real control or influence.

When they then air concerns about the lack of public participation in the democratic process it’s almost laughable.

I expect, despite almost universal opposition from residents including the church, school and people like myself who will be adversely affected from rising pollution, this scheme will be pushed through and many entities will make a lot of money from it.

Makes a mockery of the consultation process, doesn’t it?

JOHN LAWSON
Taplow, Adelaide Road, NW3