As Mark Anderson correctly wrote in his letter last week, even in Wyre Piddle local residents were equally split over proposals to change to the road layout after the bypass. This was primarily a Wyre Piddle issue so whichever way I voted the decision was bound to upset one group of residents.

As with the Broadway bypass no appropriate and suitable workable arrangement to differentiate between local and non-local cars and vans, to allow the current through road to be kept fully open has been forthcoming. Without such a mechanism Wyre Piddle would still have speeding cars through the village, though the vibration issue would have been resolved, unless cumbersome urban traffic calming measures were used.

Reader and Fladbury Council already know the points I succeeded in getting answered for residents on the issues of equal access to bus services, potential delays in the emergency services and the potential adverse affect on the number of children attending Fladbury First School.

There are fears around the issue of "splitting the five communities" due to the extra one or two miles each way (dependent on the part of Wyre to be accessed). Such speculative fears are very difficult to judge. The Broadway bypass raised just such fears - inconvenience, splitting the community, awkward journeys. Councillor Cole, my predecessor, had just such a tightrope to walk. For many the fears melted away within 1 month. Some like Mrs Friedli still feel their opinion should have prevailed. In this case the view of the elected representative, the Wyre Piddle Parish chairman, prevailed.

To Mrs Friedli, I would ask her how she would have felt if parishioners in Fladbury or Wyre Piddle had entered into the debate about the slip road during the Broadway bypass deliberations?

Again to the Fladbury Parish Council I would ask them how they would feel if I give equal weight to the views of the Wyre Piddle Parish Council the next time an important Fladbury issue needs a champion?

And finally a message to the electorate:

Parish Councils have discretionary powers to extend the mandatory rate relief for rural businesses that benefit the local community. They are now able to buy in more flexible forms of transport for their villages. They are now able to bid for funding to create Parish plans. They can now play a much bigger part in service delivery. Working with Vital Villages and Countryside Agency they can provided extra resources for villages.

If I can persuade village champions to work with me and focus on these challenges and then persuade the electorate to get out and vote at the next election I think that I would feel I had achieved something significant for the villages.

COUNCILLOR LIZ EYRE, Broadway, Worcestershire