SPEED ramps have been springing up all over Preston. Some -- near schools or on rat-runs -- do a useful job but the latest plans for five or more on Fulwood Hall Lane has annoyed quite a lot of us residents.

Perhaps angered by the sight of a few BMWs speeding to the golf club (I am not a golfer), the council carried out a survey two years ago which found roughly 100 local residents in favour of "traffic calming measures", 50 against and 120 of no opinion.

However, now we find that the council will only consider speed ramps, 113 people (so far) have signed a recent petition objecting to the plans. Why? Mainly because we will have no choice but to cross these ramps every time we go anywhere, since Fulwood Hall Lane is a cul-de-sac. And the original survey did not say, 'by the way, when we say traffic calming measures, we really mean speed ramps'.

Many of the residents I have spoken to would like to see some sort of bus service, but no bus company would start one with this many speed ramps to negotiate. Yet when this was raised with one local councillor, he just said "there are no plans for a bus service" -- entirely missing the point that perhaps there should be! This would be a much better way of spending the £5,000 or more that the speed ramps would cost.

We are also cut off whenever there is any ice or snow because the hill at the end is too low a priority for gritting.

We are truly a forgotten area!

John Bailey, via e-mail.