I WOULD like to thank Coun Cllr Jonathan Sear and various other members of the Green Party who took the time to write to the Citizen last week (29 November 2001).

I can assure all those who were kind enough to tell me to stop writing to the Citizen letters pages that it is the one way to ensure I will respond.

When a political party decides to run a concerted campaign to silence its critics they really must have something to hide!

Green party Coun Cllr Sear is wrong to suggest that he should not have to justify his party's policies as he is too busy 'representing his constituents'.

It is precisely because he subscribes to the fanatical policy of opposition to building any new road, whatever the circumstances and evidence, that means he is selling out the economic prospects of his constituents.

Coun Cllr Sear, listen to the residents of your county division and of Lancaster and Morecambe as a whole -- we need a Heysham-M6 link for the future economic development of the district.

Not that the above plea will have any effect. Extremists and zealots are not interested in reasoned arguments or even democracy.

They will peddle tired old ideological arguments, dress them up as progress and remain completely inflexible. Yes we need alternative transport solutions, more public transport, more bus lanes, more cycle lanes and more freight on trains -- but we also need better road links to the M6 from Heysham Port and Morecambe.

A Western by-pass would be best, because of the potential development of the Lune Mills site, but will settle for the Northern link road as a second choice.

Come on Coun Cllr Sear, break the Green party straitjacket and vote with your constituents!

Richard Newman-Thompson

Prospect Street

Lancaster