YOU are raising false hope in the community that the Western bypass can be resurrected.

This route has been so thoroughly proven to be unrealistic that even the most dogmatic of the local politicians has recognised it will never be built.

It has been rejected by two public inquiries and much public money has been wasted by persistent councillors on unnecessary traffic and environmental reports which only confirm previous conclusions.

Readers may be unaware of the key findings of the last public inquiry -

* The Northern route will carry 50 per cent more strategic traffic between Heysham and the M6 than the Western route. Inspectors report (4.03.23) (4.03.40).

* The Northern route is significantly less environmentally damaging than the Western route. Inspectors report (4.03.33) (4.03.41) (4.03.42). Current legislation will not allow an environmentally damaging road to be built if a less damaging route is available.

* The Northern route will take more commercial traffic out of Lancaster than the Western route. Inspectors report (4.03.24). Many ill-informed campaigners claim the opposite.

* The Northern route will carry 23 per cent more traffic overall than the Western route, thus making a greater contribution to reducing traffic congestion in the area. Inspectors report (4.03.23) (4.03.24).

Additionally, the Northern route has been in the Local Plan for more than 40 years and the L & M College was sited to allow a route for it. The Heysham link could have been completed years ago to the benefit of the community if it were not for the irrational intransigence of local politicians who ignored professional advice.

Your campaign is both unrealistic and misleading. The only achievable solution is to support the completion of this link on the northern route.

M.J.Salisbury, Lancaster.