I AM delighted that green issues appear to have risen to the top of the political agenda. However, at grass roots level we are faced with environmental problems outside our control. As a Brampton parish councillor, I am appalled by recent reports (The Hu

I AM delighted that green issues appear to have risen to the top of the political agenda. However, at grass roots level we are faced with environmental problems outside our control.

As a Brampton parish councillor, I am appalled by recent reports (The Hunts Post, April 12 and 26) of serious air pollution attributed to emissions of nitrogen dioxide from A14 traffic and note that parts of Brampton adjacent to the existing A14 are now being designated as Air Quality Management Areas by Huntingdonshire District Council.

This clearly is relevant to the Highways Agency's current A14 improvement plans and I am concerned by the potential impact on air quality in Brampton of the proposed CHUMMS route. These CHUMMS are certainly no friends of Brampton.

The proposed route results in an additional four-lane A14 highway at Brampton adjacent to the A1, which in turn will be increased from four lanes to six - a total of 10 lanes of busy traffic with its associated increase in air, noise, light and groundwater pollution. No other local village is threatened with a road network on this scale.

The Environmental Impact Statement shown on the Highways Agency's website does not address these issues fully nor does it consider the effect of the increased area of hard surfaces on the water table and the potential consequent increase in flooding risk.

At a public meeting on April 28, our MP, Jonathan Djanogly, agreed to request a detailed environmental impact statement related specifically to Brampton, with emphasis on the air quality issue.

As a conservationist, I applaud the decision not to route the new A14 through Brampton Wood, but surely the health of Brampton children is to be valued at least as highly as that of the wildlife in Brampton Wood?

Our neighbours in the Offords fought a valiant campaign to have the Highways Agency's proposals re-considered and are currently licking their financial wounds.

I note that the A14 is a designated European Route. If the Offords are not allowed an appeal in the UK, perhaps the European Court of Human Rights will be the next step.

Councillor EILEEN COLLIER, Brampton