THE reason the district council wants to do away with the grass football pitches (Robert Cossey-Mowle, Letters, March 26) lies with the ancillary work associated with the guided bus route. The plans for the Huntingdon section include a bus lane along Hart

THE reason the district council wants to do away with the grass football pitches (Robert Cossey-Mowle, Letters, March 26) lies with the ancillary work associated with the guided bus route.

The plans for the Huntingdon section include a bus lane along Hartford Road from Toll Bar Cottages to the ring road. This would mean that a slice would be taken from the park and that would not leave enough space for two football pitches as currently sited.

Leaving aside the loss of amenity, the justification for the bus lane must be questioned. I was advised some years ago that the cost would be of the order of £1million and it will presumably now be much more. As traffic congestion into Huntingdon is limited to the morning rush hour, the bus lane would save time for only a maximum of 10 hours a week - £1million will take a lot of saving.

Those responsible for the guided bus scheme cannot give current estimated costs, nor can they give details of any cost-benefit analysis, as none has been done. We must ask why it was included in the original scheme and why Huntingdonshire District Council has considered it a done deal that cannot be questioned or cancelled. Could it be that it gives them the chance to use Riverside Park for parking and blame it on others as being outside their control?

Why should Huntingdon accept the loss of a well-used amenity for very dubious reasons that will not benefit its residents and be of very minimal, if any, benefit to others?

DAVID LEWISOHN

Main Street

Hartford and

Huntingdon East Liberal Democrats