I WRITE in response to RG Williams' letter (East route gets my vote, December 25) in which he refers to the recent Conservative administration's decision to approve in principle a new road from the A465 to the A49 Ross Road at Grafton.

He is quite right to say that this road would do very little to solve any of the county's traffic problems and therefore the expenditure of £25 million of taxpayers' money cannot be justified.

I fully agree with his comments, and together with many others, have been of the view for some time that only if this road is continued from the Rotherwas industrial site through to the main A438 Ledbury Road would it be truly cost effective and at the same time greatly enhance the future growth of the area generally.

It has also been stated in numerous council reports that such a road would immediately remove approximately one third of the traffic from the Belmont Road and the city centre, which should be one of the main objectives of these proposed infrastructure improvements.

Mr Williams is a well known and respected businessman, and I suggest that his views and those of most other businessmen should be listened to, and far less importance given to the views of major housing developers from outside the county who on the whole have little or no long-term interest locally.

BOB MATTHEWS Leader, Herefordshire Independents