THE Essex county councillor in charge of highways in Colchester represents Chigwell and Loughton, nearly 50 miles away, inside the M25 and not that far from London (Gazette Letters, January 7, “Cycle lane to make travel easier in town”).

There is no Colchester local decision making nor accountability.

Don’t blame Colchester Borough Council for the road congestion, which has been made worse by the bonkers changes at Headgate from Southway into the town centre.

Nor the farce of a bus lane at North Station from which buses are now banned, adding to the congestion there!

While highways are the responsibility of the county council, I am astonished that Colchester’s 51 borough councillors have not debated what everyone can see has happened – a dramatically-worsening situation with congestion because of the measures taken by the county council.

It is going to get worse.

I had hoped that what had been done under the pretence of Covid-19 safety would not be made permanent.

Alas, much is.

And at Balkerne Hill/Crouch Street even more draconian highways works will see a serious threat to the financial viability of the small shops.

The county council letter in Friday’s Gazette was presumably crafted with input from highways officers who are based at County Hall, Chelmsford.

What utter nonsense to claim that traffic entering Headgate from Southway is using the town centre as a through route.

A “through-route” to where? No-one enters Headgate unless their journey requires them to do so.

Removing one of the two lanes on leaving Southway into Headgate has resulted in huge tailbacks up Butt Road and along Southway to the Maldon Road roundabout, and frequently down Balkerne Hill.

The lane closed to traffic is now reserved for cyclists, of whom there are very few.

I drew attention to this in a letter in the Gazette on December 16, which three days later I emailed to Colchester’s nine Essex county councillors.

Three weeks later, only two have bothered to respond – my thanks to councillors Dave Harris and Sue Lissimore. Total silence from the other seven.

Essex County Highways have made a pig’s ear of traffic in Colchester, yet seven of the borough’s nine county councillors seemingly don’t care.

Sir Bob Russell

Catchpool Road, Colchester