SIR - I was alarmed to read in the Craven Herald (March 28) that Chris Grayling has allocated £300,000 to investigate the way to push an alternative to the M62 through our locality.

He described his plans to extend the M65 from Colne through to the A1M as a simple way to improve car journey times across the Pennines. In reality what is planned is highly likely to see our area blighted by the appearance of a major motorway that carries every bit as much traffic as the M62.

Our area does not need more traffic fumes. It does not need communities divided by six lanes of constant traffic noise and pollution. Nor will it gain economically by having a decade of building work in order to move traffic jams around from one location to another.

The quickest easiest and most environmentally friendly way to improve local transport links is to restore the Skipton to Colne passenger railway and connect it efficiently through to Manchester.

Instead we have a minister with a reputation for commissioning non existent ferries staring at maps in an office in London and deciding that local people should experience the misery that of living next to something every bit as unpleasant as the M62.

Yours sincerely

Cllr Andy Brown

Green Party

Main Street

Cononley