ALEC Samuels, I am afraid, is confused, the Portswood link was abandoned by the city council at a time when I was in fact the chairman of the planning and transportation committee of the city, the record will show I moved the resolution on the subject.

With I must add great regret, for I was following the instructions of the Labour group, that I had personally opposed.

More over the Portswood link was never intended to go further than Bevios Valley, initially an offer (that was refused) was made “personally” by me on behalf of the council to the directors of the Southampton Football club to route the proposed road around the Polygon down to the reclaimed land (now known as West Quay) to a site the council would give to the “Saints” for their new ground, and in the process solving our two mutual problems.

In 1973 We were instructed by Lord Porchester not to proceed further with two proposals, the Bitterne bypass and the Portswood Link.

County council policy did not recognise the principle of inner city bypasses, at this point I have surprisingly to remind Alec Samuels, Southampton had no direct control over transportation policy, they merely obeyed and implemented Hampshire County Council directions on this subject, more over by the time they moved from the position of authority in waiting, to taking actual control in 1974.

Councillor Dennis Speake and myself (later supported by John Deacon a conservative member from Southampton) had been able to convince the Conservative members from Portsmouth, that they too were at risk, for they also had what could be considered “inner city bypass proposals, the policy was subsequently reversed by the County Council, and the Portswood link was built, incidentally most of Southampton’s transportation grant at that time from the government was diverted to Portsmouth, who used much of that to subsidise the transfer of the Channel Island service from Southampton to Portsmouth.

As much as I liked and respected The Conservative party leader Norman Best, at that time of decision he was not involved, or a member of the respective committees

ALAN REYNARD Wide Lane, Southampton