I read from the National Highways: “M3 junction 9 improvements. We’re proposing to change junction 9, so it has free-flowing links between the M3 and the A34 in both directions. Start date 2024-25. Cost £190 to £210 million.”

I am astonished. This will involve making new four-lane highways, and two overhead dual carriageways over the existing M3. More dead tarmac to be poured on the Hampshire countryside, more carbon emitted, just to save two minutes on travelling time.

There are many more worthwhile causes to spend £200 million on.

Education benefits a nation, you have employees who when well educated in numeracy and literacy will become good team players who can benefit companies. 

All is not well in Britain for education. I read in the Daily Echo, October 3 2022, from James Shapiro that: “Southampton schools are behind in every single subject and some are getting worse, this year’s grades show. Key Stage 2 results – which come from tests in Year 6 – show Southampton is seven per cent behind the national average in reading, writing and maths combined.

“In science, Southampton came in 141st out of a ranking of 150 authorities. 

“In grammar, punctuation and spelling (at an expected level), Southampton came in at 139th out of the 150.

“This year, 62 per cent of GCSE students in Southampton passed (grades 9-4) English and maths.”

This is very disturbing, how will the UK’s economy grow, to pay off the national debt, attract foreign investment from global companies like Honda, Siemens or Apple if we do not have an educated work force?

We don’t need any more of the Hampshire countryside covered in tarmac or more traffic and pollution.

Rupert Pitt,
St Cross Road,
Winchester