Letter written while lorries thunder by

John Egan

A curve in a road, on which various vehicles drive including an ambulance. In the foreground we can see that we are behind a brick wall which has been destroyed. The jagged remains of the wall rise to the right, and loose bricks litter the ground. — People living at the top of Fisher’s Hill get a much better view of A361 traffic roaring at them from Bere Lane, now that one car has demolished their boundary wall! Photo by Jim Nagel.

Dear Mr Brunsdon,

Having joined the Conservation Society at the beginning of the year, I have greatly appreciated the events and newsletter as a way of helping me to get to know Glastonbury better.

I noticed in newsletter 100 (August) that, “wearing a Mendip Councillor hat, [you] pleaded strongly at a recent meeting for more urgent attention to problems on Coursing Batch, Chilkwell Street, Bere Lane, Fishers Hill and Street Road, where both residents and visitors are at risk from heavy A361 traffic thundering through the Conservation Area past tourist attractions.”

As you can see from my address, I also have a personal interest in this issue. I remain concerned about the impact of traffic, particularly heavy goods vehicles, on the fabric of the buildings in the Conservation Area and on the perception of tourists visiting sites in the district.

Is the Conservation Society able to address these issues further as part of its programme and policy? Perhaps I am unaware of work already being done here or in other respects, or what can be done to more effectively protect the Conservation Area from the incursions of heavy traffic. Is there anything to add on the subject?