A COUPLE of weeks ago you highlighted a proposed development of 90 new homes in Swanage. These are in addition to other properties being built in Swanage at the moment. It seems to me that this is excellent news. There must be plenty of people in Swanage who need somewhere to live in their home town; and this is a small contribution to the problem that nationally we have about 2,000,000 households who do not have anywhere of their own to live.

One thing that the planners have overlooked, in spite of this problem having been drawn to their attention on a number of previous occasions, is that almost everything anyone needs in Swanage to sustain life and engage in economic activity, with the obvious exceptions of water, gas, and electricity, must first be brought through Corfe Castle in the lorry.

Even when the Sandbanks Ferry is working, it carries very little heavy traffic apart from the occasional bus. The road through Corfe Castle is busy and crowded, and has two particular choke points, one in the Square outside the Bankes Arms Hotel and the other at the crest of the hill by the Mortons House Hotel. At these points it is impossible for two large vehicles to pass and the skilful driving and careful manoeuvring is necessary to avoid a blockage.

It is surely time that those who are responsible for such matters in our new Dorset Council put their minds to devising a route for heavy vehicles destined for Swanage which does not require them to pass through Corfe Castle.

MICHAEL BOND, West Street, Corfe Castle