MADAM,

Research done by the US Environmental Protection Agency shows that air pollutants from cars, trucks and other motor vehicles are found in higher concentrations near major roads. People who live, work or attend school near major roads appear to have an increased incidence and severity of health problems associated with air pollution exposures related to roadway traffic including higher rates of asthma onset and aggravation, cardiovascular disease, impaired lung development in children, pre-term and low-birthweight infants, childhood leukaemia, and premature death.

Do you want your child to develop any of these conditions because you chose to allow your child to play in an area close to a major road such as the A40?

Applying the precautionary principle of “not having the evidence that something might be a problem is not a reason for not taking action as if it were a problem”, it would seem that the burden of proof that it is not harmful falls on those who say the playground should not be moved.

If an application were to be made to place a playground next to the A40 today, how likely is it that approval would be granted – evidence or no evidence?

David Hoyle

(Monmouth)