Sir Edward Leigh, the Member of Parliament for Gainsborough, has written to the Transport Secretary, Patrick McLoughlin MP, regarding the closure of the Hawthorn Road with the building of the Eastern Bypass.

In his letter, Sir Edward pointed out that the construction of the Bypass was very welcome, but that building a straight-over road bridge was “the most obvious and logical solution”.

“Arbitrarily, transport officials decided against a road bridge, preferring a smaller bridge for pedestrian and equestrian non-vehicular traffic,” Sir Edward wrote. “This would bifurcate the Hawthorn Road and eliminate an extremely useful and valuable road transport link, while wasting money on a replacement bridge that is wholly inadequate.”

Transport officials have claimed the replacement bridge will cost £250,000 but Sir Edward, a former Chairman of the Public Accounts Committee investigating government waste in spending, doubted the figures would prove accurate in the end.

“The simplest and most cost-effective possible solution is for a straight-over bridge maintaining the current status and usage of Hawthorn Road.” The current plans for a non-vehicular bridge are, the MP asserted, “overly complicated” and face “very vocal opposition from local residents and those who use the road regularly.”

“The current plan must be scrapped before it wastes any more public money, and plans for a straight-over bridge should be drawn up immediately,” Sir Edward concluded.