Sir.–SO now Tesco are prepared to spend in excess of £7 million on adding a through road to the Brighton Hill Roundabout to make it a throughabout.

This may make the traffic flow better if you are travelling directly along the A30, but those of us who would have to negotiate the roundabout itself would have the bother of traffic light after traffic light.

This project won’t take weeks to complete, but months, and there will be absolute chaos, with sections or most probably all the Brighton Hill Roundabout down to one lane.

Any tailbacks would be horrendous and would probably force drivers coming from the Winchester direction to divert through Kempshott and Buckskin, where on occasions the tailbacks in rush hour already go back nearly as far as the Kempshott shop.

The other diversion route would probably be through Hatch Warren and Brighton Hill towards Viables, adding to the traffic flow there. Those who decide to remain on the M3, would be held up in even longer queues to exit at Black Dam.

All of this so Tesco can have their store in an area where it has already been agreed there is sufficient existing retail outlet and further is not required. I am happy with my choice of Sainsbury, Morrisons and ASDA, all within about two miles of my home.

Enough is enough as far as I’m concerned. The former Smiths site, together with the Camrose football ground site, should be put to housing – a far more sensible and muchneeded option that could help save the use of green belt land for housing.

–Graeme Peers, Brighton Hill, Basingstoke.

Sir.–As a local driving instructor I think the new Brighton Hill Roundabout plans are a good idea.

The roundabout can be a nightmare at peak times. I have personally been involved in two accidents on that roundabout and one accident on the Winchester Road Roundabout.

The changes will make the roundabout easier to teach people, safer and quicker. The only downside will be while the work is going on.

–Becky Kerr, Tasmania Close, Basingstoke.

Sir.–I would like to know how pedestrians and cyclists fit into the plans for the new Brighton Hill Roundabout.

I walk or cycle under the roundabout every day using the underpass.

Looking at the rough plans, it seems I will have to wait at three pedestrian crossings just to get to the other side.

I would welcome a cycle route being included. At the moment, I would not consider cycling on the roundabout as it is just too dangerous.

–Phil Maton, Westside Close, Basingstoke.

Sir.–The Tesco plan to drastically alter the Brighton Hill Roundabout may help ease the congestion there, but it will do nothing to change the volume of traffic that will go along the Winchester Road dual-carriageway and the Harrow Way.

The increase in traffic noise and pollution will get worse as Tesco want to stay open 24 hours day. This will be especially pertinent if the Camrose retail park gets the go-ahead, and the proposed housing is built on Down Grange and the golf club.

But that aside, the council should not get carried away by this “wonderful solution” and remember why they rejected Tesco’s plan originally. It was said at the time that trade would be taken from the town centre and, in this economic climate, that argument is even more relevant.

Apart from the road changes there is nothing to gain by allowing Tesco to build in an area well served by other large supermarkets.

The plan should be thrown out because once Tesco are there, it will be too late for the town centre, the local shops and the quality of life of the nearby residents.

–Gina Oxer, Cobbett Green, Basingstoke .

Sir.–I note with interest that Tesco has again tried to resurrect its planning application for the former Smiths Industries site, in Harrow Way. Even if the proposals to amend the local highway infrastructure were undertaken, this does not detract from the pollution caused by all the additional journeys.

The Tesco site is 2.2 miles by road from Sainsbury’s, Morrisons is 2.2 miles and Asda is 0.5 miles, meaning that all the major four supermarkets would be concentrated within a small radius in the south of the town.

I would urge all your readers who objected to the planning application in the autumn of 2011 to now contact the council again and reiterate their continuing objection to the scheme.

–Ruth Burton, Cumberland Avenue, Basingstoke.