My family and I have been visitors to West Bay for many years now and have been following the lively comments made concerning the recent road prioritisation ‘improvements’ made with the intention of facilitating easier traffic flow both into and out of the harbour area.

Having now witnessed the debacle personally, I fully support calls for a rethink of matters.

Dorset County Council appears to have given no real thought to traffic flow for the following reasons: l There are no adequate parking signs or directions at the new road junction outside Samways.

Visitors logically want to travel to the harbour area and are confused by the road priority sending them away from their destination l Cars exiting West Bay must give way to cars entering at the wholly unnecessary pinch point outside the Haddon House hotel.

This leads to long tailbacks to the new junction outside Samways causing more delay.

l When cars can eventually proceed through the priority signs they are confronted on the right by cars leaving the station car park and have to give way. They are then confronted not only with more traffic trying to enter West Bay but also by pedestrians, invited by the pathway layout, to cross the road at the same point.

It is true that there was consultation before works commenced, but the public has faith in the powers that be to design matters that will improve a situation.

What has occured is a road system that fails West Bay residents and visitors.

Any investment in the infra-structure in West Bay is to be welcomed but the road system has taken a real step backwards.

The traffic chaos seen now will improve as the summer recedes but will be repeated each year unless the county council accepts the the new road priority scheme has failed.

Timothy Graham Headington, Oxford