Great ideas from Holland

Maybe it’s just a case of budget limitations but having recently come back from Holland and visited several towns and cities I wonder whether the idea of putting even part of the Albion Way underground in a tunnel has ever been discussed?

The Dutch seem to use this solution quite a lot to free up the space above ground. On one occasion we even parked in a huge subterranean car park below a long stretch of coastal dunes thereby leaving the view above totally unspoilt and natural - it was fantastic.

The other thing that struck me was how green everything was even right in the middle of shopping areas with many trees and planted beds and the huge assortment of public art - all shapes and sizes and materials - many very tactile.

I don’t think we saw a single empty shop either - there were so many independent stores and a real sense of a thriving economy.

My Dutch relatives advised me that rates are set low and it certainly seems to work! And don’t even get me started on their amazing cycle routes! Sorry, but ours are a bit of a joke!

Roisin Drury-Coen (Mrs)

Pollards Drive, Horsham