For more than 15 years, we who live adjacent to the M6 in the Stafford area, have lived with the uncertainty of what is going to become of our homes should widening finally be decided on, while the “experts” procrastinate.

The road haulage industry has always been vocal in its demands for either M6 widening or additional road building, yet when they get the extra road they demand, will not use it because “the toll is too expensive”.

The current toll for an HGV is £9 day and £8 night. Spread this over the value of a 20-ton load the average lorry carries and the excess is infinitesimal, so what is the problem with the road haulage companies using the road that was built in response to their demands?

The solution to the daily traffic jams on the M6 in the Birmingham area and the resultant traffic back-up into Staffordshire area has already been built and is at hand – the M6 Toll. They should open this up free to motorists (we already pay exorbitant taxes to use our roads) or at least ban HGVs from the M6 in the Birmingham area unless they are either collecting or delivering in this area.

We who live adjacent to the motorway have had our lives blighted for far too many years now and it is time the threat to our homes and lives was lifted once and for all.

There is no need for any M6 widening. Spend the money instead on improving the existing road infrastructure.

An example of this would be the building of the ring road that has been proposed for more than 20 years around Stafford, which would relieve the jams that bring Stafford and its surrounds to a standstill every time there is an incident on the M6.

R M Hemer, Barn Bank Lane, Stafford.