Once again we appear to have a case of the left hand of local government not knowing what the right hand is doing.

Outside Radlett Fire Station there were two large painted additions to the road surface, on either side of the carriageway, instructing motorists to keep the access to the fire station clear for emerging fire engines.

These signs have recently been repainted, no doubt at substantial cost to the taxpayer. It will almost certainly not have escaped the notice of your readers that Hertfordshire County Council, in the face of determined local opposition, closed Radlett Fire Station some eight years ago this October.

It does, however, seem to have escaped the council’s notice. It would be delightful to believe that the repainting of the signs presages a change of heart or a coming to the senses of the council and that the fire station is about to reopen for business.

Sadly however, I suspect that it is in fact just another example of the council’s incompetence.

A recent fire in Oakridge Avenue, Radlett, which required the attendance of four engines from scattered locations, underlines how stupid the decision to close Radlett Fire Station was.

Radlett’s engine could have been on the scene in half the time and at half the cost and its prompt attendance might well have saved thousands of pounds worth of damage and enabled the elderly residents to stay in their home, rather than having to find somewhere else to live while repairs are carried out.

Stephen Oakes-Monger

Park Road, Radlett