SIR, — I have to agree with Graham and Susan Westlake (Herts Advertiser, November 6) about the severe lack of primary schools in central St Albans. Last year we applied to the three closest schools for our daughter and despite only being 10 minutes walk (

SIR, - I have to agree with Graham and Susan Westlake (Herts Advertiser, November 6) about the severe lack of primary schools in central St Albans. Last year we applied to the three closest schools for our daughter and despite only being 10 minutes walk (600 metres) from St Peter's School, we received none of our preferences and are now at Bernards Heath School a 40-minute walk away.

On appealing against this Herts County Council stated that it was perfectly reasonable to expect a four-year-old to walk two miles to school and two miles back each day and it was not their concern that her two younger sisters spend up to three hours a day with Mum getting her to school and back - it will only get worse next year when there are even more journeys for a morning-only nursery place for our second daughter.

County council planning documents state that their policy is to locate schools near to where they are needed in order to reduce congestion and to minimise the impacts on climate change, yet strangely, additional school places are built on the edge of town - more hot air from the county council?

The school is fine, it's just a shame that our daughter is constantly tired from her long walk, that her new friends live so far away and her two sisters spend so long in a pushchair - at least its keeping the parents fit.

It's bad enough this year and with the Westlakes and countless others joining next year, the congestion on St Albans roads will only get worse. Surely it's now finally time for the council to take some proper action and build a school in central St Albans. Now that a Tesco superstore has been rejected on London Road, how about using that site for a school instead?

IAN LANGFORD,

Orient Close, St Albans.