SIR - Your report (Sidmouth Herald, February 18) about a new bridge spanning the M5, quoted its cost at “�375million” – a staggering amount.

It must be the most expensive footbridge in the Country and is made even more questionable because, in practice, it will only be used by a tiny minority of Devon residents - none of whom actually live there at present and many of whom may prove to be “immigrants” from other parts of the UK.

This bridge does at least highlight one obvious fact: All the proposed developments at the “Cranbrook” end of East Devon will create a new suburb of Exeter and, sooner or later, they are likely to be subsumed into that City for administrative (and tax-raising) purposes, having been built and paid for by the rest of the County.

Name and address supplied

ED: It is right that we should point out that due to a technical error the figure of �375m should have read �3.75m. Our apologies for any confusion caused.