Digging for Britain could be the answer

The cost will probably escalate to a quarter of a million, add in a fair rate of interest and inflation and the payback period will be 20-30 years.

May I suggest that, instead of awarding the contract to their usual mechanised contractors, the council use it to give work to some of the local unemployed using the traditional method of pickaxes, spades and wheelbarrows.

There must still be somebody left in the Midlands producing these tools rather than importing them from China who would welcome a small contract. The workforce could be paid a fair wage; the extra cost to the taxpayer would be offset by unemployment benefits not paid. The benefit to those working would be a chance to learn some skills which could improve their chance of permanent employment, and an improvement to their physical and mental health. As we see from the media unemployment must be soul-destroying.

As regards the supply of tarmac, perhaps we could give the travellers of Meriden, Beausale and elsewhere the opportunity to contribute something to the community; they have the reputation (deserved or not) of being able to magic up substantial quantities of this material and providing someone from the council were present to ensure that it was laid to the correct depth an appreciable saving could doubtless be made over the price from the council’s usual suppliers.

I hope this does not sound facetious or demeaning but with the Government and unions all calling for more infrastructure projects, the use of more manual labour rather than German, Japanese or Chinese machinery could have a beneficial impact on the level of unemployment and the nation’s physical and mental health. - J.O. Armstrong, Thomas de Pypes Mill, Stoneleigh.