I was interested to read the letter from Nora McCarthy in last week's Life.

She seems to be disappointed and frustrated with Surrey County Council's lack of action in repairing the footway in her cul-de-sac. I wonder why!

From my experience she should realise that it is because the councillors and officers of the county council and Reigate and Banstead Borough Council do not seem concerned by pedestrians' needs.

It is not just a case of the authority not spending money on side-road footways, our elected councillors do not seem willing to devote any attention to paths for pedestrians to East Surrey Hospital in Redhill either.

And I include borough councillors with county councillors in this charge.

Borough councillor Barbara Thomson asked county councillor King for me when - or if - Three Arch Road footway to the hospital would be repaired.

The reply came on April 6 that "all the footpaths in Reigate and Banstead are under review at the moment".

I took this as a fob off and told Coun Thomson so. I have not heard from her since and nothing has been done about the really dangerous state of the footway.

It was "insufficient ranking" for Smallmead, "under review" for Three Arch Road.

I wonder if they have an internal competition to see who can dream up new excuses. Sadly, as soon as a member of the public realises they are being fobbed off, the local government representative ignores you.

They are not really worth one's time or trouble. Whether or not they are worth the taxpayers' money which is spent on them is debatable.

So I can tell the woman from Smallmead that she is not alone in thinking that our community charge tax certainly does not pay for much towards pedestrian needs.

The borough council, I am told, even made a definite decision not to re-instate the pedestrian crossing serving the new and expensive rehashed bus terminal in Redhill.

Another instance of their disdain for pedestrians, leaving them utterly unprotected, legally, when crossing a thoroughfare carrying buses, lorries and cars!

Vehicle ways have more spent on them but I think walkers are at the bottom of the heap with the county council and the brough council, even when some wish to walk safely to a hospital.

I have given up on these councils now. If a member of the public tries to get them out of their offices to see what needs doing, they produce claptrap and when you tell them you think it is such, they ignore you. I cannot think that their apathy would be so great if their remuneration was in question.

Peter Camden, Ramblers' Association local footpath secretary, Walking for Health leader, South Earlswood