village's traffic nightmare.

Environment Minister Arthur Hodgson said although a bridge would be expensive, it had not been ruled out completely.

Speaking at a public meeting held to discuss ideas for the future development of the area, he said a crossing over the water had never actually been costed.

And he was backed by conservationist Dr. David Wingate, who said a bridge was essential for the improvement plans for the village and would alleviate the traffic issues.

"It could be a very elegant bridge that would be a credit to the area,'' said Dr. Wingate. "It seemed to be a general consensus that it is the only real solution.'' Surveys of residents indicated that the volume of traffic concerned most people and the introduction of measures to make the pavements safe were high on the list of priorities.

Since the last survey, in 1981, morning traffic has increased by up to 60 percent and by 40 percent in the afternoon -- with 15,000 vehicles going through the village each day.

The Minister said he would respond to whatever the people wanted but added it was much too early to indicate a preference for any particular scheme.

He said suggestions had been made to tax vehicles passing through Flatts or to have a bridge with a toll, to recoup the cost.

"We are not here to give one solution, we are here to prompt discussions from which we can distil solutions,'' he said.

"We want to be a people-orientated Government. We want to consider people first, asking the question `what kind of community do you want to live in?''' Mr. Hodgson said there was a need for sustainable development of Flatts, people-driven, not driven by developers, Governments or companies, to enhance the quality of life. And there was also a need to take into account all aspects of life in the community, so everybody was included in the process, he said.

The meeting, attended by around 100 people, included a historical and statistical analysis of Flatts by planning official Peter Adwick and an overview of the progress so far by Toppy Cowen, of the Flatts Village Development Committee.

Plans include traffic management, enhancement of buildings and sidewalks, improved lighting and better access to the waterside.

It is anticipated some improvements will be made this year but the larger projects will come on line later.