OPINION: My 'love-hate' relationship with the Bath Road

Regular readers, you both know who you are, will be familiar with my Bath Road love-hate relationship.

I love to hate it, with its plethora of traffic lights betwixt Maidenhead and Slough always on red and where speed limit signs mock you with promises of forty miles an hour travel, when they should be referring to feet rather than miles.

Well, now I have another reason to sour this road-rage relationship.

Over the years, between the Huntercombe roundabout and the Dover Road junction stretch in Cippenham, I’ve seen empty buildings reduced to rubble and waited in anticipation for their replacements. Rumours of restaurants, sports centres and recreational areas have all been just that. Instead, each phoenix that rises from the ashes appears to be sporting the logo of yet another brand of car!

The last time I looked there were twelve car showrooms on this short length of the A4, but that was an hour ago, so there could be more.

Why are so many car manufactures wanting to sell their automotive wares in Cippenham? Does the demographics deem this ‘the’ place to purchase a car? Is there something in the air – apart from the whiff of KFC – that compels people to buy a new car when in Cippenham?

I’d be interested to know why we have more cars showrooms than you can shake a finance plan at, in such a small space, and how they survive with such an abundance of competition and can or should we expect more?