THERE is nothing anyone can do about the ongoing Cheney Manor roadworks apart from making the best of them.

That they are necessary is undeniable; inaction would lead to even more misery in the long term, especially for the households who will benefit from the flood alleviation scheme.

Swindon Council deserves credit for writing to affected businesses on the industrial estate to update them on the situation.

The local authority is also being sensible about the timing of the operation.

Roadworks in that location in the dead of winter will hardly be a picnic for those affected.

But remember, if the project were held over until spring, when gardens and homes are spruced up and the recycling centre does brisk business, the outcome would be gridlocked chaos.

None of this is going to alter the fact that difficult times are coming for road users in the area, of course, and the old advice about minimising the misery bears repeating.

The best strategy is for everybody to avoid the area for the duration unless doing so is absolutely not an option. Anybody who has no alternative would do well to factor in some extra time for their journey, even outside busy periods.

There are few things more likely to induce frustration in a driver than being held up as time until the next appointment ticks by, and there are few things more effective than frustration when it comes to turning a responsible driver into a careless one.