The news that Witham station’s new entrance and footbridge has opened will be positive for all the commuters using it, as it saves them three whole minutes when walking from the car park to the platform.

Of course every bit of time saved is valuable, and if any commuter were asked if they would prefer an extra few minutes in the morning, they would resoundingly say yes.

In today’s fast-paced society, time is becoming more precious and we are frequently reminded about the benefit of making the most of every minute.

Yet, £2.2m for just three minutes? That seems a very high price to pay. Of course, the benefits are cumulative, but passengers will never be able to ‘collect’ together all of those seconds saved over the course of a year to do anything useful with.

No doubt the improvements will also deliver extra benefits, such as improved access for the disabled, and a community that can take pride in its shiny new station entrance.

It’s just that, with all the possible projects that could significantly improve people’s lives, this may not be a desperately necessary use of funding.