Letters: September 30, 2016

Anonymity is granted only at the discretion of the editor, who also reserves the right to edit letters.

We must fight decline

MANUFACTURING in Britain is in long-term decline and the Labour Party are the first of the big Westminster parties to recognise the importance of government involvement to correct the problem. This is very good news for Britain.

The bad news from the Labour Party Conference is that they have chosen a very long, around the houses way to bring about the much-needed changes within British industry.

Infrastructure spending of an additional £500 billion will certainly increase demand but it may well just suck in higher imports and only make the situation worse.

Recognising the problem is only half the battle. We now need specific policies from the Labour Party to encourage British industry to make more things here in Britain.

STEVE HALDEN

Beaufort Green

Swindon

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Routine breeds hilarity

THERE seems to be a call for a little more humour on the Letters Page and, although it is a little embarrassing, I will tell my story. On my daily walk around Purton, on the days when I do not go to the gym in Wootton Bassett, I pick up lots of cans, bottles and litter that is regularly deposited on the path that I use. I then put it all in the litter bin adjacent to the High Street. Close to the litter bin is a bus stop, post box and telephone box.

The other day I went to post a letter and I did not collect any litter at that time but through regularity, I did put my letter in the litter bin! Oh dear, I thought, so I retrieved it covered in four cold chips, tomato sauce and a portion of uneaten pizza and the corner of the envelope had absorbed some stale lager.

The laugh was on me but I thought that it may lighten the Letters Page even though I needed another envelope and stamp!

CHRIS GLEED

Proud Close

Purton

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Daisy’s the real hero

WHAT a fantastic example to us all. Wednesday’s Advertiser reported on the eight-year-old Daisy Edmonds.

Daisy saw, and was outraged by, the shameless gender stereotyping foisted on children in Tesco’s clothing department. The advertising industry spends billions of pounds telling people of all ages, but especially children and adolescents, what they are supposed to be like. It causes untold misery amongst young people. Sexism is a key dimension in this respect. Daisy made a decision not only to be personally disappointed but to do something about it and the Advertiser reports she took direct action and rearranged the clothing more appropriately.

For some time we have faced Governments intent on reversing progressive gains made by working people, so we’ve seen average wages falling, privatisation of health and education, services slashed and so on.

If more adults showed the bottle shown by Daisy Edmonds the world would be a much better place.

PETER SMITH

Woodside Avenue

Swindon

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Talk to us like adults

SUBJECT: Important information from Swindon Borough Council (leaflet).

“Based on customer feedback, previous consultation, and resident surveys, the council knows that residents value services affecting the appearance of their local communities, such as ground maintenance and street cleaning services.”

Amazing! Talk about stating the b******* obvious, but due to the lack of litter bins in areas such as the Lawn, it is hardly surprising that pizza boxes, etc are left abandoned, to be collected by the local authority, when brought to their attention by complaints from dog walkers, etc.

Des Morgan got it absolutely right in his recent letter to the the Adver, street cleaning is abysmal, having had friends over from Denmark recently, they could not understand how filthy our local environment is. So, since when has the council ever listened to us, the residents?

Now we hear they are going to introduce parish councils, an opportunity for SBC to act as Pontius Pilate by washing their hands to pass on the problem and responsibility to yet another layer of bureaucracy. This is going to cost us, the residents, to compensate what we were paying for anyway. The chair of the parish council will result in it costing us £50,000, taking into consideration pension contributions, etc, along with their various clerks and secretaries.

The demise of the libraries is already decided upon, albeit the various tick box exercises to demonstrate to the central government that they are listening to us, and our opinions.

What about the £400,000-plus lost providing Wifi to the electorate, having been nationally recognised as being the highest user in the UK?

Along with the £164,000 paid by the council to a private company to provide a children’s playpark in the Croft area, the company went into liquidation, but yet were paid up front.

The impact upon us, the resident, per household shall be between £75 to £110 per year on our oscillating tax, let alone the deficit that still shall exist from their coffers. Why do the council not be honest and talk to us like adults rather than shaft us financially due to their inability to manage?

Thank goodness for the integrity of people like Des Morgan.

NICK LE BOSQUET

Beatty Court

Old Town

Swindon

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Think about your health

ON SEPTEMBER 18, the 400ft chimney that distributed complex and health-affecting emissions into the atmosphere was blown up and pulled down. Economics and not health was the reason this happened.

What concerns me is that almost without opposition another chimney has found itself being built on the Northacre MBT Plant.

How this got past the councillors and climate change obligations of the Wiltshire Council goes to the heart of the integrity of this institution. They are totally obsessed with financial projects in the county regardless of the environment that most of us wish to protect.

Now Hills Waste who own the Northacre Plant are trying to convince you an EIA is not required to increase the bulk waste from 60,000 tonnes to 90,000 tonnes which is what their license is for. A 50 per cent increase poses significant vehicle movements and does require further investigation.

The dried “fuel” waste manufactured by Hills at the MBT Plant is currently exported to continental European for use by energy-from-waste plants (aka incinerators). Hills have planning permission for an energy-from-waste incinerator at Northacre alongside the MBT Plant. Is this where this new “fuel” will be burned?

For goodness sake, Westbury, wake up and get your councillors and the Environment Agency active on behalf of your health.

DAVID LEVY

Chipperfield Drive

Kingswood

Bristol

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Damage to relationship

RE Phase One. Changes to St Michael and All Angels Church, Highworth.

Listed church buildings are covered by the Ecclesiastical Exemption order of 2010 and are exempted from the need to apply for listed building consent from the local planning authority. Changes to the exterior of the building do come under the local planning authority and planning permission was only granted by Swindon Borough Council for the small north extension.

The advice of Historic England and the amenity bodies has been ignored and at times misrepresented by the Parochial Parish Council. This led to the generous donation of a website by a local resident so that all sides could be presented to the community.

Residents have been outraged by the proposed changes and the high handed attitude of members of the PCC, who ignored their objections and were not prepared to make compromises. Members of the congregation have left to worship elsewhere.

The chancellor of the diocese of Bristol directed that a consistory court hearing should be held, which with typical institutional arrogance was cancelled eight months later by the acting deputy chancellor. No reasons were given for his actions. Again, the voices of Highworth were suppressed.

The PCC has created a schism between themselves and the rest of Highworth damaging the previously amicable relationship between the church and the community which will take many years to mend. A point which the acting deputy chancellor failed to address in his judgment.

J. CLARK (MRS)

Copper Beeches, Highworth

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Pre-lecture pints?

Now as an active member of the local CAMRA, I have to confess I am not averse to a pint or three of the real McCoy. Also, if I am honest, my 18th birthday was not the very first time I sampled Watney’s Red Barrel (sorry for the bad language).

I remember on occasions popping into the New Inn in Brunel Street for a drink before a Monday night at McIlroys with Frankie Roy and the Soundcasters, and sitting on the wall outside the “Pot” with a glass full of what looked more like tomato soup than cider but what caught my eye in the Adver today was a bit of a surprise… even to an old ‘un.

Swindon New College are applying to the licensing authority to sell alcohol, pretty much all day and evening. Reading the notice in more detail, permission sought to sell in “core curriculum downtime” after 11am. What is that about?

Is it because the Bulldog and the Cock Robin have closed their doors and the students don’t really have time to get to the Grove for a swift half between maths and media studies? Is the Merlin just that bit too far to walk and get back before psychology begins? Perhaps a nice glass of Chardonnay to oil the English tutorial? Very acceptable.

I thought it was a strange decision of our licensing panel to put alcohol into the petrol stations on Queens Drive, but I suppose if we can put pubs on motorway services, why not catch them early at college?

Lord help us if they ever do legalise cannabis.

JOHN STOOKE

Haydon End