Your Letters - March 21

Residential transport

WELL now, two subjects pop into my mind, on my eighth month in desirable Bexhill.

I do read all letters written by your public which all prove how deeply loyal the residents are to this area.

My only contribution to the many parking problems to be solved, I can only add to. I do no longer drive, by preference, my age, reflexes and slightly dodgy eyesight made me take this responsible decision. However, being in a retirement complex have the facility of a residents' minibus - take and pickup, at such supermarkets as Tesco and Sainsburys. Could there not be a tiny consideration for the numerous "residential transport" at these stores, say a small bay or point for such. Of course, I realise other car customers may fume, and even use these facilities - as a few do so, with disabled parking. Times have changed so, so little courtesy, and more rage. As a driver past, as others I payed my road taxes etc, however, surely the space before a supermarket and business complexes are for all. I wonder what less elderly drivers will do, at their inevitable ageing?

VALDA WARREN

Church Street

PS - A local supermarket admonished one such residential minibus which brings approx 18/25 customers weekly, due to complaints. How many others?

Ridiculous farce

Copy of a letter sent to Ms McCall, Rother District Council

AND so this ridiculous farce continues:

My downstairs neighbours put their medium sized bin out on Friday for emptying. When they came to bring it back in it was not there and we can only assume that it has been picked up by Verdant instead of the monstrosity that has been waiting for collection outside the front door all these weeks.

To add to the problem, there is no sign of the promised smaller bin for my use. Effectively therefore there is not a usable bin at this address for my rubbish or for the rubbish of my neighbours.

I do hope you will be able to rectify the error. We would like to have my neighbour's medium sized bin back again and a smaller bin for my use to put in the place where I used to keep a dustbin (which was Ms McCall's excellent suggestion in her letter of December 18, 2007). We would like all this done as soon as possible as the situation has now lingered on for far too long.

When I can get someone to help me with it, I will be returning the aforementioned monstrosity to outside your offices where I am sure it will be dealt with much, much more quickly.

SALLY SINCLAIR

St George's Road

Laugh or cry?

I DIDN'T know whether to laugh or cry, at the lady's letter (Bexhill Observer, March 14) re the possibility of Reginald Road residents parking their cars in the nearby Wainwright Road car park, to escape vandalism to their vehicles in the road.

Perhaps the writer was 'tongue in cheek' when she also mentioned CCTV cameras. (What? in the car park!) Even some of the lights don't work there - still burnt out by the arson in April last year.

As for the police station being so near! Well! it could be hundreds of miles away, as far as we locals are concerned. The Wainwright car park is a play ground for yobs (not all the young people who play there behave badly) but most of the trouble is at weekends and after dark.

The yobs in question show no respect for the cars, or residents back gardens. There is always a risk of arson again (as the RC large bins were set alight, and contents strewn over a wide area recently, right near the car park).

One man, who used to park his car in the car park, told me he never does now as there's too much damage caused by footballs and skateboards etc.

By the way, I don't own a car, but I can still appreciate the problems of my neighbours re parking.

JOYCE HUMPHREY

Reginald Road

Laden with litter

IT IS pleasing to see that the current contractor running the refuse collection for our district have moved their headquarters to the front yard area of the York public house!

Every afternoon large numbers of dustmen and their colleagues can be seen congregating in this area, no doubt discussing the latest implications of council policy. Thank goodness none of them will be getting behind the wheel of a vehicle until the following day.

Now we have tracked down the whereabouts of our local council employees, perhaps this explains why our town centre streets are so laden with litter and why half of us have yet to receive our garden waste bins!

I think I preferred it when the yard was in London Road and the first thing they thought of after a hard days work was a bath to get rid of all the dust in their hair. The "old timers" amongst the current crews must think it's a doddle now compared to what they used to have to do. Of course, the wheelie bins may have made their jobs a lot easier but it's the tax payer who is getting the raw deal. Never forget, we used to get a weekly back-door collection, now we get a fortnightly one. And that's if you put your bin out front first!

Still, our loss is the York's gain. Keep up the good work RDC!

A. MELLISH

London Road

No porkies please

MAY I please contribute to the parking charges debate?

Before moving to Bexhill from Hastings just over three years ago I was assured by the RDC Leader Cllr Graham Gubby, a man I have much faith in, that parking charges would never be tolerated by councillors in Bexhill.

Now Cllr Maynard we do not want "porkies" from you. It was only about, two years ago Cllr Gubby told us all publicly, that he was under extreme pressure from County to allow the "mad, so-called decriminalised parking", the efforts of County Cllr Lock to install back door taxation in the form of parking charges across East Sussex, without the will of the people sickens me and as a fellow Conservative I say to him and his colleagues at Lewes you should be ashamed of yourselves.

What with our National Leader accusing Government of over laden taxes and his local officials doing their best to beat even the Government at piling on the agony. Just who can we trust? We do not want another Eastbourne parking "Sailing down the River Job" done on us.

Public Participation. The Council of Europe has two legal instruments, "Conventions" and "Recommendations". The Conventions are binding across the European Union and Recommendations are agreed "Common Policy" which the committee of Ministers may ask member states what actions they are taking to implement them. Our own UK Government has published its' intentions to comply by publishing a 59 page document "Promoting Effective Citizenship and Community Empowerment".

The Council of Ministers Adopted Recommendation (2001) 19 on December 6, 2001 which is the agreed European policy on "Participation of Citizens in Local Public Life".

I trust our Chamber of Commerce and indeed all of us will be given our democratic rights and allow us to tell County to find their taxation elsewhere. Or must we really organise ourselves as I did with the Hastings "PART" organisation and set up a Bexhill Democratic Alliance. In Hastings it led to a change in political control back to Conservative after mass demonstrations.

The only result of such madness is evident in Hastings, ask their business community, take a look at shopping areas of the top of Queens Road, the Old Town, Bohemia, Silverhill, St. Leonards. More damage than six years of war and bombs.

DENNIS MOON

Hastings Road

Trees destroyed

OVER the past three years 29 mature trees, including ash, horse chestnut, beech and pine, have been destroyed along with mature shrubs and a laurel hedge over 100 years old, in the name of progress at the junction of Hastings Road, Wrestwood Road.

This has resulted not only in the loss of these beautiful trees, but the loss of bird life. There are now no sparrows, bluetits, greenfinches, goldfinches or wrens, in fact no small birds at all.

I expressed my concerns to the local authority and our local MP, Gregory Barker.

I sent an email to the local authority about the loss of trees and the knock on effect to the wild life. I pointed out that due to global warming the council were encouraging us to recycle and in the future they will charge us to deal with our waste all in the name of global warming. As global warming is caused by carbon dioxide and trees take in carbon dioxide and give out oxygen. Then it would make sense for the local authority to save trees.

Their reply, the trees did not have a preservation order. This shows they just don't care. Instead of a slogan, Love Rother, Love Recycling, it should be, If you love living, Then love trees, for without trees we have no oxygen, without oxygen there is no us.

They also don't realise that the little twigs they plant in place of a mature tree will take over 100 years before they start doing the job the established tree they cut down was doing. In the email I sent Gregory Baker who is the Shadow Environment Minister, I posed the above questions and he agreed that not only worldwide, but also here we should be preserving all our trees, which in turn saves the insects, birds and other wild life.

I also asked him if he could let me know what the worlds governments have done about halting deforestation since the World Banks conference in 2006 (which all the top leaders attended) where it was decided that deforestation had to stop and they would try to get countries to leave the forests alone and sell the areas for carbon off setting. If you have two million acres of forest the tonnage of co2 they take in would be sold.

He never answered the question despite two emails requesting the information.

R. PALMER

Hastings Road

Such kindness

Re: London Road post office

I WOULD like to thank Ismet Khoyratee, his wife and the staff of the above post office for all their help, kindness and courtesy they have shown to all their customers over the past few years.

I would also like to wish Ismet the very best of luck in trying to keep a parcel service operating and would encourage as many people as possible to use the London Road shop to pay their bills etc. I will certainly support him.

As you know the queues in the Devonshire Road office are still horrendous with people queuing out of the door on many occasions.

ALAN & ANN PITCHES

De La Warr Road

Wedding date set

WE would just like to say thank-you to all the kind people that have sent us flowers, cards and presents. Since the article in the paper we have received so many gifts and cards. It has been really lovely to know that people care about us and a real treat. We have now set a date for the wedding for January 15th in Antigua.

Many thanks again.

Chloe Van Den Bussche and Michael Veevers, Cafe Belge

Switch off for an hour

AS we now live in a world, which is, thankfully realising that we need to consider and reduce how much electricity we all use for environmental reasons, a global campaign has been launched by an organisation called Earth Hour.

On Saturday, March 29, this organisation is asking people all around the world to turn off their electricity for one hour between 8pm and 9pm, so as a result there will be 24 hours when far less electricity is used across the globe.

Anyone interested in obtaining more information on this campaign can find it at www.earthhour.org

We shall certainly be taking part in our house.

I hope a few other Bexhill households may do the same!

CLAIR BULA-EDGE

Green Lane

Green lobby cause delay

GILLIAN Bargery writing in the capacity as a Wishing Tree resident (March 14) half-answers two of her own questions. The reason for the delay, and much of the increase in projected cost of the link road, is due to attempts by the green lobby to delay and filibuster the project. Gillian is half-right to in her assertion that the project will potentially cause traffic problems at both ends, but the reasons for this lie in the rejection by the Government in 2001 of the Hastings and Bexhill bypass scheme, which involved a new road running the whole way from Guestling Thorn to Hooe. This would have meant less pressure on places like Bexhill Down and Wishing Tree, but Gillian herself was a leading opponent of this also.

So the proposition essentially is that we do nothing. But in a sense the link road and other potential road schemes are not so much 'new' roads as unfinished ones. East Sussex was not a priority for road building in the 1980s and '90s. As well as lacking a single inch of motorway, we have a grand total of 12 miles of dual carriageway. The A21 dual carriageway at Flimwell stops yards short of the East Sussex boundary; the A259 at East Guldeford narrows to half the width and turns at right angle as soon as it enters the county; while the DfT seems determined never to dual the A27 east of the Southerham Roundabout.

Let's not forget the global perspective. We do need to think about global warming and associated environmental issues. But let's have a sense of proportionality here too: We are talking about a measly three-and-a-half miles of single carriageway, which will pretty much have no long term effect on the Combe Haven SSI. Other countries in Europe, including our neighbours in Ireland, and many of the new EU entrants in eastern Europe have ongoing national programmes to construct hundreds of miles of new motorway. Many of these involve traversing countryside far more sensitive than the Weald. Even in the UK, there are motorways or trunk road across scenic areas such as the north Pennines, Shap and Dartmoor.

Our railway system in East Sussex is limited, while an unmodernised road network precludes the running of decent bus services. Other adjacent counties have better infrastructure, and are more prosperous. Hastings is a wonderful place, but if people cannot get here and away easily, it will never prosper. The Link Road could actually be part of the solution, with an adjacent cycle path, and it could also facilitate better and direct bus services both between north St Leonards/Conquest and Bexhill town centre, and between Sidley and Hastings/St Leonards. It will also remove many of the lorries travelling to and from the Bexhill and St Leonards industrial estates, from most residential areas, including Wishing Tree.

In neighbouring counties such as Kent, let alone other European countries, there wouldn't even be a debate about a small project such as this. It's surely time to put the Green Luddite perspective to bed.

RICHARD MADGE

College Road

No to parking meters here

I WRITE in response to your editorial regarding the possibility of parking meters in Bexhill (Observer, March 7) and endorse every word you wrote.

Bexhill may be almost unique in being a seaside town without parking meters, and long may it remain so. Apart from pre Christmas time one can usually find a parking spot near where one wants to shop, though Western Road does get congested when rubbish is being collected.

You mention the problems Eastbourne and Hastings have had with parking schemes and regeneration and I can only endorse what you say. For the past two years I have been Commodore of Hastings and St Leonards Sailing Club and we were greatly concerned when parking meters were proposed in our area. In the end the council have just paid 40,000 to employ consultants from London to tell them what most of us already knew. Unfortunately the "regeneration" of St Leonards has already removed a lot of parking from around the club, which can only have a detrimental impact on our activities this season and beyond.

It is difficult to find anyone who actually thinks the regeneration work in the seafront area has been an improvement. It is rather like the comments made here about the loss of road space in Devonshire Square, which still seems incomprehensible with no disabled parking in the immediate vicinity of the post office!

I do hope the Bexhill council will have the good sense to resist temptation and not try to fix something that ain't broke.

Whilst writing, in case you publish this, I must compliment our council upon getting the promenade cleared of beach stones the day after they were deposited there by the latest gale. I very much doubt, if previous experience prevails, that our neighbouring councils will be nowhere near so expeditious.

D. BOWLES

Dorset Road South

PS - I think it may be ominous that the re-painting of the angled parking lines on the seafront has stopped at the Sackville. Is this to save on the cost of re-marking when parking meters are installed from the Sackville to the Sailing Club or have they just run out of paint!

One million Iraqis have died

THE other day I read in a national newspaper that the Egyptian authorities are building a 10ft high concrete wall along the border with Gaza.

With also the 20ft Israeli 'security wall' in the West Bank and daily assaults, with an EU, US and Israeli blockade, what have the Palestinians done to deserve it? Or perhaps it's what those responsible hope to achieve. For European governments it expiates their guilt over the Jewish holocaust. For Arab regimes such as Egypt and Saudi Arabia it keeps them in with the Americans who supply them with military hardware to suppress their own people.

For the US it keeps the oil flowing and appeases the powerful Israeli lobby. For the UK it's all part of the Great Game: the fantasy whereby we kid ourselves we're still a 'world power'. For the Israelis it covers their tenuous Biblical claim to Palestinian lands.

Meanwhile Condaleeza Rice, the US Secretary of State, condemned an attack on a Jerusalem seminary saying that it "shocks the conscience of all peace-loving nations".

They didn't see it that way in Gaza. They cheered. I wonder why?

And, finally, while the idea of an 'Armed Forces Day' is being mooted, let us not forget the one million Iraqis who have died since their country was invaded by "peace-loving nations".

That's about 548 a day. You can hear a pin drop.

STEPHEN JACKSON

Second Avenue

Name 'em and shame 'em

TWO points - regarding the idiot who threw the firework into the school playground, I completely agree with the comments published in last week's Observer, but isn't it about time the system ended the ridiculous policy of not naming these people? Surely if they have been found guilty of perpetrating a crime they should be denied anonymity? I am getting fed up of reading about all kinds of crimes, some much worse than this particular one, undertaken by people "who cannot be named for legal reasons".

With regard to the possibility of on street parking charges being introduced to the town centre, I feel that it is not only traders the council needs to consult but also residents of adjoining streets. I live in Reginald Road and during the week and at weekends parking becomes very tight indeed due to shoppers and workers leaving their vehicles for several hours. If people are going to be charged for every hour they park in the town centre I can see that the situation will become worse in adjoining (residential) areas. I actually contacted East Sussex County Council several years ago about the possibility of introducing residents' permits and was told that it was a matter that might be investigated in the future; I haven't heard or read any more about this to date!

M.CHRISTIE,

Reginald Road

RAF reunions

IN April 2005 an historic ceremony took place unveiling a granite memorial at the gateway to St Eval Church.

Over 1000 aircrew and ground staff lost their lives at RAF St Eval between 1939-1959 whilst the station was operational. It was one of the largest operation stations during World War Two.

All ranks from RAF, WAAF and WRAF or next of kin who served at RAF St Eval are invited to join the RAF St Eval Coastal Command Association. We have two reunions every year, in April and September, and two newsletters, in January and July.

Information regarding the above from: Ray Massey on 01925 755556, Peter Salisbury on 01460 61291 or Ken Wilson on 01514 243263 or [email protected]

RAY MASSEY

Vice-chairman

RAF St Eval Coastal Command Association

Travel chaos

I LIVE in Cranfield Road - last week I had to go to the post office unfortunately I had no option but to take the car, my only way?!

Up Cranfield Road

Right Buckhurst Road

Right Sea Road

Right St Leonards Road

Left Devonshire Road

Right Parkhurst Road

Right Sackville Road

Right Western Road

Left Bollard Square!

Any comments - this is crazy.

J. CAMDEN-FIELD

Cranfield Road

Half Marathon thanks

I would like through your paper, on behalf of the Lions Club of Hastings, to say a big thank you to everyone who made Sunday's Hastings Half Marathon such a success. Although the weather was wet and cold, spectators still turned out in their hundreds to cheer the runners on. We know from the many comments and messages received from the runners that this is very much appreciated and helps to make the Hastings event the great race it is. I would also like to thank all the Marshals who every year give so freely of their time and this year made the task of manning the road junctions even easier. I must thank all the organisations who turned out to man our drink stations, the start and finish line personnel and also the Red Cross who do a grand job in the first aid tent and around the course. Neighbouring Lions Clubs members and local athletic clubs and organisations further enhance the event by giving their help in so many ways.

I must also thank all our sponsors who, without your help, there would be no race and making the event one of the top races for runners to participate in each year. We had nearly 5000 entrants this year of whom about a third have never run the course before.

Thank you runners for supporting our event, both this year and in other years, and we look forward to welcoming you again on March 15, 2009 for our special 25th Hastings Half Marathon.

Last, but not least, I must say a huge thank you to all the people in Hastings who every year put up with the inconveniences of the morning with very little complaint, managing their way around Hastings to avoid road closures and other hazards.

Please be generous in sponsoring those runners who are raising monies for local needy causes and charities.

On behalf of all members of the Lions Club of Hastings I thank you most sincerely for making the event such a success.

John Cattaway

President Hastings Lions Club

What an amazing event

ON behalf of the 118 Hastings Runners who participated in the 24th Hastings Half Marathon I write to thank the people.

Once again and despite the weather the support around the course was fantastic. It never ceases to amaze Hastings Runners just how strong and how lifting that support is. Well done Hastings.

Likewise our thanks, and for all runners, all participants, to the many marshalls, officials, first aiders, Scouts, Guides, et al for their great efforts. To the council, the sponsors and to Eric Hardwick MBE and his fellow Lions, a huge thank you. For the 118 Hastings Runners who finished this great run they were themselves a fine advert for running in Hastings, from the slow to the fast.

Next year? The 25th Hastings Half Marathon. Why not join in, become a Hastings Runner. Horntye Park Sports Complex is our home, all are welcome. Enquiries 719688/214541 or 426490.

Michael Hall

Chairman Hastings Runners