Chester Chronicle letters

Oct 17 2003 Daily Post

I ENJOYED reading last week's The Chronicle regarding the issue of traffic problems in Chester.

I do not drive and when I went to town last Saturday with my friend Lisa in her car, I was surprised at the lack of car parking spaces and the expense of car parks, especially in the city centre. It points to the over-abundance of cars in Chester.

Recently my partner and I went to Penrith in the Lake District. This little town was pretty but had a steady stream of traffic through it, even in the evening, which spoiled the whole effect.

It seems that almost everywhere you go cars are over-populating roads, with congestion problems and environmental consequences.

At one stage I wanted to drive, but now - even though it can be limiting for me - I am glad I don't. People who do not drive are not adding any problems to our over-burdened streets, towns and cities; as well as small villages which have been taken over by traffic.

I am fully supportive of alternative modes of transport and improving public transport - ie taking tips from certain European countries. I also find walking to be a healthy alternative, which a lot of people these days do not seem accustomed to due to cars.

For anyone interested in protecting our environment, please come along to Friends of the Earth meetings at Ye Olde Custom House, Watergate Street, Chester, on the third Tuesday of each month at 7.45pm.

AMANDA BELGEONNE

AGAIN the dramatic picture showing the result of the collision of two motor vehicles on the roads of the Wirral features in our local newspapers.

It may be that the highway in some cases is a major contributory factor in road accidents; but it should be realised that the modern family conveyance is considerably more powerful in 2003, and it very easy to be travelling at high speed in a quiet warm environment without the driver realising it.

It may be that manufacturers should incorporate an audio warning sound when the road speed exceeds a certain level in the modern car.

A local road, however, still appears to not give advance warning to drivers of danger ahead - I refer to the notorious crossroads of the Thornton Common Road and Willaston Road.

It would seem that, despite crashes at this junction, no sign on the approach from the Willaston direction on the B5151 that a crossroad junction is ahead has been installed. Does someone have to die before a sign is thought necessary?

STANLEY ALLAN Thornton Hough, Chester

THE prospect of further large increases in Council Tax is a blow to all elderly people living on a fixed income. But it is especially unfair to those in private sheltered housing, since they place little burden on publicly funded local services.

As the provider of two-thirds of Britain's private retirement homes, we are constantly reminded by our residents of the inequality of local taxes.

Looking at the principal areas of council-funded activity:

Police: Crime is almost non-existent in sheltered housing schemes. Careful design and advanced security systems reduce the likelihood of burglary or attempted break-in by a factor of 16.5 times compared to a conventional property.

Fire: Call-outs are rare and serious fires even more unusual, thanks to state-of-the-art fire protection and alarm systems in modern sheltered housing.

Education: At the age of 70, 80, 90... limited demand.

Highways: The great majority of our residents have given up driving and the convenient central location of most developments minimises the need for travel.

Refuse collection: An elderly person in their own sheltered flat generates a tiny amount of waste compared with the typical household. Collection is as efficient as can be, usually from a bay where the refuse of several dozen flats is brought together. Hence, typically 45 to 50 homes are serviced at the same time.

Social services: Many of our residents find that their health and wellbeing improves when they move to sheltered accommodation thanks to the companionship of like-minded neighbours, reduced worry and stress, a warm and comfortable environment, and the emergence of mutual support systems.

Recent research has shown that our residents spend half as much time in hospital as the average of people aged 75-plus.

They are not taking space at council-provided residential homes and rarely need, or ask for, home helps or social worker visits.

There is hardly a corner of life where the older person's demand for council services is not reduced or even eliminated when taking private sheltered accommodation. Yet they are being forced to shoulder a rise in local taxes identical to those of people whose lives virtually revolve around council provision.

Let's not forget they have also paid taxes for perhaps half a century - often asking for little in return.

We all accept that taxes are not based on the principle of paying only for what you use. But in the case of older people who have sensibly made plans for a independent retirement, the balance is too great to ignore.

It is time the Government - which is largely to blame for shifting some of its financial problems on to town halls - woke up to this gross inequality.

KEITH LOVELOCK Chairman, McCarthy & Stone plc, Altrincham

THE British Polio Fellowship would like to say a big thank you to the people of Neston for their marvellous support of this year's flag day on October 10.

A total of £350 was collected and all the money will be used to help our victims of polio.

The British Polio Fellowship was the first organisation of disabled people in the United Kingdom and for more than sixty years has cared for polio sufferers.

Many people will remember the terrible outbreaks of this dreadful disease, when swimming pools and social centres were closed each summer as thousands of new cases of polio were reported.

After often a lifetime of disability, many polio sufferers are experiencing new symptoms, sometimes these are referred to as the late effects of polio or Post Polio Syndrome and it is not age-related.

There are many thousands of Polio sufferers in the United Kingdom, with Wirral and Cheshire having their share. They will need a lot of care and support in the future.

The work of The British Polio Fellow-ship is therefore as extensive and important as ever. If you would like to join the fellowship, learn more about their work or make a donation, please contact them at Eagle Office Centre, The Runway, South Ruislip HA4 6SE, telephone 0800 018 0586, fax 020 8842 0555, or e-mail info@britishpolio.org

GRAHAM COX Local volunteer fundraiser, Gayton

A BARRISTER, Leolin Price, has produced a paper examining the draft European Constitution (source: www.brugesgroup.com).

He points to the quotation from Thucydides that introduces the draft constitution: 'Our Constitution is called a democracy because power is in the hands not of a minority but of the whole people.'

As Mr Price says, 'pretence is thus prominently placed at the very beginning of this fascinatingly undemocratic document'. He goes on to describe the draft constitution as a pretentious, massively complex and frightening document, an 'integrationist manifesto' bestowing ever greater powers upon a controlling elite.

It is very unlikely that this draft will be changed materially during the inter-governmental talks currently under way, and Mr Blair intends to sign us all up for this in 2004, without so much as asking.

Never has the EU given up powers once taken and its reform is not possible from within.

The UK Independence Party (www.ukip.org) is the only national political party campaigning for the UK to withdraw from the EU, and for a Europe of independent nations, co-operating and trading freely. The alternative is sleepwalking to disaster.

DAVID SCOTT Chester

THE Home Office is prepared to spend £20m to combat violence, anti-social behaviour and crime in England's largest cities.

At last the problem has been recognised. Now is the time for action to be taken in this city. 'Scally rule' prevails and they go about their daily and nightly task of drug dealing, arson, robbing, mugging and rape. They leave their mark everywhere, with a bit of bus shelter and phone box-smashing on the way.

These activities are all well-documented by the police, but it is left to the citizens to protect themselves and their property as best they can.

It's about time the council took the initiative and looked for ways of addressing these problems. The infamous under passes. The alley ways, which would be more appropriately called Scallyways, that are highways of crime. These are all identifiable and action needs to be taken to seal them off, allowing access to residents only.

The issue of Rights of Way are secondary to community safety. After all, the Duke of Westminster had no problems closing a city centre street to build a shopping centre and that was for pure financial gain.

JOHN FERNYHOUGH Edwards Road, Chester