Chester Chronicle letters

Oct 1 2004 Daily Post

I MOVED up to from the south to the Chester area twenty eight years ago. I love the City of Chester and wouldn't wish to live anywhere else.

I have seen a lot of changes in that time, some good, some bad and so I am writing to tell you how I feel about the proposed replacement building that would take the place of the police HQ.

I think it is very exciting, quite spectacular. I love the design, all that light and space and the views from the circular building would be amazing. This is a building that Chester could be really proud of especially as it was designed by a local architect.

If only McBormick Architecture had had the opportunity to design the new council offices as well, perhaps a lot of local people would have been delighted rather than dismayed with the re-development of their city.
LINDA BARNARD Berkley Drive Belgrave Park Chester

OF course the council should listen to the electorate re-planning concerning the Glass House etc. I do agree that a Chronicle campaign would be a good idea but would anything be done about the result?

Carol Ellis (September 10 page 4) is lucky that it was a catalogue that fell upon her not a sheet of glass from the proposed Gorse Stacks development, as I was informed last week that an all glass council building 'Stetherington' House, Bletchley, has had to be cordoned off to protect the public from falling glass.

'Residents near Gorse Stacks, see to your insurance'.
ANNE STUART SAUGHALL

I THINK the plans for the new police headquarters look fabulous, exciting and innovative unlike the proposed and opposed new council headquarters.
LIZ EVANS Ashton Hayes Chester.

THE Burns Report on 'Hunting with dogs' of a few years ago told us that between 6,000 and 8,000 people are directly and indirectly employed in this foxhunting business.

The same report also told us that hunting with dogs killed between 21,000 and 23,000 foxes a year.

Simple mathematics tells us, therefore, that each person employed for a wage in this business is, effectively, responsible for the dispatch of just three foxes each year.

Excuse me? A man or woman is employed for a year and the end product is just three foxes killed?

Given a middling salary of around £25,000 a year (many of these people are employed in highly-skilled jobs), we spend around £175 million a year to see off 22,000 foxes: around £8,000 a fox. Does a fox kill reared animals and birds to the extent of £8,000 a year? I think not.

These figures expose fox-hunting for what it is : it's a form of leisure and pleasure, purely and simply, and no amount of emotional dressing-up by 'country-folk' will alter that fact.

If the fox was the pest that we are led to believe it is, farmers would not rely on such an inefficient method of getting rid of it. In fact, the fox would have been exterminated long ago. And we could then think of a much better way to spend £175 million a year.
PETER BARNARD Orchard Cottage Dodleston Lane Pulford Chester

WHAT depresses me most about hunting with dogs is that so-called sportsmen (and women) get pleasure from the hounding of foxes, stags and hares to death.

This is barbarous and belongs to a bygone age.

But what interests me is the failure of our Parliament to handle issues which are deeply felt by a significant minority effectively.

I remember in the past when certain counties in Wales were dry on a Sunday. Allowing local democracy to decide for its area whether to ban hunting with dogs would reflect more closely the wishes of local communities.

In due course regional assemblies could help here if they ever become established and have the necessary powers. However there could be unfortunate consequences. Once again would certain councils dare to reintroduce bear baiting, cock fighting and all the other could cruel sports?

Perhaps there is something to be said after all for the tyranny of the majority.

I wish the fox, stag and hare a happy and peaceful future.
DAVID CHALLEN Cliveden Road Chester

SO tip-toe Tony has finally made it and we have at last a hunting ban.

It is to be hoped it will be enforced with all the vigour that was employed during the miners' strike and at the very least similar resources will be employed.

For instance aren't those who say they will ignore the ban guilty of even worse excesses of cruelty than that involved in their day-to-day pleasures?

You see to hunt they will need hounds and under the ban breeding of hounds will be wound down. Are they saying they will continue to breed hounds knowing full well they will have a very limited life span? Not only a serious offence but a deeply cruel one. From where I stand a not unexpected attitude.
ALEX WOODS Great Barrow Chester

IN RESPONSE to allegations made by Cllr Mike Jones in The Chronicle 24 September, I will deal with one issue only and that relates to the future development of the Northgate car park.

I have not, at any time, said I am supporting the sale of the Northgate car park to the West Cheshire College.

I have been quite clear in stating that my personal preference for the use of this land would be for affordable housing.

I also wrote to all the residents of the Northgate Village last May pointing out that 'it is inevitable that this land will be redeveloped at some stage in one way or another and it is, therefore, doubly important that any such development is not to the detriment of local residents.'

However, the residents and I accept it is possible that this land could be sold, or leased, to the College of FE. We also believe that if this happens there will be major problems with students trying to park their cars in the residential area.

I have discussed this at length with elected officers of the Residents' Association and I have also met the Principal of the College, at her invitation, to discuss these fears. I also made them quite clear at a recent pre-application presentation, by the architect and deputy principal, to the Planning Board.

In my letter to residents I promised them that 'in conjunction with the City Council and the College there will be a meeting to which all residents - and other interested parties - will be invited.'

Both the principal and the principal planning officer involved in discussions are agreeable to a meeting at the right time.

I will not respond to any other points of Cllr Jones' letter as I have no desire to be associated with his denigration of our MP and the promotion of any other prospective parliamentary candidate.
GWYNETH COOPER Councillor - City & St Anne's Ward 43 Balmoral Park Chester