Letters - April 4, 2017

Although I appreciate the need for these charity events, as a resident of Lawson Road I was amazed by the chaos caused by drivers during Saturday’s event.

With cars parked down both sides of the road, at one point the traffic was at a complete stand off with cars driving in single file refusing to move one way or another. One car took it upon themselves to pull up my drive and drive along the grass verge and pavement to avoid the hold up. This could have been disastrous with pedestrians, including young children making their way to the event.

I think in the future either the road should be blocked off or traffic management should be available during the hours of such events.

Concerned resident

Lawson Road

Marton

TRANSPORT

Problem with buses
gets even worse

I recently wrote a letter of complaint about Blackpool Transport Department when the number 10 bus was 25 minutes late at my Watson Road stop.

Now, after Rob Stocks’ article in The Gazette, I’ve had to scrap that and am replacing it with one of an even more serious complaint. Because of yet more trouble with United Utilities and their sewer work, the number 10 bus is being axed.

We have only just got over the previous situation of no buses in Watson Road, for weeks now and there’s an even worse inconvenience.

Blackpool Transport’s marketing manager, Shane Grindy, says passengers in Watson Road, will have to walk no more than 400 metres. This is rubbish!

I would get a number 10 at the end of my avenue, to get to Waterloo Road - and this more like a mile and more - and even more of a drawback to disabled people, who like me, are still recovering from the latest upheaval.

Surely it is not beyond the organisational capabilities of the transport dept to give us a replacement for the axed number 10 to cover Highfield and Watson roads to Waterloo Road/Lytham Road shopping centre.

Remember we are also paying an increased council tax to cover extra services.

Neil Kendall

Stamford Avenue

South Shore

PRAISE

Tower Circus show is credit to our town

Having visited the 2017 opening of the blackpool tower Circus Show on saturday, i must say how fantastic this year’s show is.

Last year’s 25th anniversary show was a hard act to follow. But in my opinion this is one of, if not the best, show in 26 years.

And all credit must go to director Lazi Endesz Snr and his family for all the hard work they put in getting the world’s best circus entertainers to perform at the tower circus to astound and amaze us with their acts. Also never forgetting the two clowns mooky and mr boo who bring fun and laughter to the show. And the circus show girls who add a touch of glamour.

And not to forget the very talented david windle and his circus show band. How many shows these days use top class live bands?

Also the circus host and MC james who does a fantastic job.

This is a must-see Blackpool show for families young and old alike. This circus is a great asset to this wonderful resort of ours.

In ending i would like to recommend that our queen should include the endresz family in the honours list for service through out the years in first class entertainment and tourism.

Steve james

Briarfield

Bispham

EDUCATION

Cuts will end in loss of experienced staff

I think it is disgusting the cuts in funding for teaching assistants in schools.

I was a victim of one of these restructures in a school last summer, after working in a primary school for 21 years. I was prepared to reduce my hours but not go from my L3 qualified hourly rate of pay to L2. I’m a single parent and could not have afforded to run my home with the drop in hours AND drop in hourly rate of pay! These schools are going to end up losing some of their most valuable and experienced members of staff if they’re not careful!

I am lucky, I have gained employment since, where I feel I am now valued.

Name and address supplied

FRACKING

Cuadrilla should pay policing bill at site

Instead of demanding that the government pay the costs of policing the shale gas development at Preston New Road, why doesn’t Clive Grunshaw, the Police and Crime Commissioner, send an invoice to Francis Egan, chief executive of Cuadrilla, in Preston?

After all, it was Cuadrilla that inspired the protests with what we now know to be: misleading information in their leaflets; trespassing on private land, damaging property and, for some, ruining our cherished Queen’s Jubilee celebrations during their seismic testing, and; failing to report their fracking well deformation for six months following the 2011 earthquakes.

Cuadrilla’s failures - after they were unable to justify their misleading claims to the Advertising Standards Authority in 2012 – were followed by the government warning them that such issues strengthened the then nascent national campaign against shale gas exploration – so why not make them pay?

Florence Locke

Blackpool

CORRECTION

In Tuesday’s Gazette we published a letter under the headline ‘Speed limit change sets precedent’.

We incorrectly attributed the letter to Florence Locke. It was in fact written by Richard Caunce.

We would like to apologise for the error.