Letters - August 10, 2016

Obviously it would go in the same direction the wind was blowing, so why were crowds still stood watching the dust cloud heading straight for them? Even the Gazette reporter filming it was adorned with a dust mask, knowing the consequences.

It proves that many are much more clueless than we envisaged, which is probably why 2.5 million people decided to watch the live coverage from the comfort of their PC’s, iPhones, etc, etc.

The story was deemed a success for the actual detonation procedure and not the spectacle, because after all it wasn’t a ticket event with a reserved seated area for council officials sat in a dust free zone!

Neither was it up to the council to put warnings in place when they surely thought that spectators would at least use common sense. But no, as in most things, they need to be hand held with someone appointed to have taken the initiative on the day and holler ‘RUN!’. Mind you, what’s the betting they’d have still stood there gawping!? (DUH).

Clifford Chambers

Ashton Road
Blackpool

TRANSPORT

Town is making a massive mistake

Blackpool was fortunate to receive more than £100m for the tramway upgrade in 2011. The Blackpool Promenade tram route survived the post-war closures of all UK municipal tram systems. Why? Because it had its own segregated track and was a tourist attraction. Why did Blackpool close its three remaining inland tram routes between 1961-1963? Simple answer, due to safety risks of operating on a shared road space and increasing traffic congestion. That was more than 50 years ago. Car usage has quadrupled since then.

Blackpool does not have the road infrastructure, and overall passenger usage, to justify the tramway extension along Talbot Road to North Station. Visitors would much rather arrive off the train and jump into a taxi and travel door to door to their hotels with luggage and push chairs etc. The tramway in its current form works well. It ain’t broken, don’t try and fix it.

Blackpool is a town that desperately needs a modern, purpose-built bus station, that compliments the impressive new fleet of buses. Yet up to £30m is to be spent on this ambitious 300m tramway extension and fancy tram stop that only a fraction of the local residents and businesses want to see go ahead.

Blackpool Council is facing unprecedented budget cuts. Surely that would mean priority decisions need to be made? How can a 300m inland tramway extension, delaying journey times and adding further traffic congestion, create ‘economic growth’?

It would seem by the confidence of those involved with this major project, pushing ahead with the tramway extension, it’s close to becoming a done deal. The corporate consultants who have been instructed and advised the council officials will be the only people to gain from this huge amount of public expenditure.

Councillors and council officials often receive some unfair ‘stick’ for their decisions some of which are for the good of the town. This decision will prove one of the biggest and most regretful mistakes since the closure of Central Train Station 50 years ago.

Stephen Pierre

via email

TRANSPORT

Better ways to spend this money

If the Department For Transport has £17m to £18m to spend on the North Station tramway extension, surely to improve transport in the area it would be better to spend this money on reopening the railway line from Poulton-le-Fylde to Fleetwood, or perhaps putting in a passing loop on the South Fylde line, or ideally, both.

Paul McKenna

Deerhurst Road

Thornton-Cleveleys

SPORT

Pride in my team 
has been stolen

I would like to wish Gary Bowyer and his team all the best for the season, but I can’t.

The Oystons have stolen something irreplaceable from me, my pride. I used to wear the badge with pride, now I cannot wear anything that associates me with them as I’m ashamed that I was part of this outrage, I gave them my money in all good faith, and look what they did with it.

It’s no good saying we can re-build, my pride cannot be rebuilt while the one who stole it is still in denial.

I need to regain some pride and be part of a system that values all; players and supporters alike; that is why, now after 55 years of loyalty to the Seasiders, I will now proudly say that I support AFC Blackpool.

Peter Holden

Speyside

Blackpool

GETTING ON

You’re certainly only as old as you feel

What does a certain age look like? When I tell people my age, they reply “You don’t look it!” Just how do some people know what a certain age looks like? I certainly don’t.

What does 50, 60, 70 look like? Could any Gazette reader educate me, with perhaps accompanying photos.

What age does Joan Collins look like?

Kevin Gooder

Clinton Avenue

Blackpool