Letters - August 16, 2017

Is it not time for those responsible for running Blackpool Council to consider their positions in their deplorable efforts in decision making regarding numerous projects?

The latest is, of course, being the museum. The council was aware from day one that this project would become yet another white elephant perpetrated by a council which is clearly not fit for purpose.

This should happen immediately before the result of the ridiculous tramway extension considered by the present government is announced

I’ve given up trying to predict what any political party is likely to do but facts are facts. The previous inland tramways were abandoned because of the congestion caused all over Blackpool as the amount of traffic increased. Quote from the 1950s/ 1960s, “The main reason for closures was traffic congestion!”

When Joe Franklin became general manager in 1954 he shocked the Transport Committee by stating, -“Street routes would have to go and that the department was making a loss.”

In 1959 the council wished to abandon the North Station route due to congestion at the terminus. The survival of the system can be attributed to the remaining tramway being separated from the road. Blackpool Council has stated that congestion can be managed but they don’t explain how.

The Flexity 2 Trams have little or no facilities for even a few items of luggage .Any luggage which is deposited in aisles would be refused entry under Blackpool Transports own regulations regarding health,safety and fire.

Even if this project were to go ahead it would be a disaster for Blackpool. All the above doesn’t even take into account numerous unnecessary projects(hotels) being planned all over town and the obvious extra congestion this will cause.

Maybe shutting Blackpool down for four or five years is the answer! That was a joke but it could actually happen. Perhaps the new conference hall will be permanently full and will save Blackpool from impending doom.

We cannot afford to have this present council running our town and they cannot have any excuses for consistent expensive failures as they were pre-warned.

Jack Gledhill

Blackpool

POLICE

Set up an Army camp at shale site

Here’s an idea. Why doesn’t Lancashire Police and Crime Commisioner Clive Grunshaw request the military come and assist with the policing of the protesters?

The army could set up a camp on the drill site and treat it as an exercise thus releasing the much needed police officers back to their normal duties. The soldiers could do so many weeks at a time then change units for another period.

Let’s start getting this disruption sorted out, especially when you read that the protesters don’t care if emergency vehicles, using blue lights, are held up by their actions according to a police statement.

It might help if these work shy wasters had all their benefits stopped instead of the government giving them the money to fund their actions in a roundabout way.

Name and address supplied

PROTEST

Keep up protests

As multiple planning condition breaches continue to occur daily, facilitated by Lancashire Constabulary and ignored by Lancashire County Council, I must ask your readers, for the sake of their physical and mental well-being, to Google the two separate words fracking and health together.

Armageddon is sadly approaching the residents of the Fylde Peninsula and the majority don’t want to know!

However, if we take action now this can be stopped. Write to your MP, write to your Prime Minister, write to Lancashire County Council and its new Tory leader Geoff Driver.

A word of caution, though, none of the above will work, they constitute a large part of the problem.

Only numbers will stop this insanity, numbers at the fracking site, numbers at County Hall, numbers at the Judicial Reviews in London, numbers at the House of Parliament.

Join me at these locations asap if you need to abandon your cozy life and head for the hills!

Peter K Roberts

Warton

FRACKING

Time to crackdown on demonstrations

Enough is enough... the disruption caused by anti- fracking protesters on the A583 Preston New Road has got to be stopped !

No matter what your opinion of shale gas exploration, there is no excuse for despicable damaging tactics of these mindless activists who have taken to the main carriageway to completely close the road on no less than six occasions.

Peaceful protest is fine but should be kept on the roadside and verges. What we have witnessed over the past few weeks with these repeated ‘ lock-ons ‘ is blatantly unlawful and it is not just Cuadrilla but also the local residents and regular commuters who are suffering on a daily basis.

Yes the police are doing a superb job - but surely more robust action is needed now to keep the public highway open.

Lytham resident

name and address supplied

SEAGULLS

People are real seagull problem

It is a natural law, and fact, that seagulls are sea birds - their webbed feet are vital clues and evidence - and Blackpool is a seaside resort.

Added to foxes and badgers, do we add gulls, to satisfy human blood lust, as a killing machine against other creatures?

Human behaviour has probably influenced the beautiful, canny gulls to swoop and steal ie “adaptive behaviour”.

Human beings adapt and eat indoors!

Susan Barker

Layton