Letters - February 20, 2017

The NHS Reinstatement Bill has a second reading in parliament on Friday.

This proposed regulation to end the effects of austerity and privatisation of the NHS is so important.

Andrew Lansley’s Health and Social Care Act laid the ground for the privatisation of our cherished NHS after decades of cuts and private sector outsourcing. This makes the NHS Reinstatement bill most timely and important as the privatisation of our NHS could see the Government out of office, even if it does try to cut and run, with a general election.

Many Tory voters are turned off voting tory with Osborn and Hammond’s austerity.

If the petition to stop Trump gets nearly two million signatures in a matter of weeks, surely the petition to defend our most loved NHS and public services can gain many more. Visit NHS bill 2015.org

Jeremy Corbyn has pledged to nationalise the NHS so there is plenty to fight for all. 
Royston Jones

Via email

HOUSING

Do the views of local people matter at all?

Throughout last year, residents in Thornton fought to prevent Wain Homes being given outline permission to build on green fields next to the River Wyre estuary site of special scientific interest.

In spite of that, planning officers recommended that it be passed, disregarding the effect all the hundreds of additional vehicles would have on an already congested road and the additional load it would place on local schools already close to at capacity. They also ignored the effect these houses would have, sited as they would be yards from the protected country park.

Despite the recommendation of planning officers the application was refused by Wyre Planning Committee. Wain went to appeal and an Inspector from hundreds of miles away approved the development.

Now Wain are applying to commence their desecration of our green field .

Their only interest is in profit!

As a sop to the objections about traffic congestion they have submitted a ‘traffic plan’ which among other things claims that the local library and post office are within easy walking distance.

We wonder which planet they are on as both the library and the post office to which they refer no longer exist.

It must be said that in all this saga, local district councillors have been noticeable only by their anonymity.

The latest Wain application has now been presented to the council and it is rumoured that it will be decided under what is called ‘delegated powers’.

That means the ratepayer will have no say in the matter and it will be decided by the very individuals who have taken it upon themselves to nurture Wain for the past two years.

Local ratepayers (who are actually their employers) are left wondering to whom these local planning officers owe their loyalty – the ratepayer or the developer

Is this an example of the Democracy of which this country boasts?

Despairing grandparent

FRACKING

In answer to your question David...

David Haythorntwaite (Letters, February 15) asks where I got the information that the police were too stretched by their duties at Saturday football matches to provide cover at the Preston New Road fracking site. I’m very happy to oblige.

It was one of the Police Community Liaison Officers at Preston New Road who told me that the Lancashire Constabulary were too stretched to be able to both police local football matches (he mentioned Mill Farm) and provide a presence at the fracking site on Saturdays. Not all of the local teams play home or away at the same time, so the fact that David’s team may have been away being given a drubbing by Salford on the day he passed by doesn’t mean the police weren’t needed at another local club.

If this isn’t one of the reasons why Lancashire Constabulary are not able to police the Preston New Road site, I’m sure they will be happy to clarify that for both of us. Perhaps David should ask them?

Does David’s grouchy response to me mean that he won’t be joining us for coffee and cake at Maple Farm on Saturday between 11am and 2pm to learn a bit about fracking? That’s a great shame, but never mind - everybody else is welcome!

John
 Hobson

Address supplied

FINANCES

Sometimes 
less is more

I don’t like to read stories about children being brought up in poverty.

It upsets me, it would anyone with a heart.

Life is very expensive.

Bringing children up is a serious financial commitment that will last for many many years.

I just think that sometimes having children when there’s not much money about is not a good idea. Yes, you could be working, but if you lose your job and you have children, making ends meet will be hard.

Yet how many times do we hear of families on benefits with several kids that are struggling?

I have only the one child.

He’s not spoilt by any means but looking after him to a decent standard is by no means cheap.

I stuck at only one as I knew any more – even with two incomes – and paying nearly £200 a week nursery fees and everything else, it wasn’t worth the financial struggle.

Maybe less is more.

Name and 
address supplied