Letters - August 22, 2019

The tragic news that a child has fallen from the window of a Blackpool hotel is disturbing, not just because the child has suffered serious injuries, but because it implies that the local authority is NOT doing its job.

The Building Regulations, Section K2, Prevention of Falls, clearly and unambiguously requires that ALL windows above ground floor level MUST have opening lights restricted to a maximum opening of 100mm.

So why has Blackpool Council not enforced this statutory instrument? As this requirement has existed since the 1970s, it would be difficult to make a case they do not have sufficient staff to have got round to it.

And, more to the point, as hotels are also subject to environmental health regulation, and, if they are being used for ‘social housing’ – subject to social services regulation, as ‘houses of multiple occupation’ – why have none of these departments’ inspectors noticed this breach of regulations?

Who are the named officers responsible for these departments, and which council committee chairman has personal responsibility, and thus liability for these departments and their shortcomings?

Ian McNicholas

via email

ENVIRONMENT

Fracking news needs checking

Hidden away on page 7 of today’s Blackpool Gazette is this article by Tim Gavell (Campaigners’ fears over frack tremors, Gazette, August 20) which surely warrants both a front

page headline and a

‘fake news’ type of editorial check.

My reasons being that well before the article was published, sometime overnight Monday, the British Geological Survey list of fracking induced earthquakes around the Cuadrilla fracking site, since fracking resumed last Thursday at Preston New Road, numbered not 17 but a ridiculous 24, PLUS yet another 14 recorded and published online this morning!

Not only that, but to actually publish pro-fracking propaganda from the Government controlled Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy stating that raising the TLS of earthquake monitoring, which is itself suspect due to response times, COULD BE SAFE is seriously negligent and disrespectful to the residents of the Fylde who purchase the Blackpool Gazette!

This article, corrected accordingly for truth and accuracy, with pro-fracking propaganda removed, should be front page headlines in the Gazette!

Peter K Roberts

Clifton Avenue

Warton

Tim Gavell writes: The number of fracking tremors at the time of publication was accurate at 17. This figure was updated online later. Responsible journalists must balance their articles, where practicable within the time constraints, with input from both sides of a contentious issue. We get complaints from pro-fracking groups, too, for allegedly having unbalanced articles.

SPORT

Local radio should back local team

Regarding local media coverage of Blackpool’s games, I was disappointed, as no doubt are a lot of Blackpool fans, that Radio Wave is no longer doing commentaries on the matches.

I have said so to their office, but they don’t seem to be bothered too much.

Because the club has been through a lot of hassle over the years, I thought that they would carry on with their support and promote them further through the season, as they are doing well at the moment.

Is it not possible to put the case forward to them that it would be very welcome to support them again?

I think that the fact that Blackpool FC are the local side and the Wave is the only station in the resort it is disappointing they are not doing so.

Graham J Sharples

via email

WASTE

Put rubbish in the bin, not on the road

When you’re driving around and you pass a McDonald’s takeaway bag in the middle of the road, where some idiot has slung it out the window of a moving car, and you have nearly a full order of food for 10ft, it’s disgusting.

They wouldn’t do it at home, would they? So, why do it outside? It makes my blood boil. They need to learn to use the bin.

Name and address supplied