Letters - July 21, 2016

The South Promende, which Dr M Cohen says is incompatible with tall apartment buildings

South Shore and Clifton Drive is one of the more pleasant residential areas in this town. Here we enjoy the benefit of two-storey, relatively modern houses spaced at a civilised distance from each other. Sadly, most of Blackpool is blighted by old, dilapidated buildings and the resort has the unenviable record of suffering the highest population density in this country.

It is time for developers to curb their desire to squeeze more and more profit from ever more compacted and minuscule living units. Monstrously high buildings are incompatible with South promenade, where no existing buildings exceed four storeys. Blackpool does need to demolish unprofitable hotels, but let us grab the opportunity to replace them with decent two-storey detached family houses and reverse the mistakes of more than half a century.

One thing is certain, no developers, themselves, would agree to live next to the noisy, light blocking, constructions with dozens of overlooking windows that they dare to impose on us.

Dr M Cohen

Clifton Drive

South Shore

HEALTH

Hospital staff doing a marvellous job

Having just returned home after five days in Victoria Hospital, I felt I had to put pen to paper to praise the dedicated and hard working staff for looking after me. From the porters, student nurses, doctors, staff nurses and sisters and specialists, they are doing such a wonderful job to the sick and needy patients,they should be very proud of themselves.

I found the hospital to be extremely clean and nothing was too much to ask for, and they work so hard and yet they always have a smile.

I cannot understand why some people would prefer a private hospital when we have such a great hospital in Blackpool.

I would like to say thank you to everyone who looked after me in wards 19, 15B and the gastro enterology department.

Shak Khan

Mirfield Grove

Marton

POLITICS

New PM believes in building a better UK

John Appleyard (Your Say, Gazette, July 19) closes his stinging attack on new Prime Minister Theresa May saying working people can expect the same old Tory policies.

I’m sorry, but I’m a working person and so are the other many millions who vote Conservative, so I found that a rather insulting comment.

In the letter, Mr Appleyard dwells on Mrs May’s voting record. To me that is completely irrelevant, she is now Prime Minister and as such I will judge her on her actions in her new role not her past voting record. Also, for the record, I don’t recall there being an election when Gordon Brown was crowned as PM by Labour. There is no need or logical reason for an election. The Conservatives were elected to serve the country for a term in 2015 and so they shall remain.

Austerity is a necessary evil to stabilise our economy and the plan is working. The deficit is falling and the economy is growing. Theresa May, like me, is a One Nation Conservative, a label Ed Miliband rather amusingly tried to poach from us. She genuinely believes in building a better Britain for everyone and getting us out of the European Union.

I wish her all the best in her new journey as Prime Minister.

Councillor Christian Cox

Councillor for Squires Gate ward

EUROPE

Splits in the country a poor return to HM

Though not myself a passionate royalist, I do feel a tinge of sadness for the hard-working central members of the royal family, particularly the Queen herself.

After a lifetime of faithful and often uncomfortable service, she is faced with the disintegration of her once United Kingdom.

To celebrate her 90th birthday, the gift Her Majesty’s country thrusts upon her is Brexit.

Scotland and her Balmoral join the EU, Northern Ireland considers some sort of association with the south for the same purpose, and England and possibly Wales ‘Leave’ for an unknown destination.

It seems a poor return for so many years of such unhesitating fidelity to her coronation oath, doesn’t it?

And after all, where or what, ultimately, will she be Queen of?

Mark Jenkinson

via email

ROYALTY

Should we be paying royal travel costs?

Why should taxpayers be funding royal travel costs?

Surely they are wealthy enough in their own right to pay for every single journey they take?

Fifty seven trips at £10,000 each for them and their staff in 2015/16.

Prince Charles waffles on about carbon footprint – I say, put up and shut up and practice what you preach.

Mavis Harrison

Via email