Letters - March 7, 2018

Let me get this straight. The council (with the help of Lancashire Enterprise Partnership) is proposing to make grants of up to 95 per cent to certain shop owners, in the town centre, to fund improvements the appearance of their rundown shop fronts (The Gazette, February 22).

In other words, those business owners who have acted responsibly and maintained the appearance of their properties - at their own expense - will miss out.

But those business owners who have not invested in maintaining the appearance of their premises, and allowed their properties to deteriorate, will be able to get them fixed up at taxpayers’ expense.

This seems to me to be rewarding bad business practice. It is also a kick in the teeth for those businesses owners who have used their own money to help improve the appearance of Blackpool town centre.

And it doesn’t take a genius to see that much of the town centre shabbiness is caused by empty properties, which will not be affected by the council’s proposals.

The council’s time and money would be better spent in attracting new businesses to fill the mass of empty shops in the town centre, including those units at 1 Bickerstaffe Square which have been empty since 2014.

L Amiss

Carlyle Avenue
South Shore

SOCIETY

I can only be careful so far in these times

As an octogenarian I am constantly advised to take care, especially when out and about.

For instance, from an early age and still practised, I look left, right and left again before crossing a road. Whilst walking on the pavement I keep a wary eye on uneven flags (as motorists watch for pot holes, but that’s a whole different story).

But all too prevalently, in this day and age, the pedestrian has other worries. Of late, there have been instances of car drivers, either under the influence of drink or drugs, others dealing with mobile phones, under age inexperienced kids behind the wheel, and the outcome has frequently been the same - they leave the road and the pedestrian has no chance.

In addition to this, there are the mentally sick individuals wandering the streets and, like in a recent incident (due to hearing voices in his head), an ex soldier, 24, turned on a pensioner walking his dogs and practically decapitated him.

So much for we elderly, but anyone else advised to take care.

In my view, it’s those aware of the mentally deranged keeping stricter controls, or the police being more alert to the citizens not fit to be behind the wheels of vehicles, so that safety of the rest of us can be maintained.

Neil Kendall

Stamford Avenue
South Shore

BREXIT

The will of the people? Think again


I write from the South West after viewing yet another BBC 1, Question Time, this time coming from Blackpool.

From the outset, English people largely, are the least politically educated, motivated, or interested, in the Western World, which brings me to my point concerning this week’s Question Time, and the issue of Brexit.

The fact is that David Cameron had this EU referendum vote to appease the EU sceptics in his party. This vote was not for the good of the country.

As a regular viewer of Question Time, to my knowledge this point has never been raised by the panellists, and it should be...

When our politicians say that Brexit is the will of the British people, think again.

Some 16,141, 241 people voted remain, 17, 410, 742 people voted leave, and 12, 948 018, did not vote. Over 28,000 people did not vote to leave, and the turn-out was 72.2 per cent. As in general elections, a minority is able to decide for the majority.

In my view Brexit voters largely voted on the anti immigration and anti immigrant’s ticket, and their vote was based on lies and misinformation from the UKIP.

Now that the consequences of leaving the EU are more wildly known, and consequently understood and appreciated, it is essential that a second vote is held so that people can make an informed decision about whether they want to remain in the EU or not?

To quote pro-European Tory heavyweight Michael Heseltine, the British people have been sold a deceitful pup.

This is why we must have a second referendum so people are able to make an informed decision.

Please go to this link and sign my online petition for another EU vote. https://you.38degrees.org.uk/petitions/a-second-eu-referendum

If anybody wishes to debate this issue with me, my email address is included in this letter, [email protected].

Michael Thompson

Devon