Letters - Wednesday February 3, 2021

Following on from the letter (Your Say, February 1) dredging is part of the answer to the flooding issues.

The problem has been brought about by the Government’s austerity measures. This caused other regular work to be stopped such as clearing the drains.

In the autumn of 2019 Dinmore Avenue was resurfaced. I spoke to the workmen as they raised metalwork ready for resurfacing and I said, “Will you be clearing the drains afterwards?”

The reply was: “That is not down to us but they should do! The majority are blocked!”

If the drains are not kept clear then the water cannot get away. We saw the recent success in Hebden Bridge during the last period of heavy rain. As they prepared the flood defences they also cleared all the drains as soon as flood warning came out. This time they escaped the flooding.

Councils need to restore this service as soon as possible.

One other area that needs attention is the building of houses on ‘flood plains’. These are called flood plains for a reason and some green belt areas need to remain green belt.

Terry Bennett

Blackpool

virus

I may have had Covid in 2019

In reply to Albert Moffitt (Did I suffer from long-Covid in 2019? Your Say, February 2).

I came home from my daughter’s on Boxing Day 2019.

As I walked through my front door I felt really strange and wanted to go to bed straight away.

It was only 7pm but I couldn’t function properly.

I stayed there for over a week, coughing a lot and taking paracetamol and Strepsils. I eventually phoned the doctor and was given antibiotics over the phone.

I was so tired but a friend made me drinks and food if I wanted but I never went downstairs for nearly two weeks. I also think this could have been Covid and I “self isolated” all the time.

When I spoke to the doctor again when Covid was announced, he said I couldn’t have had it at Christmas but I was never examined.

I am also still tired all the time and I’m now 70.

Sue Hutton

via email

Housing

Flooding letter left me confused

With respect to Peter Muller, (Your Say, February 1) he lost me in his first sentence: A cubic metre of concrete weighs around two and a half two times more than water.

Sadly, he misses out on the fact that we have flood plains that are not helped by building on concrete.

Hopefully we can overcome flooding by building properties above river levels. This might not be aesthetic to some, but may be essential in time to come.

Mike Marlow

via email

virus

Why turn vaccines into a political row?

Why do the EU persist in trying to turn their inadequate ordering of coronavirus vaccine into a political row with the UK who had the foresight to order a supply of vaccines three whole months before the European Commission got their act into gear?

This is purely a commercial matter. After all, if you ordered furniture three months after someone else, you wouldn’t expect your delivery to be prioritised. So glad I voted leave in 2016.

Hilary Andrews

via email

Politics

Boris can go to Scotland if he likes

Well done to Boris Johnson for exercising his right to visit Scotland for whatever reason whenever he likes.

As he says, Scottish devolution was very badly organised by John Major, Tony Blair and Gordon Brown. What a trio!

I am sure Boris will reform the Barnett Formula when the pandemic is more in control with more favourable terms to England.

Basil Smith

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