Letters - January 24, 2018

I fully understand Tony Banks’ decision to halt planned investment in The Ruskin Hotel in Albert Road, because of the poor state of the former Grosvenor Hotel next door (as reported in The Gazette on January 19).

He is the sort of entrepreneur that Blackpool council should be supporting rather than undermining by its lack of action.

The picture you printed of the Grosvenor was shocking and I have to wonder just how long the appearance of the building has been allowed to deteriorate in order for it to get to a state like that?

It’s not very reassuring to hear a spokesman for Blackpool council say that enforcement action had been taken against the owners of the Grosvenor in July 2017 but the order had not been complied with. Why has the council not followed this up? Six months have passed and nothing has happened.

The council is paying millions of pounds in interest on money borrowed to fund, what many consider to be, its ‘vanity projects’ and yet it seems not to be taking some of the basic steps to improve the appearance of Blackpool and support its local businesses. Can’t councillors like Simon Blackburn see what’s going on in Blackpool town centre?

L Amiss

Carlyle Avenue
South Shore

DEVELOPMENT

Traffic is issue with new McDonald’s

Regarding the plans for 
Mcdonald’s at Morrisons Cleveleys, I personally have no objections to this as I believe it will create jobs.

However for me the issue is the amount of extra vehicles. I use Morrisons and it is a nightmare trying to leave, watch for a gap and go for it, which of course will only get worse. I think that Morrisons and Mcdonald’s should pay to have traffic lights installed at that roundabout.

R.Watson

Fleetwood

DEVELOPMENT

We still have lace curtains and kippers

What attracts us to Cleveleys once a week all year is the small shops, like in Lytham.

The small shops are important, we have to keep in contact with the shopkeeper. It is of crucial psychological importance to some people especially the elderly like us - we still have lace curtains and eat kippers.

The shopkeeper always has a conversation ‘how are you today Mrs Brown?’, and we have a chat to the shop assistants. When we go into shops in Cleveleys we are recognised. What Cleveleys needs, like in Blackpool, is more small shops to fill the empty ones.

As for the McDonald’s plan for Cleveleys, it will be decided upon by the officials and residents of Cleveleys.

Pat O’Connor

Blackpool

ENVIRONMENT

I hope green issues become ‘trendy’

I hope Richard Tandy is wrong about the Northern Forest being a ruse to allow more development.

I am hoping the new concern about green issues (such as plastic pollution) will increase among the general public. If there’s one thing Tories care about more than money, it’s votes.

Fingers crossed environmental issues will become ‘trendy’. After all, what we do with our environment affects our health.

Jane

via email

SERVICES

Get rid of crime commissioners

The crime commissioner is asking if we would pay more council tax.

He must think OAPs and the general public have money to throw around like there is no tomorrow.

It is the same each year. They always want the biggest cut of the council tax after LCC and the borough council. For 2016/2017, it is £108.15 – an increase of £2. The fire service only asked for £43.67 – £1 more.

The police service has been going for well over 100 years, they did not need crime commissioners then and I don’t see why they need them now. Get shut of them and give their wages to the police budget. Why should we pay more for a service that went down the pan long ago? It’s disgusting.

It does not matter which party we put in government. They all promise the earth at election times and never deliver when in government.

It is time this country stood up to the Government and made it deliver on its promises instead of making budget cuts and expecting the rest of us to pay extra.

S Marshall

Via email