Letters - July 17, 2018

Ask yourself why we are protesting here
Protesters at the Preston New Road fracking siteProtesters at the Preston New Road fracking site
Protesters at the Preston New Road fracking site

In response to Mr Mogilnicki’s letter (Your Say, July 12) I must take issue with his inference that protesters in sleeping bags often block two lanes of the Preston New Road.

In general the protesters are careful to restrict their activities to the bell mouth of the gateway to Cuadrilla’s site, and it is the perhaps the over-cautious actions of the police that cause the delays.

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Has Mr Mogilnicki and the many commuters who he claims are completely indifferent to Cuadrilla’s presence ever wondered why so many people have braved all weathers for over 18 months to protest against High Volume Hydraulic Fracking at the Cuadrilla site? Why the Labour Party, the Green Party, trades unions, Greenpeace and Friends of the Earth regularly join local residents at the gate? Why grandparents spend their hard- earned retirement and working people give up their days off to be there? Why some dedicated people have left jobs, homes and families to oppose this industry? Why Scotland, Ireland and Wales have joined countries such as Germany, Spain and France in deciding it is ‘too risky’ and ‘irresponsible’? Why states in the USA and Australia such as Pennsylvania and Victoria, seeing the consequences in states where it is taking place, have banned it? Why it is now banned by the ‘birthplace of fracking’, Denton in Texas? Why insurance companies are increasingly making fracking damage an ‘excluded peril’?

If not, perhaps they should Google ‘harm caused by fracking’ and find out.

Jill Walton

Via email

ENVIRONMENT

Loss of mature trees destroys habitat

I have a small, rather untidy back garden which I can view from the kitchen window.

There are three shady mature trees to the east inside a low drystone wall and three mature fruit trees, plus a snowberry bush inside the northern boundary fence.

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I enjoy seeing the many birds that come into the shadow of the trees and also hide behind the cover of the leaves when the sun is shining.

My garden is a safe place for local birds and hedgehogs to feed as I don’t use slug pellets or insecticides, and the birds do a useful job of keeping garden pests within limits.

While there are still some fledgling birds, I continue to provide a few bird feeders containing seeds, nuts and fatballs, as well as several dishes of water.

These are for hedgehogs, birds and insects in shady places, some at ground level.

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Today I watched a pair of goldfinches eating seeds and drinking in the shade and wondered yet again about the wild creatures in areas which have been deprived of mature trees.

This affects not only birds but also bats, insects and other invertebrates seeking protection from the sun’s rays.

You don’t get much shade under a sapling, after all.

Jennifer Edwards

Address supplied

CAVE

Rescuers are 
the true heroes

Might I suggest in the next honours lists that we forget the overpaid pop and film stars, the immorally paid BBC staff, footballers and other sportsmen and award the brave divers who rescued the young children from the caves in Thailand the highest bravery award possible?

They certainly deserve it, these are the true heroes.

Barry Jeffreys 
& Brian Sturdy

Address supplied

RESPONSE

Post offices 
are not closing

We noticed that your article (A Word In Your Ear, July 12) referenced the fact that post offices are closing on our high streets.

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We just wanted to address this – we are not closing post offices.

Since 2012 we have been investing in our branches and as a result, our network of 11,500 is at its most stable for decades – in fact 99 per cent of people live within three miles of their nearest branch.

Partnering with successful and sustainable retailers mean post office services will remain at the heart of communities for many years to come, and this gives people access to the vital services they rely on, such as banking.

In fact, 99 per cent of customers can access their usual high street bank account through every single one of our branches, as can 95 per cent of business customers, helping to meet their daily cash needs.

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Of course, because the majority of our branches are run by independent retailers, this does mean that, from time to time, there may be changes at some branches.

To be clear, this is absolutely not part of a closure programme, and could be down to a range of reasons, such as the resignation or retirement of a postmaster.

Whenever this happens, we do all we can to find another solution which will maintain post offices services for the community.

Tom Moran

Network Development Director
Post Office