Your letters - April 23, 2010

Battle's new homes are a recipe for 'utter chaos'

NO DOUBT like many of your readers, I was horrified to read on the front page of the April 9 Observer, that Rother is thinking of allowing the building of over one hundred homes on land behind Tesco on Battle Hill and Glengorse, and I e-mailed immediately to protest.

We cannot allow this development to take place without comment.

Rother say that it will be near the station (true) and within walking distance of the town (maybe for some) but not for the parents of the young children who will be born there (at least 50) and who will, in due course, add to the already overcrowded classes at the Battle and Langton School.

Add in the problems previously referred to in connection with the planned 250 homes on the nearby Blackfriars/Highlands Farm site (too many cars, overloaded surgery etc) and you have a recipe for utter chaos.

I believe a general election is due in a couple of weeks, and wonder what our local MPs have to say on this, to Battle, important matter.

John Hill

Glengorse,

Battle

Transport links aren't fit for the 21st century

I AM rather bemused by the recent letters published complaining about the proposed new link road.

As a pensioner who was born and raised in the town, I know that the main reason for the lack of private investment in the town comes as a result of our poor infrastructure.

Regarding the calls for better public transport, how do people think that buses for example will solve any problems if the roads they need to use are not up to scratch?

The road to London is still dangerously second class in many places, the road to Ashford is just like a narrow Serpentine.

Our rail links still leave an awful lot to be desired and the Bexhill road route is a traffic jam nighmare most times.

Still I suppose there are those that wish to live in the 20th century and not move on with the rest of the world.

Michael McIver

St Pauls Road

St Leonards

Cash spent on payouts could fund a scanner

I write with regard to the recent articles and correspondence regarding payments to the outgoing chief executive at the Conquest and the excuses made by the Primary Care Trust (PCT).

I seem to recall a similar story not too long ago when a previous chief executive left under a cloud accused of bullying, and was also paid a large sum of money because it was part of her contract.

She then went on to obtain a similarly highly paid position with another hospital.

Who writes these contracts, and why are there never any lessons learned?

The PCT states that you have to offer large salaries to attract the calibre of candidate needed to do the job.

Whatever happened to the system of promoting people who are already in post, and have proved their worth and commitment.

Why do they value people from outside whose sole qualifications seem to me, to be able to negotiate contracts weighted heavily in their own favour?

While I have every sympathy with, and fully support Nick Clegg and his fight for cheaper parking, I would also like to add my own personal comment.

My husband was recently admitted to the Conquest and received expert medical care from the staff there, but he took up a much needed bed for nearly a week wating for a lung scan as the scanner had broken down.

Money spent on outgoing chief executives, however efficient they may have been, would in my opinion be far better put towards purchasing a second-much needed scanner.

Sheila Ward

Branksome Road

St Leonards

Praise for work of dedicated team

Excellent news that Emmaus Hastings & Rother has won 436,000 to kick-start the housing element of the local project which has already established the work part of the scheme on land owned by them.

Through no fault of theirs, the dedicated Emmaus team lost out on a previous funding opportunity.

This must not happen again, and the deadline announced for approval of scaled down plans (already agreed as a whole) must be met.

This fundamentally worthwhile enterprise with an international reputation for providing local homeless and rootless people the chance to re-build lives and thrive amongst a caring community, needs wholehearted support for all who value social regeneration and want to see our Emmaus team rewarded for their continued efforts.

Pam Brown OBE

Hon. Freeman

Linton Road

Link road question

FOLLOWING ESCC's final report in Your County magazine, the leader of the council says 32 million will be spent on repairing our disintegrating roads.

You will note there is no mention of the 40 million needed by ESCC to complete the finance for the link road. This bill is to be paid for by East Sussex tax payers as the link road will only receive 76 million from a debt-ridden Government.

So where will the 40 million come from - could the leader of ESCC, Greg Barker MP and Michael Foster MP let us know?

R NAYLOR

Buckhurst Road

Bexhill