Your letters - April 30, 2010

It's quality that counts when shopping

Firstly I do not live in Rye.

Your correspondent Nick Rosen writes that to move Rye library to the old Woolworth's site in the High Street is an unsuitable move owing to the width of the road etc, why does he think that is suitable for a supermarket? Completely illogical.

Secondly, he says that Budgens/Jempsons prices are higher than the 'big four' - yes they are, but their fresh produce, meat, fish, vegetables and so on are far better quality and locally sourced. I shop in the Battle branch of Budgens so I do know what I am talking about.

Thirdly, is it really necessary to have a supermarket that is open on a Sunday when they are all open early and close late on the remaining six days.

I fully support Jempsons for not opening on Sundays as I'm sure their staff do as well.

Lynn Scoones

Balcombe Green,Sedlescombe

Link road answers beg more questions

Surprisingly none of the election candidates nor the Rye Observer have mentioned the Rother District Council's SHLAA Land Assessment document (see http://www.rother.gov.uk/SHLAA) covering each and every Village and Town, published last month.

This includes feasible Site Plans to meet Rother's target of some 1627 new houses commencing in 2012 including "affordable" dwellings.

These clearly identified areas were obtained by Rother DC requesting land owners and developers to suggest suitable green field or other sites and number of potential builds thereon (probably minimum as developments somehow seem to grow once approval is given!) which Rother's Planning officers have assessed and considered suitable for inclusion even in Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) and with problems to overcome such as, services including drainage and highway traffic/access let alone schooling and loss of agricultural activities.

No sites with less than six houses were included. The "feasible sites" in the document will now be considered by Rother DC for public consultation in September for final inclusion in their Core Strategy.

The 1627 still to be built are laid down by central Government which the Tories at the time said were excessive but nothing seems to have been said of late.

It is understood that the Hastings to Bexhill Link Road would allow access for some 900 houses to be built on non-green land, but already it seems Liberal Democrats are against this vital link road which is so important for the area.

If it does not go ahead huge pressure will be on Rother to allow substantial building on Green sites throughout its areas including, as in Fairlight, on sites encompassing AONBs.

We all know that family lifestyles have led to the need for new housing but do we really need so many and surely other ways are available instead of on Green field development ?

I admit I am a NIMBY (Not in my back yard!) and a retired Highway Engineer, but believe the Link Road although it itself will utilise green land will benefit many more and open up areas unseen.

Wildlife along new highways has benefited and I remember when we were designing the M25 how it was rejected but even with its problems how could we do without it?

Public transport although to the good will never totally replace car ownership, particularly in rural areas and even with improved train services the need for local goods delivery by lorry will need good highway links avoiding residential areas.

So what are the three main party's views?

Are the numbers of houses to be built too many? Will there be funds or the will for building the Link Road and if not what then for green fields and new house building in Rother?

KEITH JELLICOE CEng MIStructE

Waites Lane, Fairlight

What goes around, comes around

The controversy about the Marsh wind farms seems to be winding down. The debate has settled to efficiency and to financial and environmental returns.

The blot on the landscape argument remains with me. The initial local opinion and municipal preference to deny permission for these monstrosities was overtaken by the "consultation" process and Deputy Leader Prescott's steamroller decision which will have on ongoing effect for our lifetime.

Thank goodness we shall soon have a vote to express our opinion democratically.

Ted Jackson

Playden

New homes? - We've been here before

As regards the comments, towards new homes on Battle Hill.

I understand the many fears this will bring, I remember, when they built Glengorse and Kingsdale Close, this is called progress.

Indeed, my dad was a spec builder.

Although, he would only ever build one or two houses at a time.

With these new houses, think of all the many jobs this will create. Can you imagine, what it must of been like in Battle all those years ago.

First the railway, linking the town to bigger cities.

Then the roads, making it so easily accessible to everyone.

I wonder what Battle will be like in fifty years time.

Can you imagine? I guess I will have to wait and see.

Johnnie Elliott

Starrs Mead

Thanks to the NHS and its excellent staff

WE hear much about the shortcomings of the NHS in national news reports from time to time.

I myself sincerely thank God for the NHS in general and the excellent staff Conquest Hospital in particular.

I would have been completely unable to pay for operations on my ear, haemmoroids and the insertion of two coronary stents together with all the follow up services provided from an average wage.

I very recently experienced worrying heart pain overnight and called an ambulance.

The ambulance service telephone operator remained in contact untill the paramedics arrived.

The paramedics themselves were first class in their professionalism, kindness and good humour in getting me to hospital.

My treatment all hospital staff was good at all times, in particular the doctors and staff at the medical assesment unit where although the cause of my pain turned out to be trivial I was in no way made to feel that my visit was unnecessary.

In short full marks to all concerned.

PAUL MARRIOTT

Fairlight Road, Hastings

Beware the hazards of wearing high heels

A WARNING to all lovers of very high-heeled shoes. In the years following the last craze for high-heeled shoes, I, as a publicity officer, had to organise photo shoots of pretty ladies wearing our jackets in outdoor situations.

The models which I hired did not need fashionable shoes for the photos, but in changing from one show to another, they showed me what had happened to their feet following the fashionable high heels era.

Their feet went to a point next to the big toe. The other toes were completely crushed and would never resemble toes again.

Being a model, they had had to wear the highest heels possible at all times and the ladies I spoke to would prefer to have their lives over again rather than suffer the misery of ruined feet, constantly in pain.

Chuck the high heels. In any case, they make most young people look quite foolish. The consequences are quite inevitable.

JANE OFFORD

Amherst Road

Bexhill

Let us take heart from the past

Many people are anxious about the state of the UK and the problems we face. So it's encouraging to remember we have successfully come through worse in the past. 70 years ago we actually came close to national annihilation and survived!

In May 1940 Germany invaded France and the only port from which to evacuate the British Army was Dunkirk where they were trapped against the sea. Our troops were encircled and the position was so serious it was reckoned that only twenty thousand would be rescued. Almost the entire British Army was about to perish. There was no human solution to this crisis; there was no America to help, and no United Nations. The UK stood totally alone. The end of the British way of life had come – or so it appeared.

In desperation King George 6th called for a National Day of Prayer to be held on May 6. In a national broadcast he called on the people of the UK to pray for Divine Intervention.

Together with members of the Cabinet, the King attended Westminster Abbey whilst literally millions of people across the British Isles queued to get into churches pleading for help.

What happened next was the strangest deliverance ever to occur in the history of any nation with two peculiar phenomena following this Day of Prayer. The first was a great storm which broke out over the area on May 28 hindering the assault of the German airforce and the second was the great calm which settled on the English Channel the likes of which hadn't occurred for decades.

This calm enabled an armada of boats to rescue 335,000 men. Four years later this deliverance further meant that Britain was able to provide a 'launch pad' for the liberation of Europe. If the British Army had been destroyed at Dunkirk the UK would have been occupied and the liberation of Europe would never have happened. The violent storm and Channel calm immediately following this Day of Prayer made possible what historians call 'the miracle of Dunkirk'.

During the war there were so many examples of Divine help at crucial moments that in October 1942 Churchill actually commented: "I sometimes have a feeling of interference. I have a feeling sometimes that a Guiding Hand has interfered. I have a feeling that we have a Guardian because we have a great cause and we shall have that Guardian so long as we serve that cause faithfully".

Rather than fear for the future of our country let us be encouraged by these events of the past. Today we face numerous social, economic and political problems but they are nothing compared to what we have successfully overcome before!

Rev J Willans

Clayhill Road Leigh