Your letters - February 12, 2010

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MP Foster brings vigour to Westfield

With the upcoming general election I am sure like many other "floating voters" I had been considering which party to support at the general election.

Having returned to live in Westfield after moving away from Hastings in the 1990's, I now found myself in the Hastings and Rye constituency.

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Hastings has always been very special to me and I have been impressed by the level of investment and improvements that the town has benefited from over the last 10 years.

I have no personal allegiance to any political party but the one name which continually crops up in conversation, whether at church, at the school gates or with friends, is Michael Foster.

This election is not about if one national leader is better than another, which is what one parliamentary candidate suggested to me when she canvassed my home the other day.

It is about supporting the person who has proved time and time again that he is the best-equipped person to represent the people of Hastings and Rye.

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I am in now doubt that Michael Foster will represent the people of Westfield with the same level of commitment and vigour which he has shown to the people of Hastings and Rye.

Mrs A Brooker

Stablefields

Westfield

Don't use Conquest as political football

I was saddened to see the Conquest Hospital becoming a political football ('Patients leave Conquest Hospital suffering from malnutrition, claim Tories', February 5, page 9).

My own experiences at the hospital have left me with nothing but praise for the staff and medical services.

Combine this with the excellence of our local GP services and I have to say that in my opinion we are more than fortunate with the health provision in our area.

Bernard Hall

Orchard Way

Sedlescombe

Development was a major blow to Rye

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I was new to Rye Town Council, as were seven others, when the Udimore Road development became a reality.

All keen to make our mark and therefore certainly present from the off at the meetings, public consultations and the eventual appeal enquiry at Rye Community Centre which was heard over three days.

For Mr Blackman or anyone else to suggest that Rye Town Council have been complacent over this issue is nonsense. (Mailbag Jan 29).

I personally returned from a break a day early to attend the first 'Aroncorp' exhibition at Tilling Green Primary School and made very sure that my comments were recorded on the sheet made available there as well as discussing the plans with concerned residents also attending.

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I took issue then with the developers with many aspects of the proposal and particularly over the inclusion of, in my opinion, a dangerous water feature and was happy to see this was eventually dropped.

Councillors spent hours investigating aspects of the plans, the right of way issue, the ecological issue, traffic, drains, flood risks, local infrastructure to effectively back our objections and support Rother District Council in defending their decision to also refuse planning permission.

I attended the eventual appeal enquiry on all three days as did other Rye Town Councillors.

We could not all be there all day, every day, but we were there.

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Unfortunately a higher power was also at work and our best efforts were still bested.

The Inspectors decision to allow this development was a major blow to everyone who had been involved in fighting it.

Cllr Bernardine Fiddimore

Doleham Hill

Guestling

Will library have any space for books?

As the saga of Rye's new Library continues, it becomes increasingly clear that a plethora of other services are being moved into the renovated Woolworths building apart from a Help Point. At a meeting of the Cabinet to be convened by Rother District Council next Monday, it is being recommended that a Social Service Office and Citizen's Advice Bureau be also incorporated into the new building.

A minority of the available space is now to be devoted to library purposes. The Friends of Rye library and many others greatly deplore the continual erosion of what should be Library space by offices for local government.

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We think that a conference should be called with all interested organisations in Rye to discuss with the library authorities how space in the new building be allocated as soon as possible.

Cllr Granville Bantick

Secretary of the Friends of Rye Library

Winchelsea Game debate rolls on

Mr Stuart's letter last week may have revealed the source of the problem over the last Winchelsea Streete Game.

He has been reading the wrong book! "Catch 22" is a naive American literary confection. In Winchelsea, we prefer the profound truths found in classic texts such as "Peter Pan".

The much misunderstood anti-hero of that epic, Captain Hook, achieved a crushing moral victory over the appalling Peter Pan, when the latter revealed his 'bad form' at the very moment of his triumph over Hook.

'Catch 22' is a specious analogy for the Streete Game.

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Cheating is an honourable sporting tradition but, as James Hook would immediately have recognised, practising cheating is just bad form!

So that there is not another misunderstanding next year, it has been decided that the score will be announced before the Game!

The Game Marshall

We need an overhaul of the banking system

AS THE financial crisis continues to affect many of us we can reflect on the resignation of the Financial Services Authority (FSA) chief executive, Hector Sants.

This is the organisation that should have been monitoring the outrageous gambling, (they call it investment) by the banks where tax payers had to bail them out.

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Instead of being sacked for incompetence Mr Sants has resigned with the words, "...the banks should be very frightened."

Oh, yes, I'm sure they are! So frightened are they that they continue to hand out millions in bonuses apparently oblivious to any threats either from the customers, the FSA or the Government.

Of course, the buck actually stops with the Government that oversees the FSA and in the Government the finger points at the chancellors, Gordon Brown and Alistair Darling that were/are in office during the years of financial abuse.

The Conservatives want to disband the FSA and hand over their job to the Bank of England.

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Well, I guess the Bank of England couldn't do any worse! As a hung parliament seems a possible prospect following the forthcoming General Election the UK Independence Party's new MP's may well be asked to form a coalition and, if elected, I will support a complete reformation of this banking system that allows overpaid bankers to be subsidised by underpaid taxpayers.

Tony Smith

UK Independence Party Prospective

Parliamentary Candidate

Hastings and Rye Constituency

Brownbread Stud

Ashburnham

Appalling idea to sell off a valuable resource

I must correct the misleading impression given by Graham Razey, deputy principal of Hastings College, when he stated in last week's Observer that there were problems getting people to sign up for courses at Lion Street.

That may be the case with Hastings College courses, but they are not the only course providers using Lion Street education centre – far from it.

My study window overlooks the centre, and so I can see how frequently it is used and by what a wide range of people.

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I myself have attended two courses each week there for at least the past four years, and both of those are extremely well subscribed.

The excellent WEA-run course on Art History, for example, is always very well attended – and by people I imagine would certainly not wish (or in some cases be able) to travel to Hastings for the course.

The centre is always bright, clean and warm thanks to the excellent and conscientous work of Bob the Caretaker, who faces redundancy if the centre closes.

I have booked the venue for Rye Arts Festival on a couple of occasions, and I would have booked it more, but found that it was expensive compared with other local venues (since Hastings College increased the hiring costs).

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Sue Middlehurst attempts to justify the appalling plans to sell off the centre by suggesting income from the sale of the site might be invested in a new learning centre for young adults.

This would in no way replace the invaluable resource that exists already for learners of all ages – as was the original intention of Charles Meryon when he bequeathed the site for the benefit of the town.

Surely with yet another attack on Rye's resources, it is time to say enough is enough.

Please Michael Foster, you are our MP – help us out here.

Gill Clamp

Church Square

Rye

Planning changes proposal under fire

Has the 5-year journey of the Campaign for a Democratic Rye express train finally hit the buffers; or has it drifted into a siding?

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A tendentious motion was proposed: "… this Council regards the existing mechanisms for Planning in Rye as seriously inadequate and not appropriate for a town of Rye's importance …" but failed to receive support other than from CDR banner-carrying members.

Dr Taylor's paper, Changing the Planning System for Rye, was packed with assertions but lacking in evidence to back them up.

Nevertheless, the paper was carefully considered by Rother's Head of Planning who answered every point raised. His report was barely considered in the debate. Nor did anyone cite any recent planning decisions which were manifestly wrong.

The CDR is surely correct to identify Planning and Development Control as one of Rother's most important services. Development Control officers from the East Team are regularly in Rye and, in 2009, 114 applications were determined – the vast majority of decisions in accordance with the recommendations of the Town Council's Planning Committee.

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Decisions are reached at Rother's monthly Planning Committee meetings, having regard to all the evidence submitted by individuals, statutory bodies etc.

Ward members who are not members of the Planning Committee can intervene. Some District Councils provide for limited speaking by interested parties at planning meetings; some do not.

Membership of a Planning Committee is not undertaken lightly since knowledge of what is lawful, relevant and permissible within government guidance and the Council's own Local Plan is not learned over night. Only one CDR member sits on Rye's Planning Committee.

Dr Taylor wrote of the Udimore Road "fiasco" and believes that actions can be taken to avoid and mitigate future problems but does not advise what those actions should be. Rother refused that application, but was overruled by the Planning Inspector.

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As regards public speaking at Town meetings, there are lengthy question time sessions early in Council and Planning meetings.

Public attendance is sporadic – which is hardly surprising since the topics discussed are often dry, and it is possible that residents just want their elected members to get on with it.

Cllr David Russell

Rye

Hospital ice rink makes me boil

When I read the response to criticism of the parking and main entrance areas during the snowy period at the Conquest Hospital made by George Melling, commercial director for East Sussex Hospitals NHS Trust, my blood boiled.

On Sunday January 10, my wife and I visited the conquest to see my 88-year-old mother, who had slipped on an icy pavement and required a hip operation.

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On entering the car park, my car slewed into a kerb due to packed ice. I then very slowly attempted to find a parking space, but virtually all areas were covered in snow and ice. Fortunately for us, another visitor came to our rescue with a spade and dug out a space for us. We then had to pay 2 for an hour's visit. Walking from the car was very hazardous, as even the walkways had not been touched. I went to the kiosk where a member of staff was sheltering in the warm to be told that the condition of the car park had nothing to do with him and that it was the responsibility of 'maintenance' who were conspicuous by their absence.

Absolutely nothing had been done to make the car park a safe place for its paying customers and yet Mr Melling has the bare faced cheek to state that 'the trust had made every effort to make the car parks and area outside the main entrance safe'.

Face up to your responsibilities Mr Melling, The job wasn't done. Your customers were let down and your department needs an urgent review of procedures to ensure that these shocking conditions do not re-occur.

NICK MARSHALL,

All Saints Street

Hastings