Your letters - February 19,2010

Get rid of Brown by voting Amber

MRS Brooker (letter February 12) is clearly mistaken if she thinks that all we need from our MP is good constituency commitment. We cannot get rid of Gordon Brown and all his tax and spend policies without removing our current Labour MP, Michael Foster. The simply reality is that a vote for Michael Foster is a vote for Gordon Brown.

It may also have escaped Mrs Brooker's attention that Michael Foster is a loyal Labour man. Not only is he a junior minister in the Labour Government, he has also voted with the Government on almost every issue put before Parliament. In fact the only occasion I can remember him voting against a Government policy was when he voted against the reform of MP expenses, choosing instead to support a continuation of the existing system that led to so much abuse. Consequently, he shares equal responsible for the social agenda and bureaucracy that New Labour have foisted on us (including the fact that Hastings residents pay significantly more in council taxes than residents of Westfield because of years of high spending under Labour control) and, if re-elected, Michael Foster will almost certainly continue to support whatever policies are put forward by Gordon Brown. I am glad to hear that Mrs Brooker had the opportunity to meet Amber Rudd whilst she was canvassing in Westfield. Amber has been active in all areas of the new constituency and has gained a deep understanding of the needs and aspirations of the entire community she would serve if elected. She has also shown great vigour in her visits to schools, local businesses, resident groups, fishermen and farmers alike. I believe that she would be every bit as good a constituency MP as the present incumbent, and she will have the added bonus of supporting policies that will bring the country out of its current mess.

One thing is absolutely certain however, if the people of Hastings and Rye want a new direction at both national and local level, they can't afford to re-elect Michael Foster no matter affable and vigorous he may be.

Richard Meade

Down Oak Farm

Westfield

Thanks for generous help in the snow

WE WOULD like to give recognition and thanks to the very helpful and happy band of locals who helped our family in the snow on Thursday 11/2/2010.

Our daughter had an appointment at the Conquest which she did not want to miss, otherwise we would not have risked the journey. All was going reasonably well and we got to Battle without too much trouble. However, when we left Battle heading towards the hospital we, like many others, got stuck on the hill just after the Esso garage.

On the side of the road was a group of about five residents who, without any prompting, pitched in to help. It became clear they had been doing this for some time and were very experienced from the last snow fall. They had pieces of sacking and these, along with much pushing, got us on our way. With no more than a shout of 'keep going and good luck', they turned back to help the next unfortunate motorist.

Who said the British spirit was a thing of the past.

We made it, only a little late, for the appointment.

Many thanks, whoever you were.

The Eele Family

Maple Avenue,

Bexhill

Support for the Black Horse Festival

I am a resident of Sedlescombe and cannot see why the Black Horse Music Festival should be a problem.

The Pestalozzi Village has been part of the village for decades and should be applauded for its innovative ideas. It needs to generate revenue to remain sustainable.

There are far more antisocial problems, fireworks (for any reason), selfish parking, speeding (whilst using mobile phones), vandalism on the grass area next to the tennis courts (cars driven around on very wet ground), irresponsible dog owners on farmland, litter despite numerous bins, etc.

The Black Horse was famous for its folk music and it would be a shame for this festival not to find another home.

I hope that those in the village who have complained are not those who have loud parties and barbecues culminating in a fireworks display or worse, the letting off of the very dangerous Chinese lanterns.

Lynn Scoones

Balcombe Green,

Sedlescombe.

A vote for Foster is vote for Brown

IT is extraordinary that Mrs Brooker (letter dated February 12) thinks that the General Election is not about choosing a party and leader to run the country. A vote for Michael Foster is a vote for Gordon Brown.

We also have to remember that Mr Foster is a Minister in Gordon Brown's government. This is a government which has mismanaged our economy and eroded our freedom. We have been turned into a nation of people reliant upon the state and looking over our shoulders lest we be heard to say something politically incorrect.

Westfield deserves better!

Angela Hawksley

Pett Level,

Hastings

Sell us back Lion Street for 1

I understand that Hasting's College has decided to close the FE Centre by the library in Lion Street.

It was sold to them for 1.

The preferred option (and apparently they have been in talks with Rye College for some time, why weren't we told) is to inhabit a new building on the Rye College site.

Possibly the music building which is really decrepit, no-one would object to that being replaced!

I gather that this new building will be used for 16 – 19 years old doing vocational courses, and this is an excellent use.

They will need it all day, and probably for some evening sessions.

In addition the money for the building should come from the government as part of their vocational plans.

How does this benefit those who are older and want adult education at hours which are safe (daytime) and not too far (for many people in Rye, Rye College means transport)!

Hastings College has said (very generously) that money gained from the sale should be reinvested in Rye.

Why not sell it back to more community minded people at the 1.00 from whom they bought it?

Rosalind Collier

Rye

Foster can't provide total committment

AT THE next general election, Hastings and Rye voters have an opportunity to regain the services of an MP who will be able to commit all of his or her energies to the needs of the area.

At present I assume that the Labour candidate will be Mr M Foster, who cannot provide total commitment since he is also the Minister for Equality (with a ministerial salary of around 100,000).

In this role he is required to support all of the policies of the government, as well as devote a considerable amount of time to these duties. Whenever he votes in the Commons he will be voting for government policies, irrespective of the potential effects on voters in this constituency.

Since the election has not yet been announced, there is sufficient time for Labour to nominate another candidate.

Voters of Hastings and Rye need to have an MP who can concentrate totally on the special needs of the area, and be able to stand up in Parliament against the party whips.

There are examples of such MPs in the present Government.

Such an MP would be fulfilling the traditional role of a commoner who attended Parliament to ensure the needs of the common people were met, rather than the wishes of the king or his party of favourites.

Roderick Stuart

Iden

Sundays should be kept as special day

I wholeheartedly applaud Jempsons for not opening on Sundays. In this day and age, when large stores are competing fiercely for our custom and forcing (or at least expecting) staff to work on Sundays in order to make more money than their competitors, it is refreshing to hear that Jempsons are not falling into this blinkered rut.

Jempsons are well regarded by their staff as well as their customers and are, from what I hear, a very fine company to work for, who look after their staff.

Good on them for refusing to open on Sundays and allowing their staff to maintain a proper work-life balance.

When I was a child, I was not allowed to call on my friends on Sundays and my friends were not encouraged to call on me, because Sunday was the day I spent with my sister , parents and occasionally wider family.

I have encouraged my children in the same manner – it is important to interact as a family, and we are seeing the results of not doing so all around us.

As for the tourist town argument, I really cannot believe that the local supermarket being closed on a Sunday is making any significant difference to the local economy.

In any case, not so long ago I seem to recall it being said that if large supermarkets were banned from opening on Sundays it would give the smaller shops a chance to sell their wares.

I would go further still and favour a policy that bans any shop with more than say a dozen employees from opening on Sundays. People need to get organized and manage their life so that they can exist for one whole day devoid of access to the local supermarket!

I hope many, many others will support Jempsons with their present policy and long may it be so.

Michael Botten

Lydd Road, Camber.

Tilling Green offers Sunday shopping

The headline on last week's Rye and Battle Observer was not exactly correct regarding shopping in Rye on Sunday. Rye has a superb mini supermarket on the Tilling Green Estate which is open on Sundays - and is only a few minutes walk away from the Train Station.

Could this be a political move by certain Councillors to try to make a name for themselves?

Rye people should support the local shops in Rye - of which the Tilling Green Estate is a main part - and stop moaning - there are surely more important things to moan about than shopping on Sundays.

Pat Salisbury-Ridley

Cadborough Cliff.

Tide could be high for Rye

In the early 1960s when my late wife was a member of the Rye Branch of the WI, she was called out, not long after midnight, to assist with the people who were driven from their homes on the Strand by flood water from a high rising Rother.

Since those days the retaining bank has been raised twice to contain such an occurrence. If memory serves me right the highest tide in those days was around the four metre mark whereas shortly they will be reaching four point four metres according to figures given by the Environment Agency for 2010 Tide Tables.

If, as we are being led to believe, tidal heights are building, due to global warming, there will in due course be a time when the little rivers around Rye will need to contain this excess, most likely unsuccessfully, resulting in localised flooding.

I do hope if, as is being called for, another supermarket comes to Rye this point will be considered when a site is being discussed.

Peter Marsh

Udimore

Council shouldn't ban windsurfing

I AM writing to protest strongly against Rother District Council's decision to close certain areas of the Bexhill seafront to peaceful watersports.

In particular, as a local resident overlooking the Beaulieu Road open space, I think this decision is totally unjustified for this area.

The local residents here have had no problems over this usage and, indeed, the majority of us welcome the surfers.

I am too old to indulge in this sport myself but am appalled that the opportunity for younger Bexhill people to partake in a good healthy sporting activity is being unnecessarily restricted.

Once again it would appear that the council has decided to take action without consulting any members of the community most affected.

Why do council officers repeatedly ignore the council's own "Consultation Charter", which the council itself has written?

It states clearly "The Council acknowledges that consultation is a fundamental part of good public service; it will be a starting point not an afterthought".

The signs were already up in early February but the council is now belatedly calling a meeting in March!

Come on Rother, think again and revise your unacceptable decision.

FRANK BARRACLOUGH

Beaulieu Road, Bexhill

Still choice for unhappy shoppers on Sundays

I would like to comment on Andy Hemsley's report on the front page of the Rye Observer 12.02.10 as there seems to be a lack of knowledge about our current Sunday shopping facilities.

As Rye seems to be the only town without a supermarket open on a Sunday I can understand why there is so much dissatisfaction, but I do not see the need for a petition "for a supermarket that opens late".

Jempsons/Budgens is open until 10pm Mon-Sat, re-opens 7am Monday and, assuming we all have fridges/freezers, surely one can plan ahead for a day's closure.

If you run out of milk you can "just pop out and buy a pint" at Skinners or the Quayside garage and, before noon, at the Tilling Green Newsagent shop. Bread and a few other incidentals are sold here too.

If you need a wider choice of goods there is no need to travel as far as Tenterden or Hastings: Winchelsea Beach has a Co-op supermarket, (open until 10pm weekdays), Camber a Nisa Shop which, I am told, is open until 8 or 9pm on a Sunday and there is a shop at Appledore.

We also have an excellent fresh fish shop open all day Sunday, by Mountbretton bridge and a Delicatessen shop in the High Street.

Why do the British have this need to shop on a Sunday? We know that there is a decline in the number of people attending church , but there are many other ways to pass the day and it is important for both staff and customers to have time to relax, whether alone or with families. Many of the newcomers to the town have arrived because it is different and not full of the usual high street shops or big supermarkets.

I am a Ryer and was sorry to read how Jamie Haffenden feels when he returns, perhaps he would contact me to discuss this.

The closure of Woolworths has not helped Rye and what we should be asking ourselves is why no-one else has moved in? I am told that 90% of the population - (could someone explain how this figure was calculated?) - go out of Rye to shop and would welcome competition, so perhaps our Deputy Mayor, John Breeds, would like to put this in writing to all the major supermarkets and ask why none of them have moved in yet?

Margaret O'Neill

Military Road, Rye.

Keep your eyes peeled for lamp post notices

REFERRING to Mr and Mrs Collins concern at the lack of notification concerning a proposal to use the Woodlands Farm in Beaneys Lane as a vehicle depot (Observer 12/2/10) - this is nothing new - residents need to be vigilant whenever they see little pieces of paper stuck to lamp posts!

Invariably these notices of intended development are torn off before anyone has a chance to read them - be very aware of this!

When the council gave notification of their intention to apply for planning consent for high rise flats in the middle of Robsack Wood and Churchwood local nature reserve they put the notices in an area where they were very likely to be defaced or destroyed. They failed to notify any residents in the main Churchwood area, despite this section of the woodlands being the main car parking area. We endeavoured to let everyone know what the council had planned for this important area, but were warned off that we would be charged with flyposting in the woodlands! It's a no win situation.

By the time we are alerted to these notifications by observant residents, it is invariably too late to make an objection within the prescribed time limits.

Patricia Stephenson

Whittlewood Close,

St Leonards-on-Sea.

Link road plans will involve dangerous fog patches

I was present last week at the Public Inquiry about the Bexhill Hastings Link Road.

A DVD of the dense fogs in the Combe Haven Valley was shown to the Inspector, East Sussex County Council (ESCC) promoters and legal team.

The fogs in the Combe Haven Valley have been reported in the Observer paper on many occasions and I was astonished to see how serious a problem this is.

I cannot believe ESCC would put the public at risk when alternative routes have been put forward that would take the road out of the fog.

Apparently the DVD of the fog is on YouTube under "Combe Haven Valley" for your readers to judge for themselves.

I for one will not risk my family's lives if the road is built in the fog.

P Maltby

Sackville Road, Bexhill