Your Letters - July 4

Human values

Re: High School/Gunters Lane traffic

DAVID Pratt is reported as saying that we should not miss the opportunity to grasp the money that is being offered for the building of a new expanded High School. It seems to me that this is being seized with little thought given to the impact on the local area. We are told, after the decision, that a belated study is to be carried out on the effect on the traffic flows around the neighbourhood! Surely an 'Environmental Impact Study' was carried out before a proposal was put forward, and would have shown up the traffic problems. Was it? If it was, do such studies take into account the human animals of the area and if so do they rate lower than the newts and badgers? Don't we have rights to enjoy our peaceful lives as well?

The suggestion has been made that the school could be split into two sites. Whilst this may seem undesirable I would like to propose then a site on the new Pebsham area that is to be served by the new link road would be more appropriate. This would have the further advantage that there is much more land available there for the playing fields that are also deemed to be needed for the physical development of the future generations in addition to their general studies, than will be available on the Gunters Lane site.

Mr Pratt implies in his statement that the traffic problem 'is a narrow issue'! Not to the resident of this area it is not, as was shown by the response to the petition signed by over 1000 residents. Does he live in this area? Will he be rushing to buy here when the school is up and running to full capacity so that he can walk to school or will he brave the chaos to drive to his reserved parking space?

He explains the proposed use of the 'pod' facility as allowing 80 students and teachers to pursue their studies with easy access to modern technologies. I presume that he means computers. I thought that the latest desire was to have a computer for each pupil. If this is not so, will there be competition for access. Are we in for yet another failed 'Education Initiative', Genesis 11;1-9 comes to mind!

PHIL WHITE

Glenleigh Avenue

Narrow view

WHAT was David Pratt talking about? (Bexhill Observer, June 27).

Nationally, personalised learning is agreed as the way forward, but so too are smaller schools and more choice for parents.

Why can't parents in Bexhill have this choice?

Schools in other counties are providing individualised learning without the need to build mega-schools or reduce parental choice. With access to websites and appropriate ICT all schools can offer a full and varied school curriculum for children and government funding has been provided for this.

The Gunters Lane site is not big enough to take the proposed 1,650 High School students, let alone the additional plan to also relocate two primary schools with around a further 400 students on the same site.

Mr Conn has admitted that there would have to be staggered breaks otherwise the school wouldn't be able to cope! Squashing children from all parts of the town onto too small a site, fed by an inappropriate road system is not the way forward.

Mr Pratt said that he sees the possible traffic problems as a 'narrow' issue '“ we are really disappointed that the safety of children, staff and residents isn't seen as a major concern.

The current Year 7 Bexhill High building which will not be part of the new school was built less than ten years ago at a cost of 5 million pounds. It is now considered 'out of date' by the same authorities that originally approved it - what a scandal!

We urge the authorities not to waste more money by thinking in a narrow way '“ please try to think about the big picture and don't forget regeneration planning!

Glenleigh Park Action Group

John Hollands

Glenleigh Park Road

Lazy voters

JOHN Lee raises some interesting points (Letter, June 27) although he scores a rather spectacular own goal with his example of the EU. The Liberal Democrats are the only party who have NOT imperiously dismissed the Irish rejection of the Lisbon Treaty and, more importantly, who HAVE pledged to hold a referendum on EU membership. No mendacity or disjunction there.

The point is this: there is not such a big divide as Mr Lee imagines.

We have only to cast our minds back to the big protest over the hotel project on the Metropole site, the subject of this week's Observer Comment; or the so-called "Gateway" development; or the suspected "Trojan Horse" development in Little Common.

And all this, again, is linked to a perception of parties that "you're all the same"; or that "you're only in it for the money" - which, as a Lib Dem, I find hilarious; leading to the notion that "politics" should be kept out of things. Fine! So, if the Government was suddenly to ban all political parties and scrap elections, that would solve everything - right? I just know who would be shouting the loudest if that was to happen.

The bottom line is this. If indeed "votes are not an entitlement - they have to be earned", then it is as well to remember that they can just as easily be lost. Those who persistently don't vote or are too lazy to get off their backside to vote have little to complain about when things "go wrong."

If you don't take part, work to force through change, then you will always be on the outside, blustering and ineffectual to the end.

STEPHEN JACKSON

Second Avenue

Job lot

M.A. Peirce (June 27) is delighted to think that Hastings Direct might be closing with a huge loss of employment in the town and says this will stop excessive traffic and some littering in the area surrounding their home.

On the opposite page Derek Stevens of Rother District Council states "Low incomes, low skills and isolation levels .. present a growing challenge .. and a growing number of 16 and 17 year olds are not in education, employment or training ..impacting on young people and the future prosperity of the district."

M.A. Peirce apparently runs 'MP International Consultancy' - some internet business one supposes from his cosy front room in Normandale House and hopes to live quietly and comfortably into his/her retirement.

What is Bexhill to become in total? A grotesque accumulation of residential flats (mostly for the elderly of course), charity shops and cafes. Why can't we balance the promotion of future education through a new High School, Bexhill College and Hastings University next door with 'proper' skilled training and jobs with such an employer as Hastings Direct?

No doubt when my son aged 18 and the many other people who urgently need to find proper jobs somewhere in Bexhill and work at Hastings Direct, plus studying at college and being off the streets because they have a job and are earning some money to try and afford to live, run a car, which he parks in the on site car park, and work towards a career and owning a home (even a retirement flat in their old age) loses their jobs MA Peirce might offer them one? I doubt it.

Philipa Coughlan

Gordon Place

Police disgrace

I HAVE never seen such a waste of taxpayers' money in my life. I drove past Cooden Beach Hotel yesterday and the amount of police officers standing around and talking and eating food was disgraceful.

As a young driver, I get singled out a lot because I have a big exhaust and alloys. I don't mind this but what I do mind is that many people in this town work hard and also get taxed a lot. But what I (as a taxpayer) do mind is my money going on police officers standing around just chatting to each other.

I was a victim of crime three months tomorrow and I am still waiting for a officer to come round and take a statement.

I can understand why people take the law into there own hands now. People are starting to loose faith in the police force today and if they want to change this then they have to get there fingers out and do something about this!

Bradley Serle

Constable Way

Inspector James Scott of the Bexhill Neighbourhood Policing Team said: "The event at the Cooden Beach last night was the Bexhill High Prom night.

"There were some police officers there at the beginning of the night carrying out traffic control for public safety due to the limousines dropping the guests off. As for police officers eating this would not be true. The event passed off safely."

Station tea

WITH regard to the article and editorial comment about the station refurbishment, in the issue of June 20, surely passengers have been able to buy a coffee or tea (as well as newspapers, snacks etc) for the past year and a half or so from the existing shop, next to the (old) ticket office? I for one have regularly used it so I was surprised to read that "at last" people will be able to buy a cuppa, following the current work!

MARK CHAWNER

Reginald Road

Rail facts

I KEEP seeing reference in the Observer to Bexhill's Victorian station, the present station was not built until the twenties and added to the old one that stood in Devonshire Square, hence the long platforms.

Also there has never been a Bexhill-on-Sea station, just Bexhill Central and, sadly, the late Bexhill West.

I would like to put the record straight as having worked at Bexhill Central amongst others in the 42 years I worked on the railways it annoys me when facts are not checked before statements are made.

D. C. NORMAN

Ingrams Avenue

Bexhill station (then Bexhill Central) was opened in 1902. The Observer was there to record the occasion - Ed.

Rats reality

THE resident of Cantelupe Road is lucky to have seen only one rat. We trapped nine in the space of a week, courtesy of garbage from a house converted into flats across the road.

The day after the rubbish is collected, the bins there are overflowing. For the next fortnight, the residents pile their plastic sacks in the side passage, with the consequent attacks by vermin. It is all over the road and blows into my front garden. Apart from the ubiquitous McDonald's wrappers, my civilised neighbours and I have to deal with dirty nappies and sanitary wear, not to mention rotting food. So of course there are more rats '“ lots of lovely, well-fed ones.

Cllr Maynard must either live in a penthouse or far away from other people's detritus, it is certainly nowhere near my bit of terra firma.

The Environmental Health Department is either inept or disinterested. Over the past eighteen months, my neighbour and I have written umpteen times to them, usually without any response or an ineffectual one '“ certainly nothing pro-active has happened.

D Dalrymple

Fairmount Road

Council spies

I SEE that over-zealous councils are using the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act to spy on people for various offences. The Local Government Association Chairman recommends that the surveillance be restricted. Before that happens, could Rother please note, through its all-seeing eye, that we here still have no green bins or boxes for our recycling.

JANE HAMILTON

Hastings Road

Caring walkers

THE Bexhill Caring Community would like to thank everyone who supported us by taking part in the Walk on Sunday, June 8. Also a big thank you to all our sponsors, a total of 535.50 was raised towards the refurbishment of part of the building into a Community Room. A special thank you to the Rotary club for organising and running this event.

Our next fund-raiser is a strawberry tea at Grosvenor Park BUPA Nursing Home at 2.30 pm on Tuesday next, July 1. Tickets are 3.50 each and are on sale at the offices 25 Sackville Road, Bexhill-on-Sea.

Margaret von Speyr

Bexhill Caring Community

Irvine kindness

I WOULD like to say thank you to all the staff at the Irvine Unit for taking care of my husband, Cecil Sheppard, during his stay with you and for being so kind to him and to myself.

MARGARET SHEPPARD

Peartree Lane

Grave matters

BEXHILL Museum's Local History Study Group were so pleased with the response to their Tiptoe Through the Tombstones walk the Sunday before last that they plan to repeat it on September 14. An added attraction may be contributions from readers !

The plan is to invite members of the public to write in to the group with details of why they think their relative who is buried in the cemetery should be better known. Entries will be judged in three categories, 11 and under, 12 to 18 and 19 plus and the winner in each will be included in the next walk.

Entries should arrive at The Lodge, 250 Turkey Road, Bexhill on Sea, TN39 5HT by August 14.

The group would like to make a small correction to the information supplied to the Observer's reporter. These fancy foreign names can get a bit confusing !

Henry le Mesurier Dunn whose mother was a French Canadian is described as a gentleman farmer and landowner who also worked hard for the community. He lived at Glyne Farm though he had married one of the Scrivens daughters of Millfield.

It was August Neven du Mont, actually from a well known German family of newspaper proprietors, who rented the Manor House at the beginning of the 20th century after the divorce of the Earl and Countess De La Warr whose home it was.

Parishioners of St Mary Magdalene's will know his fine painting of the Crucifixion.

Heather Morrey

Society of Bexhill Museums

Rally success

CONGRATULATIONS to APCsport rally drivers Andrew Coley and Dan Pearce in their Peugeot 206 on another great result in the MSA National Rally champion-ship.

Their second in class continues a very successful year and maintains their championship hopes.

The team's recent tie-up with Bexhill Museum means that the car, in addition to displaying their sponsor's logos, will in future carry decals promoting the museum and the town.

However funds are tight so now is the time for more local businesses to become involved and supply sponsorship for the remainder of the season.

So come on ,Bexhill business, help our team and at the same time market yourselves and promote the town. Andrew Coley may be contacted on 07866 635741 or by visiting www.APCsport.com

A reminder that the car will be displayed on the Bexhill Museum stand at the 100 Motoring Club's annual classic car show at the Polegrove on Monday, August 25.

John Betts

Head of Fundraising

Society of Bexhill Museums

Basic freedoms

THE Local Government Association has written this week to local authorities saying that the powers available to them to carry out surveillance on private individuals under the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act "should not be used lightly" and that "it is inappropriate to use these powers for trivial matters". The Act regulates the powers of public bodies to carry out surveillance and investigation for the purpose of detecting crime.

Recent examples of local authority abuse include the use of surveillance to combat dog fouling, littering, under-age smoking, breaches of planning regulations, misuse of a disabled parking badges, and spying on a person who was off sick from work. The Daily Telegraph has estimated that local councils are conducting over a thousand covert surveillance operations every month for such minor offences. It is wrong to allow a dog to foul the footpath but it is also wrong to use a sledgehammer to crack a nut. The Act was intended to combat serious crime.

Rightly, the Local Government Association has advised caution in using these extreme powers. Councils should be required to obtain the approval of a court before invoking them. This is a matter of our basic freedoms, and is beginning to look like the thin end of a very large wedge.

Have you been spied on recently?

PETER WEBB

Glenleigh Park Road

Wrong priority

I was both disappointed and shocked to see that dead birds on a roof were splashed across the front page in last week's issue. Is this exciting news? No! Should dead birds really take preference over the splendid achievements of a young local man? No, I don't think so.

In last week's issue the news of WO2 Sergeant Major M J Isted's MBE was very well written and a joy to read so well done for that, but it was designated to page 43 at the back of the paper. Quite apart from being hard to find should it really have been put that far in?

This young man has given 22 years of his life to the HM Forces and achieved some incredible things, without thousands like him - where would we be? Surely his news deserved a place on the front page?

Kindest regards - a disppointed reader (his Mum)

LINDA ISTED (Mrs)

Spring Lane

Race thanks

ON behalf of Cancer Research UK, I would like to thank all those women and girls who took part in our Race for Life event at Alexandra Park on Sunday, June 15. The event had such a great atmosphere and I am so pleased that nearly 3,000 women from across the town took part to show their support for the charity. Many were taking part in memory of someone, while others were taking part in celebration of their own lives.

I'd also like to express our appreciation to all the volunteers and supporters who worked so hard over the weekend, helping to make the event such a success.

I would now like to encourage all those who took part to return their sponsorship money as soon as possible to ensure the work of the researchers, doctors and nurses that we fund can continue, to help us beat cancer. Thank you to you all for such a great weekend!

CARLY GIBBS

Area Events Manager

Cancer Research UK

Volunteers day

I WOULD like to thank all those people who attended the Volunteers' Week event at Bodiam Castle on Saturday, June 7. The day was a huge success, with fantastic acts from voluntary groups throughout the county, inspiring stories from current volunteers and a market place of information stalls.

All those people who represented their various groups on the day worked incredibly hard and their support and patience is hugely appreciated.

I believe that the day successfully achieved its aim of celebrating and raising awareness of the diversity of voluntary groups and opportunities in East Sussex, and also hope that it may have inspired more people to get involved or find out more.

If anyone would like to comment on the day or find out more about volunteering in their area, they are welcome to contact Sarah Hodgetts at the Eastbourne Association of Voluntary Services on [email protected] or 01323 639373.

We hope to see you again next year with something even bigger and better!

SARAH HODGETTS

East Sussex Volunteer Development Officer

Eastbourne Association of Voluntary Services

Eastbourne

Grayson favour

I TAKE it back! I take it back! - having been less than admiring of 98 per cent of the De La Warr's previous exhibitions (with the exception of Laura Ford's fantastic Reindeers) I have just come from the Arts Council's Grayson Perry Unpopular Culture collection of 20th Century British work. It is superb.

brilliantly presented, making the most of the gallery. The paintings, photographs, sculptures are beautiful, funny, touching, deeply interesting. I'm grateful - and the expresso coffee and ice cream were very good too!

BERYL SANDERS

Lunsford Cross

Homecall cash

MAY I through your paper please say a very grateful thank you to all who sponsored me on my recent seven-mile walk to raise money for Homecall?

Firstly, may I say thanks to Mr G. Matthews and family, butchers of Sidley. Also to Mr Colin Wallace, branch manager, and Mr Terry Robb, area manager, of Brewers and Sons Ltd. of Beeching Road, who between them made a considerable donation to Homecall.

Appreciation also to Mrs Debbie Alais and colleagues at Rother District Council, to Mr Scott Vernon, Hailsham Chiropractic Practice, to Dentalcare, Sackville Road, to all who gave generously at the Little Common Business Association summer fair held on May 24. To friends and neighbours both old and new and my family.

Your generosity is amazing and between you all Homecall is now 350 better off.

Many thanks.

Jo Randall

Terminus Avenue

Prime targets

I COULD not disagree more with the Local Government Minister; if we are to have surveillance by local councils then I think litter louts and dog foulers are prime targets and not trivial. Who will such activities alienate? Only litter louts and dog foulers!

It just shows how much the Government is out of touch with ordinary people to think that we think more about benefit fraud and less about cleanliness on our streets. Of course, I'd like to stop all three but, if pushed, I'd leave fraud to central government and let local government deal with the others.

TONY ASHBY,

by email, Bexhill

Cook needed

WE desperately need a cook for West Bexhill Voluntary Day Centre for the Elderly, at Little Common.

We meet one day a week on a Friday. If there is anyone out there that can help us please contact Maureen Buckingham on 01424 216108.

M. BUCKINGHAM

Brookfield Road

Hyde seek

I AM trying to trace John Hyde, whose mother used to run a B & B in Cornwall Road, Bexhill in the 1960s.

He used to be a Police Sergeant in Richmond, Surrey, and would now be 80 years old.

Please contact me on 01633 259888 with any information.

VILMA THOMAS

Newport

South Wales