Your letters - October 23

Urgent need for road

I HAVE been following the correspondence pages in your excellent local newspaper, and letters are still coming in it on the subject of the link road.

In last week's edition there were three more letters. Some of your correspondents seem to think there is no need for a new road at all, but these are probably people who do not try to go between Bexhill and Hastings where there is constant problems with congestion along the De La Warr Road, the Glyne Gap Roundabout and the Bexhll Road, St Leonards.

This particularly affects traffic between Bexhill and the Conquest Hospital on the Ridge in Hastings.

Everybody is well aware that the real solution is a major road along the South Coast so that traffic can travel between Southampton in the West and The Channel Ports and Tunnel in the East, and every town and village in between. And no consideration ever seems to be given to places like Battle and Rye in our area.

These are probably affected more than anybody which is very bad for our tourist industry. Another very important factor is the appalling deprivation in Hastings with high unemployment, poor prosperity and high crime rate, particularly ASBOs and drugs

We are not likely to see this in our present lifetime, so we will have to be satisfied with simpler measures to solve local problems. Hence the Bexhill to Hastings Link Road, but to my mind this was ill-thought-out and the road planned has produced a great deal of criticism particularly from farmers and other who live in or near the Combe Haven Valley, an area of Special Scientific and Archaeological interest and Outstanding Natural Beauty.

In all three of our local papers this week notices have been printed showing the main and alternative routes, and it must be very obvious that the alternative route AR3 is likely to satisfy most of the criteria.that the road should provide.

But this road will cost a fraction of the original, which was dependent on using the old disused railway track. One very important objection to this route is that it would have provided no access for traffic on the A269 from Hailsham, Herstmonceux and A22 and A272 roads.

We will not know until the road is built and operational how much traffic actually uses it My own gut feeling is that quite a lot of traffic will continue to use the existing A259 between Bexhill and Hastings.

I sincerely hope that this road will be built as soon as possible, the need is urgent.

Dr John V Thurston

previously resident on Actons Farm

now living in Horsham

Taxing times

I am writing in response to the most inspiring letter from Marcia Linden (Friday Oct 9) about how we pay council tax to supposedly intelligent people to basically do what's in the tax payer's interest, then those in the driving seat do just the opposite.

I sympathise greatly, and agree 200 per cent with what the writer says but sadly this will only ever change when we, the paying audience in this show, refuse to have those in power spend our money unwisely or on feathering their own nests.

Unfortunately our short-sighted council seems to do both quite without the slightest qualm, and whilst the public sector becomes richer and plans to be even more cosseted in retirement, we continue to cut back in order to pay the ever-rising council tax bill and then retire on one of Europe's lowest pensions.

Sadly, though, even if many of us agree with Marcia Linden and would be quite willing to withold council tax payments the useless government we have will do all to thwart our plans.

Although the current judicial system cannot accommodate in prison the thugs, yobs and various violent groups and individuals, they will, however, find a cell for anyone who refuses to pay council tax. This is a fact '“ they are so afraid of a tidal wave of non-payers, criminals go on the back burner in this issue, believe me.

In fact non-payment of this hated tax is one of the very few offences that carries a mandatory custodial sentence.

Rother council told me as such in writing about 18 months ago when I suggested reducing my council tax bill by witholding the percentage going to things that I felt did not warrant my expenditure, including one pound in every five going to council pensions.

Apart from gaining a criminal record, which is the only downside these days to prison in the UK, as most seem to run on the lines of an Eastern European three star hotel anyway and the inconvenience of possible job loss, I don't really see why if someone is retired that refusing to pay council tax is such a bad thing.

The only other thing that may hold some people back is the possible whining from some quarters that if I don't pay my tax someone else may have to pay more. You don't, just get on the wagon and refuse, we can't all be put in prison, so roll on retirement, that's if I can afford it!

Derek Stocker

Duke Street

Bexhill-on-Sea

Give our eyes a treat

MANY residents have expressed alarm at the potential 'concreting over' of various areas of Bexhill seafront outlined in the preliminary regeneration plans for the area causing so much current controversy.

It might be a good idea at the same time to turn a critical gaze a little further landwards into the centre of the town, indeed its very epicentre of municipal power, the immediate area around the Town Hall, and consider some 'de concreting'.

A pedestrian proceeding Town Hall-wards down Buckhurst Road on the left-hand side may, having passed and probably admired the excellently laid out and well-maintained rose garden of Beulah Baptist Church, then be stopped short by the appalling contrasting sight of its near neighbour, a decaying, neglected and seemingly unoccupied concrete structure of what might be described as neo-brutalist architectural style, curiously resembling the Fhrer Bunker or Flak Tower in Berlin in the dying days of the Third Reich.

This ugly edifice was possibly once the 'Telephone Exchange' (though many of the letters announcing this have fallen off). Where it stands once stood an excellent 1930s-period Art Deco cinema '“ which of course should have been retained and perhaps refurbished into a community centre or some other useful community gathering place (as has the attractive earlier-period former bank building opposite, now a centre for advisory services).

The campaigners for the removal of the equally repugnant and ridiculous Gubby concrete balls in nearby Devonshire Square (sorry, 'piazza') could also include the removal of the Buckhurst Road carbuncle in their efforts.

The congregation members of Beulah Baptist Church might even be persuaded to extend their charming rose garden to the resultant freed-up space and so give all our eyes a treat instead of an assault.

Michael Green

Marina Arcade

Bexhill-on-Sea

This is a mistake

I have been reading the comments regarding the Next Wave/ New Wave or the Farewell Wave on Bexhill seafront and feel I have to get my 'penny's-worth' in.

I have been an attendant on the putting green/crazy golf for the last three years during the summer season and I am astonished with the comments about the said attraction '“ 'underused' is the main complaint, I believe.

Well, how about up to 1,000 per week in takings making an approximate season of between 15,000 to 20,000, and that is a conservative estimate (depending on when it opens and closes). Is that 'underused'? Not in my book it's not.

Yes, it's tatty and old but people like that, it's a bit of quick fun, on the seafront, in the sunshine and cheap, the kids adore it.

The trouble is the people who have made the decision regarding the Next Wave have never visited it or asked the people who run it day after day or consulted the public.

I did my own straw poll on 100 players, and found that 91 had never even heard of the Next Wave and were amazed at what was going to happen, so how were the people of Bexhill 'fully consulted'?, By whom and when?

Bexhill's only seafront attraction is going to be replaced by what, a piece of grass?

Who is going to clean up the dog mess that the considerate dog walkers don't or the beer cans/wine bottles and rubbish that the yobs leave behind?

This is a mistake that will do nothing to enhance the seafront, it will be paradise for the BMX bikers and nuisance-makers.

If anything has to be done the putting/crazy golf should be upgraded and made a feature, not scrapped. People of Bexhill, you have been warned.

P M Clarke

Thakeham Close

Bexhill

A great idea

Congratulations Mr Conn and all at Bexhill High School.

As a past parent, I think the changes are a fantastic idea.

I wish it was up and running when my boys attended the school.

I can't understand all the negativity. I think it's a positive move.

Open until five, pupils' homework all done. A blessing to all the working parents. I can only see the positives.

Mr Conn has a great vision for the future of the children in Bexhill, and I for oneare full of praise for him.

I wish you all the success for the future of Bexhill High School, and I look forward to viewing the new school.

Mrs L J Barden

Suffolk Road

Bexhill

Top turn-out

The attendance at the new club for the over-60s at Parkhurst Hall on Tuesday, October 6 was overwhelming.

I expected 10 to 12 people, but instead had to make room for 24 people, including three men.

While enjoying light refreshments, everyone offered their ideas on what they would like from this club.

The overall majority was for visiting speakers/demonstrations, so over the next three months we have an illustrated talk on East London, demonstration with tasters from Wiltshire Farm Foods, talk from a Hastings author and hopefully a coach trip to Brighton Centre to see the 2010 Ice Show.

The next date is Tuesday, November 3 at Parkhurst Hall, Parkhurst Road from 2pm to 4pm.

For more information contact Marcia Linden on 01424 731006 and that includes the men, so don't be shy. Looking forward to seeing you all.

Marcia Linden

Martyns Way

Bexhill

Heartfelt thanks

I would like to thank all the Staff on the Murray Ward at the Conquest Hospital for the care given to my mother whilst she was with them.

We hear so many bad reports about our local hospital but I can only praise their kindness and thoughtfulness. The staff are always friendly and willing to help and answer questions, also the doctors are on the ward all day and always available. Thank you, Murray Ward '“ keep up the good work.

Marcia Philipps

Johnson Close

St Leonards

Building houses, factories and road will help future

'Lives will be lost if road is constructed in fog-hit valley' trumpet the headlines (Bexhill Observer, October 16). Below it is a scene of bucolic charm with a gentle mist rising across the fields.

Mist and fog are a fact of life in the countryside but are much rarer in urban areas because the presence of people and buildings is sufficient to raise the ambient temperature.

This demonstrates that the incidence of mist and fog can be greatly reduced by building houses and factories.

A recent report put Rother district at number seven in a league table of 'age of population'.

Strip out Hastings and St Leonards from the figures and the rest of Rother would be even nearer the top. This is a problem because if we don't have people of working age earning plenty of money and paying lots of taxes, where is the money to come from to keep the rest of us in the manner to which we wish to become accustomed?

There are probably a number of reasons why young people either leave Bexhill or do not come here in the first place. However, poor job prospects and a lack of affordable housing must be high on the list.

It is serendipitous that these two problems can be solved by the same action. Build houses and factories.

Of course, it will be necessary to find a way to access these houses and factories in the middle of the countryside. For the sake of balance a railway line might be considered but in the real world it will require a road.

If it links Bexhill to St Leonards it will go some way towards reducing the congestion on the A259 '“ not an ideal solution but the only one on offer.

Furthermore, I am reliably informed that the cost of a fatal road traffic accident is, on average, 1.25 million.

By eliminating the fog as suggested, the carnage mentioned in the above headlines can be avoided so the building work might even be presented as being 'self-funding' over time.

Surely this is a virtuous circle? But there is a need to push ahead before post-election spending cuts lead to the money allocated disappearing.

Frank Wood

Collington Lane East

Bexhill

Driver menace

"YOU are in the wrong town". "Move out of our area". Both quotes referring to Paul Minter's letter (August 14) regarding elderly drivers.

What a disgrace! Is it all right for them to drive the way they do just because they are the majority? I think not.

I fully support everything Mr Minter wrote. My brother was recently involved in an accident with a woman aged 90; thankfully he was unharmed.

I just cannot understand the stupidity of some people who believe they are still safe to drive on the roads when clearly they are not.

Alice Man

Little Common

A damp squib

I scanned the national media in vain for a response from Greg Barker to the Legg review of MPs' expenses.

But surely there would be something in the good old Observer? Yes! There it was in what was quite a Barker number. No fewer than seven pictures of our illustrious MP gracing the pages of your esteemed organ.

Alas, Mr Barker's statement was a damp squib. Cautious, uninformative. A child of six could have told us Legg would demand the paperwork for four years' failure to submit a mortgage statement '“ and still no answers. But who knows? Maybe HMRC will have better luck.

Don't rock the boat, anything but rock the boat. That's what it's all about. Although after the latest bombshell - the Wilshire case - the Tory boat is surely too filled with holes to stay afloat much longer. Nick Clegg, the Lib Dem leader, is right to call for the heads of the high-rollers: the serial tax dodgers, flippers and expensive mortgage interest claimers.

Nor should the former Home Secretary, Jacqui Smith, be the only one to stand in the stocks and be pelted with public opprobrium for breaking the rules.

Stephen Jackson

Second Avenue

Bexhill-on-Sea

Lovely loos

I WOULD just like to say a big thank you to whoever cleans the loos in Sidley.

I use the loo regularly between shoppping and taking the dogs up to the local woods, and whenever I visit these loos they are clean and fresh smelling.

Please pass on my thanks to the person who takes such care to carry out what must not always be a pleasant job.

Carol Collins

Henley Down

Catsfield

People say no

At the pre-inquiry meeting the inspector, Mr C Tipping, stated he had received five letters to support the link road and 242 letters of objection.

In your paper you asked the people of Bexhill and Hastings 'Do you think the link road should be scrapped?' Seventy-four per cent said yes and 26 per cent said no.

It appears the people of Bexhill and Hastings are not being listened to by their councillors or MPs. It's about time they informed ESCC the people have spoken and stop this link road.

D Emson

Ninfield Road

It's hypocritical

What a hypocrite Greg Barker is.

He is supposed to be the Shadow Environment Minister yet he supports the Bexhill-Hastings Link Road, which will destroy a beautiful green valley and increase carbon emissions.

Every environmental group is against this road.

I think Mr Barker should either resign as Shadow Environment Minister or not support the road.

His leader, David Cameron, has stated that this country is deeply in debt and that we are broke.

Yet Mr Barker still wants to spend 100m on a 3-mile stretch of road.

Government research recently proved that there is no link between road building and regeneration. Obviously Mr Barker is not very well read or up to date.

No wonder we don't trust politicians.

G Plummer

Belle Hill

Bexhill

Wave woes

THIS Next Wave '“ what is it all for and why? For weeks, the Observer has been printing letters asking questions about it, without answers.

I was alerted by your published artist's impressions recently, from which my own impressions were of a sanitised Bexhill front, where people could walk, lie on the ground or sit on low walls. I visited the website www.next-wave.org.uk expecting some details but there was little '“ only blurbs about how good this all was.

Our seafront is popular now, as could be seen this summer with cars parked even up into Richmond Road.

I happen to like much of what we have and I suspect many of the locals do too, judging by the attention being given to the intentions of Next Wave.

I wonder if Bexhill residents in future will be able to view these new changes with the same affection after the usual wear and tear and chewing gum on the selected paving have begun to show?

Why can't some of this money be spent on a decent toilet block, as in Eastbourne, with an attendant at the entry?

After all, there always was a charge of a penny, and worth it to have somewhere nice, clean and maintained, without the constant damage by vandals.

As an amputee, my only access to the front is by buggy and the only safe crossing is at the bottom of Devonshire Road.

Otherwise, there are few dropped kerbs along West Parade, often unusable due to parked cars.

The only answer is a pedestrian crossing with an island, which would benefit young families as well.

I wonder what proportion of Next Wave planners actually live in Bexhill?

Len Dexter

Cooden Drive

Bexhill-on-Sea

Please help

Once again Bexhill Caring Community is appealing for donations to make up Christmas boxes for the less fortunate in our town.

I expect, like me, you would imagine that only the older generation were helped but this is not so. Many young families are struggling, and I am sure the children would love a little 'extra' at Christmas.

It would also be wrong to believe that these gifts are only distributed at Christmas. I know for a fact that this charitable work goes on throughout the year, undertaken by a loyal group of volunteers.

I would therefore ask you all to be as generous as you can in these difficult times and help the less fortunate of all ages in Bexhill.

You may leave any donations, big or small, at TVC, 65 Devonshire Road, which is open seven days a week until 9pm.

Ann Ayres

Wilton Road

Bexhill

Beware study

FURTHER to the recent article about a research study carried out in America that suggests a link between a retrovirus and ME, after consulting with our medical advisers people with the illness should be aware that, while very interesting and encouraging, these findings do need to be replicated in other laboratories.

This is not the first time that a retrovirus has been suggested to play a major part in ME, and before it was sadly found to be a false dawn.

We also need to be aware that, even if an association is confirmed we don't yet know if it is a cause or a consequence of ME.

It would be premature to think about tests and treatments until we know very much more.

On the other hand, this finding will encourage more biomedical research that will increase our understanding of ME.

The message from our advisers is that although this is a very interesting advance, we should not get too excited about it until we know more.

There is much that can be done to help those with ME, as a survey run by our charity recently in the area shows.

For more information call 01273 674828 or see www.

measussex.org.uk

Colin Barton

Chairman

Sussex ME/CFS Society

Thank you

I would like to say thank you for the Rotary Club party that I and my friend were invited to on October 16 at St Augustine's Church Hall.

About 92 elderly ladies and gentlemen attended from various organisations and I hope they will agree we were given a good time.

The entertainment given by some pupils from St Richard's School was excellent and we were given a lovely tea too.

In addition, mention must be made of the two members of the Women's Land Army who got us all singing some of the old wartime songs.

Thank you very much.

Shirley Cowan

Preston Road

Sidley

. . . A big thank-you to the Rotary Club on October 16 which gave the elderly ladies and girls a lovely tea and were entertained by the St Richard's School pupils.

They also helped with serving us with cups of tea, sandwiches and home-made cakes. Thanks also to the people who drove us to the hall and took us home.

Mrs D Tadman

Camperdown Street, Sidley

Join us on climate protest walk

As chairman of the Bexhill and Hastings World Development Group (WDM), I would like to tell readers about an exciting event that will take place in the near future.

On Saturday, December 5, tens of thousands of concerned people will be out on the streets of London to wave support for climate justice success in Copenhagen one week later.

The walkers will go from Grosvenor Square down to the vicinity of Westminster Bridge and the Embankment in the UK's biggest ever climate rally. This is being organised by the Stop Climate Chaos Coalition, made up of more than 100 organisations, such as Christian Aid, CAFOD and Tearfund.

To make it easy for people who have worries about going up to London we are putting on a coach on the Saturday morning fairly early, which will return late afternoon.

Pick-up points will start at Hastings and Bexhill.

Details and more information can be obtained from Julia Dance on 01424 213078.

Denis Lucey

Maple Walk, Bexhill