Your letters - September 10, 2010

We welcome your letters - email them to [email protected] Please include your name and address if your letter is for publication.

Some abuse trust in any situation

I AM disappointed Graham Wallace, of Hastings Taxis Association, (Letters September 3) decides to play taxi politics and semantics when it comes to responding to the horrific news that a driver was found guilty of assaulting women passengers.

It does not matter that the driver was hackney or private hire. Drivers from both have been found out and convicted.

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There are those who would abuse their trust in any situation.

Mr Wallace can no more guarantee the values and behaviours of his own members and drivers than he can anyone else's.

And private hire drivers have to have a enhanced CRB check just like everyone else. But we all know CRB checks are not infallible.

Taxis remain a vulnerable area for both drivers and passengers and one that is easy to take advantage of by the despicable.

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It is about time Mr Wallace and the Taxi Association joined with the Private Hire Association and council and licence officers to ask for feedback from the public and drivers and get a real picture and proper statistics behind the vulnerable world of driving or riding in taxis.

As for CRB checks, they only identify those who already have a criminal record.

As less than seven per cent of rapes get to court and less than six per cent of those get convicted I suggest the real state of things is yet to be known.

I would also suggest the same statistic could be said of how many taxi drivers get their experiences of assault to court and get convicted.

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Have a proper survey of the public and drivers of this town asking for their experience and feedback. It may expose and highlight patterns and may help identify culprits and repeat offenders.

I am interested in collecting feedback from both drivers and public. Anyone interested should get in touch at [email protected].

JUNE KNIGHT

St Helens Road

Meeting in 1993 backed relief road

VIGOROUS Lib-Dem support for the link road section of the old by-pass scheme was the key to the party's seizure, however transient, of control of the council in 1996.

As chairman of Maze Hill/West, St Leonards Ward, Lib-dems with Monroe Palmer (Candidate) and Councillor Norman Wilcock, I called a meeting of Bexhill Road residents in October 1993 at which we pledged to back a relief road to the utmost as a major object of policy.

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Monroe consulted with the then Councillor Norman Baker, who voted for the road when the county, under Lib-Dem leadership, approved the plan.

This pledge for a relief road was the vital key to our capture of all five county and borough seats in what had been, under the much-respected John Hodgson, one of the safest Conservative wards in the county.

The need for this road featured in every leaflet and on every doorstep in our surprise win in January 1996 in the West St Leonards by-election, a vital step in controlling the council.

I cannot in honour do anything but continue to support the link road to the full.

DEREK COLE

Anglesea Terrace,

St Leonards

An offer that you can't refuse

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LITTLE wonder that Hastings is 'reeling under a massive drink problem'.

Last week my wife and I popped into a local bar to buy a couple of refreshing glasses of wine.

To my amazement, we were advised that it would be cheaper to buy a whole bottle.

I would challenge anyone, how ever keen they may be to restrict their alcoholic intake, not to accept this most generous offer.

DAVID ALLAN

Birchway

Street pastors making a differrence

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LIKE many other readers of the Observer I have been following the progress of the local street pastors group with interest.

I finally had the pleasure of joining them as an observer on Friday.

I would like to, via the Observer, pass on my thanks to the street pastors for their time and the insight provided into the work they are undertaking in our town centre on Friday nights.

As reported recently their programme is soon to be extended to Saturday nights.

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During my time out with the street pastors I witnessed genuine levels of engagement with members of the public, with frequent requests for the trademark lollipops and flip-flops handed out free of charge by the pastors.

On a more serious note I was particularly impressed in the way the pastors were able to assist a young man of 17 who had planned to sleep rough after being ejected from home and after guidance from a street pastor was able to find emergency accommodation.

We hear much talk of the introduction of the "Big Society", well it is fair to say that the "Big Society" is already alive and kicking in Hastings and the street pastors are a fine embodiment of this.

The people of Hastings are fortunate to have people such as them who are focused on the needs of their follow residents and I wish them all the very best for the future.

COUNCILLOR LEE CLARK

Total chaos at new traffic lights

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I DROVE down to Rock a Nore Road and it was total chaos with the new traffic signals and the traffic was building up on both sides.

It was a struggle getting down to the car park because of the parked cars and the build up of traffic due to the new lights.

I know it was a problem before but now it is ridiculous.

These new traffic signals are not making it safer or better but worse.

GEMMA BAILEY

Southwater Road

St Leonards

Banksy art not alone in need for protection

IT WAS encouraging for all us Banksy fans to see the speedy action taken by the council to try and protect this rather amusing art work.

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However it is somewhat ironic that all stops are pulled out to preserve Banksy's gift to St Leonards when the council seems loathed to take any action to prevent the wanton destruction of our beautiful Edwardian and Victorian buildings here in Hastings.

Time and time again developers are given the go- ahead to demolish these important buildings in order to construct ugly concrete developments. Flats and more flats seem to be the order of the day.

Recent development proposals causing deep consternation among residents are the historic convent in Magdalen Road, archery ground in Burton St Leonards, Osborne House on The Ridge and Robsack Meadow (ancient woodland and wildlife habitat) not to mention other numerous applications that will, if agreed, result in the continued erosion of our heritage here in Hastings.

PATRICIA STEPHENSON

Whittlewood Close, St Leonards

We're not getting best value from highways department

ONCE the decision was taken to reduce the exit from Rock-a-Nore Road from two lanes to one, the installation of traffic lights (and the resulting tailbacks) became inevitable - another example of the clarity of thinking that has culminated in Hastings having a not unimpressive 16 sets of traffic lights between the Bourne and Bexhill Road.

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Eastbourne seafront, which has many more side roads, happily makes do with four.

These are presumably the same public servants who closed Cross Street in St Leonards, making both it and South Street into cul-de-sacs, with the resulting pavement extension becoming a much friendlier place for al fresco drinkers.

To drive from Warrior Square station to Kings Road now involves a magical mystery tour via the A259 (including a relatively meagre three sets of traffic lights), only to find that there are few on-street parking spaces these days, and no off-street alternatives except South Street (which is now a cul-de-sac and therefore a much friendlier place for the al fresco drinkers).

It pains me to say it, but I don't think we are getting best value from our highways department. Other readers will no doubt have their own experiences.

CLIFF BROOKER,

High Wickham

Vicar unconventional - but he served my family well

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TWELVE years ago my stepbrother, who lived in Surrey, wished to marry in St Leonards, as this was the place where most of his family had made their homes.

We are not church-goers but his elderly father and his future wife's parents hoped for a church wedding.

I was fortunate to visit St Peter's and meet Rev Alex Brown who agreed to meet the couple and a date was set.

He was very welcoming and the wedding service was traditional and beautiful.

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The church was packed with friends and family and everyone agreed that both the setting and service were perfect.

Alex Brown was not a conventional vicar with his Doc Martins visible below his cassock and features that suggested he'd endured hard times.

But he was a gentle man who had chosen to become a vicar in a time when there are a million other choices.

I feel very sad that he has been nationally vilified and will now spend years in prison and we would simply like it known that he also presided over marriages like my brother's that were about love, happiness and spending a future together.

SALLY WALTON

Victoria Road

St Leonards

Keeping the Soul and Motown music flowing

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LAST Friday (September 3) I attended an event at the Phoenix Arts Centre.

The event was organised by The Soul Survivors (based at the Hove Greyhound Stadium) and was a brilliant night of Soul and Motown music.

Although the event was not very well attended there was a great atmosphere and the dancing went on until 1am.

It was wonderful to have a night of Soul, Northern Soul and Motown music at a venue away from the town centre where those who are passionate about this era of music can relax and simply enjoy.

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On Friday, October 1, there will be another Soul and Motown night at the same venue and hopefully this will be attended in greater numbers and this great night out may "survive" in Hastings.

KAREN TURNER

Sedlescombe Road North

St Leonards

No regulation means there is no control

SO Hastings and its surrounding areas has a higher than average drink problem (Observer, September 3).

Well it's not the pubs is it? Because pubs are responsible retailers of alcohol, landlords and landladies do not serve drunks.

Contrary to popular belief, people's alcohol problems are not our fault.

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Have a walk around the pubs, are they filled to overflowing?

Of course not, the recession has hit us hard. We have huge overheads so can't compete with cheap booze suppliers.

So where do people get booze from? Supermarkets, garages and corner shops. Off licenses have gone, thanks to the supermarket. Are all these responsible retailers?

The Government has nearly succeeded in driving pubs out of business.

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The smoking ban, duty, and allowing all and sundry to sell booze.

So no regulation means no control.

Anyone who knows me will know how I defend the role of the pub in the community.

Pubs are vital community centres. Everyone will realise that when we are gone.

People's drink problems are not the fault of the pubs. It's a society problem, unemployment, depression and recession. But not us.

STEVIE BEALE

The Marina Fountain

Caves Road

St Leonards

Jerwood must honour its original offer

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REGARDING the matter of whether the Jerwood Gallery should be asked to honour its offer to give free admission, Mrs Barrett (letters August 23) seems to have got entirely wrong information.

Yes, Jerwood did initially offer free admission.

This was withdrawn when it was realised the VAT chargeable on the gallery construction costs couldn't be recouped.

The alternative appears to be the off-setting of that VAT with admission money.

Yes, Jerwood did offer, instead, reduced charges to residents of Hastings, and according to a council report of October 2008, the Jerwood Foundation 'will negotiate with HM Revenue and Customs for a lower charge to Hastings residents with further reductions for students, unemployed children and older people'.

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Even the council's Business Plan of October 2008 states that 'the gallery will be entirely self funding and not seek any contribution towards its revenue costs'.

I don't see any obligation on Hastings Borough Council to pay for the administration costs of reduced charges.

Jerwood Foundation, registered in Liechtenstein, is a multi-million pound business. It's already getting Stade land for free, already their business rates of 60-70,000 per annum are to be set aside.

Councillor Richard Stevens is quite right, it's only fair Jerwood be asked to honour its original offer of free admission.

MRS S CURTIS

Old Humphrey Avenue