Government austerity plays a large part in reason for drop-off in local services

There was a common theme running through three of the letters published in the August 23 edition of the Sussex Express.

Ron Pattenden of Hailsham was critical of police failure to deal with a dangerously parked vehicle.

Dominic Rayner of Lewes linked increases to council tax and parking charges with failure to maintain footways and verges.

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R Packham, also of Lewes, was disappointed about Lewes District Council’s failure to respond quickly to a report of Japanese knotweed in the Winterbourne stream bed.

These complaints are all very reasonable. However, the target of the complaints is completely misplaced. Government austerity policies since 2010 have driven down police numbers, leaving the police authorities having to prioritise rigorously the disposition of scarce resources.

Government funding of local government has been savagely cut leaving authorities desperately scrabbling the balance the books. Maybe the letter writers should also be complaining to their local MP as well.

Kevin Froude

Offham village