Your Letters - February 13
We welcome your letters - email them to rye.battle@trbeckett.co.uk Please include your name and address if your letter is for publication.
Leadership required
WE are approaching a very important decision in the development of Lydd Airport, a traditional and long established facility.
When civil aviation expanded after the war southern coastal airports carried many passengers and enjoyed the economic benefit associated with them for a very simple reason; 80% of UK flights are in the southerly direction.
When you look at this in today's context, the need to reduce C02, the significant savings of operating from such airports must not be overlooked.
Located in a largely rural area development at Lydd could inject significant numbers of high quality sustainable jobs into the area producing much needed stimulus to the housing market and providing jobs for local people.
Better transport links would be required to allow both passengers and staff to travel to and from the airport, notably the ability to run passenger trains on the existing Dungeness line.
These improved transport links, working with the fast service into Central London offer a model that reflects the most recent European developments in airport design; connected with fast rail; distant from the urban centre.
The Marsh has a number of designations to help protect the environment and great care has been taken in the wide ranging environmental impact assessment produced by the airport. It is important to make clear that if the development does not attract the forecast level of activity, the impact will be negligible; some take the view that both Lydd and Manston are not suitable candidates for development.
The prize may be viewed in the following terms. Across Europe airports generate 2,800 local jobs for every million passengers they put through their terminals.
We are, in effect, exporting tens of thousands of jobs from te area every year due to lack of basic infrastructure. To ensure that the county not only retains its gateway status but enhances its position as a leading tourism destination we need affirmative leadership now.
To quote Alfred North Whitehead: "It requires a very unusual mind to undertake the analysis of the obvious".
Airports are not some new phenomena; they are a well understood, regularly used facility for the majority of local residents and now is the time for positive participation from all political parties.
Development at Lydd will bring jobs and better transport links to the area.
ROBIN GORDON
Tower Street
Rye
Insulting and inaccurate
I AM compelled to respond to the letter "Exploding with Rage" (Observer February 6 2009).
I found this letter both insulting and inaccurate not just towards me, but to the majority of my fellow Councillors.
In respect of the Special Council Meeting to deliver a response to Rother District Council's Local Development Framework (LDF) Draft Core Strategy, he dismissed the councillors, with the exception of one, as being ignorant of the subject, not making any constructive or sensible comment and having difficulty with knowing how to vote. This is completely untrue.
A number of councillors, including myself, attended the public meeting on the subject, to listen and make notes of the views expressed and to ensure that these were taken into account at the Council Meeting.
Cllr. Smith is, indeed, to be congratulated (and I have done so personally) for collating the views of the public and relating them to the relevant sections of the Report as was required.
It is my understanding that Cllr. Smith agreed to do this on behalf of the Council (as is usual practice when responding to East Sussex Council Council and RDC policy documents), and as Chairman I welcomed her initiative as a businesslike way forward carried out in a reasonable amount of time, especially as a full Council Meeting was to follow. Mr. Shackleton did not stay for this, if he had he would have heard me refute his allegation, and the following would not be necessary. Questions are welcome at Council Meetings, but long speeches and interruptions are not.
Mr. Shackleton appears to believe he can behave in any way and make any comment he wishes with impunity no matter how insulting or untrue, and he demonstrates a somewhat tenuous grasp on reality because:
1. I did not lose my temper, but did raise my voice to restore order, as is required of me in the Standing Orders. Mr. Shackleton should know this as a former Mayor/Chairman.
2. I did not break the gavel.
3. As for "jumping up and down like a demented dervish", I did not leave my seat. Mr. Shackleton should also be aware that dervishes whirl, not jump and down, and are regarded by many as holy men with miraculous powers. I know I do my best but miracles…………!
CLLR. S. H. SOUSTER
Mayor and chairman of Rye Town Council
Expert advice
SENSE is the leading national charity that supports and campaigns for children and adults who are deafblind.
We provide expert advice and information as well as specialist services to deafblind people, their families, carers and the professionals who work with them.
Sense undertakes a large amount of this work in the South East, including East Sussex and including Battle.
Sense's work is wide ranging and covers the breadth of complex issues surrounding deafblindness. We have supported 10 children in East Sussex with a variety of complex needs. Our Family Education Advisory Service oversees these assessments and provides a very specialist service to families who very often feel isolated. In these cases the families have benefited from over 50 years of expertise.
Deafblindness is a combination of both sight and hearing difficulties. Most of what we learn about the world comes through our ears and eyes, so deafblind people face major problems with communication, access to information and mobility. People can be born deafblind, or become deafblind through illness, accident or in older age.
Our services include on-going support for deafblind people and families. These range from day services where deafblind people have the opportunity to learn new skills and Sense-run houses in the community – where people are supported to live as independently as possible.
Deafblind people face major challenges in communication, mobility and accessing information and the services we provide are designed to make these things easier.
Our work with adults extends through all the age ranges, but we are finding a lot more cases of deafblindness within, but not exclusively to, the elderly population. As a consequence, deafblindness is on the increase. Here our outreach team will visit, and provide a comprehensive assessment of each individuals needs in order for that person to continue to live, with the right support, as independently as possible. We urge anyone who has an elderly relative who they think to be deaf and blind to get in touch with us immediately for help and advice.
We are aiming to have contact with everyone who is deafblind so that they can capitalise on the knowledge that we, as leaders in our field, possess. This is a lot of work and much of what we undertake would be impossible were it not for the support from charitable donations. We warmly welcome support from people interested in the unique people we work with and would be delighted to hear from you if you are interested.
We would also welcome enquiries from anyone interested in taking advantage of a range of exciting voluntary opportunities that we have.
If you would like more information about Sense in the South East call Ed Charles on 01372 840321, e-mail ed.charles@sense.org.uk or visit www.sense.org.uk
Sense is a registered charity 289868.
ED CHARLES
Regional Fundraising Manager
Sense
Disgraceful strategy
I WONDER how many of your readers realise how disgracefully disingenuous is the Rother DC's document 'Local Development Framework - Core Strategy'?
It cynically postures as a consultation document, when in fact consultation is expressly barred by what are called "Strategic Parameters" which include the most important issue of all namely, the amount of future housing development.
Rother will of course, as planning authority, receive most of the blame for the development envisaged including, in the case of Battle the destruction of its irreplaceable charm and character. Let us be clear. Via the S.E. Regional Plan Battle is being forced by the Labour government to accept a growth of 450-500 new houses in the period to which the document relates.
An increase of this magnitude in the size of the town, with the accompanying population explosion and extra traffic, is quite absurd and is condemned by Battle town council as unsustainable- (see report, Observer Jan 23). There is no one to blame for this vandalism other than the government.
It is claimed in the Rother document that, in carrying out the massive housing growth, with all the associated infrastructure needs, it will be a planning objective to maintain the essential physical form, character and setting of the town. That is manifestly impossible and it is totally dishonest to pretend otherwise.
It also refers to the replacement of Martins Oak Surgery as a key infrastructure requirement. The majority of people in Battle are well satisfied with the service provided by the existing surgery and with its central location. Were they consulted before it became a "requirement" or is this a diktat of the PCT?
Of course, a need will arise in any community for some change improvement and development but such matters need to be implemented on a scale which recognises and respects aesthetic considerations and, in particular, the wishes of the local population.
But today, using the local authority as a "front" the government is imposing on Battle a grotesque demand for new housing, a demand which has its genesis in the scandal of uncontrolled immigration and tax and other policies which have discouraged the "family" unit. The price of these follies by the government will now be paid by us and the citizens of other towns and villages in terms of environmental loss and diminution in the quality of life.
P R BELCHAMBER
Whatlington Road
Battle
A gritty story
MY father worked as a council lorry driver in the 1930's, until he retired. We lived in Robertsbridge and he was employed by E.S.C.C. Battle Division. In the usual snowy winters, a man would travel by motorcycle from Battle to call him out at 4am, to clear the snow from lanes and roads in rural areas in their division. First he travelled to the Battle Depot, where they loaded the grit and fitted the snow plough and wheel chains, then off they went, other areas were doing the same.
How strange that in those days, this was deemed such a priority when traffic was minimal, compared with the volume today!
PAMELA HARDING
Langham Road,
Robertsbridge.
Thank you for lunch
AS two who were fortunate enough to attend the diabetic seminar in Battle in December we were saddened to read Mrs Williams' criticism in your issue of January 30. Mrs Williams had obviously not done her homework.
The lunch was incidental to the important business of the morning which was an exchange of views and information, which so far as the patients were concerned was not only extremely useful, but it was a great morale booster in that we all came away feeling someone in the health service was concerned about us and that we were no longer a minority group to be "swept under the carpet". We certainly learned a lot and our group were able to put forward several suggestions which would result in financial savings for the P.C.T. in the future.
The lunch raised all our spirits in that we were shown that it was quite possible to eat a traditional form of Christmas Lunch without raising our blood sugar levels.
Thank you Pacesetters Diabetes Project and Hastings and Rother P.C.T.
MISS FRITH and MRS BARR
Knowle Road,
Fairlight Cove.
Heartfelt thanks
I WOULD like with the help of the Observer to extend my heartfelt thanks to the band of good samaritans who came to my rescue, kept me safe and attended me until the ambulance crew took over, after an accident in Battle High Street last week. Also the operatives of our splendid ambulance service which goes on continuously improving.
ME CHEVERALLS,
High Street,
Battle.
Be a drinker
I WAS concerned by your report of the recent altercation involving an 'unemployed drunk' who was arrested following a disturbance in Rye recently.
It serves as a timely reminder that it isn't just those working in the construction, housing, banking and related industries that are feeling the effects of this recession. Now, even drunks are being thrown onto the scrapheap!
A number of my friends and colleagues - some of whom have been drunks for most of their working lives - are now in fear of their futures. Even some of the retired drunks that I would count as acquaintances are also suffering as they see their meagre savings eroded by inflation. What most people don't understand about drunks is that there are those who pretend to be drunk, those who aspire to be drunks and then there are those who are fully fledged members of the professional drunk fraternity.
But times have changed. Sure the pay isn't bad - though day to day expenses continue to rise because of the oppressive tax and duty regime of the present government.
Probably the only real job benefit is the extremely sociable hours that drunks are required to be on duty.
The pay used to be very good, the hours extremely social and, of course, the icing on the cake - a pension.
MARTIN BURKE
Teviot
Peasmarsh
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Sunday 05 February 2012
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