Readers' letters

MPs seeking assurances from shale gas companies is a distinct waste of time.

Shale gas companies can never give realistic safety assurances.

We know from other countries’ experiences that fracking causes serious danger to health due to high toxic emissions, contamination of ground water and billions of gallons of chemicals which cannot be retrieved from the earth’s strata, only to percolate in to agricultural land.

Our MPs instead should be lobbying parliament to ban fracking completely by supporting our county councillors and the people’s democratic decision to prevent fracking in Lancashire and the UK.

The UK signed an agreement at this year’s Paris climate change conference, yet are still being taken in by the hype of the gas companies.

Renewables are where the investment should be.

Renewables are the answer –an answer which is being ignored.

Mr D Barker, address supplied

Pointless and out of touch

Shadow Foreign Secretary Emily Thornberry’s response to a Sky News interviewer that he was being sexist clearly demonstrates how little she has learnt from her past clumsy experience.

With her ‘white man van’ rant in a by-election, coupled with her snobby attitude towards the St George’s day flags, it really shows she is out of her depth in public life.

I can see now why Ed Milliband fired her.

She refers to the questioning on Sky as a ‘pub quiz’.

Perhaps the BBC could invite her on the quiz show Pointless Celebrities. After all, she is a kind of celebrity and she does appear to be utterly pointless.

Alan Thompson via email

This area has gone downhill

This letter concerns the millions being spent on the New Hall Lane area of Preston.

What for? I can think of better ways to spend the money.

The shops are an absolute disgrace. New Hall Lane is filthy, with bins and old fridges left out on the pavements all the time. I am sick of bins being left 365 days a year on these streets. Litter wardens need to be working here.

Do people not have any pride?

Buy-to-let has spoilt this area.

The area has gone downhill and laws need to change.

I was brought up here and I am ashamed to walk around it. Good housing is spoilt by some of the people who live in them. It is like living in squalor.

It breaks my heart to see such a lovely area deteriorate.

Anon

North End and housing plans

On reading about the proposed building of the PNE training facility at Ingol Golf Club, I wonder if this is another attempt from the ‘Hemmings empire’ to obtain building permission to simply build a huge housing complex –as allegedly attempted on other occasions in the past – and does this firm have no interest in PNE?

T Cleary, Ashton

Where have the sparrows gone?

I have a large tree that I originally bought from Woolworths 50 years ago, and named the Tree of Heaven.

Up to a couple of weeks ago we have had all sorts of birds in the garden, but now all the sparrows have gone.

They used to bathe in a bird bath.

Is there a reason for their demise?

Mr RC Carter via email

Changes will be bad for poor

It is timely that the Boundary Commission reveals the map of boundary changes occurring as they do at the time of Cameron’s hasty resignation from Parliament. He leaves a negative memory for the poor as he supported the bankers, gave cuts to millionaires in taxes, but ultimately failed in his stated commitment to rescue the economy.

David Cameron was in fact a hands-off leader, leaving the nasty stuff to his henchmen George Osborne, Andrew Lansley, Jeremy Hunt, and Iain Duncan Smith, who introduced the punitive welfare reforms under the Health and Welfare Act 2012.

Following these reforms we saw rises in food banks, zero hours contracts, bedroom taxes and Lansley’s botched shake-up of the NHS. Latterly to be handed over to Hunt who continues to preside over relentless cuts to the NHS, with sinister junior doctor’s contracts over working conditions and pay constraints.

Under Osborne, came even more sinister cuts in the guise of balancing the books with austerity packages heaped upon county councils. All local authorities have had to close vital services that poorer sections of our communities rely on.

Boundary changes help the Tories, with more ideological cuts for the future to look forward to. Hell in a handcart comes to mind!

Roy Lewis via email

Funds helps those in need

The leaves of autumn are starting to fall and the red Poppy of Remembrance is starting to bloom. It is that time when we start to remember all those who have paid the ultimate sacrifice and give thanks to those who returned.

More so this year when we remember the ongoing commemorations of the First World War, the Battle of the Somme and Jutland. Over the last year, the legion has had over 2,000 enquiries for help in Lancashire alone.

The Royal British Legion is the nation’s foremost ex-service charity and needs your help. It is essential to raise the necessary funds if we are to continue to help all those who come to us in their hour of need.

There are many ways in which you could help. Please get in touch on 01772 745839 or email [email protected] and thank you in anticipation.

Michael F Turner, Lancashire Poppy Appeal Coordinator