Readers' letters - April 4

Bus changes no one wants
Alan Spavin  a true legend of PNE says a reader. See letter below           Picture: Ian RigbyAlan Spavin  a true legend of PNE says a reader. See letter below           Picture: Ian Rigby
Alan Spavin  a true legend of PNE says a reader. See letter below Picture: Ian Rigby

The time is running out for the Orbit. This popular bus is being axed because, amongst other things, there are a lot of concessionary pass users.

If that is the case, doesn’t it also apply to all the other buses?

Yet it appears the Orbit is being targeted.

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The heart of any bus company is the people it serves. Indeed, they are the company. Preston Bus, I feel, are failing to address their needs and are basing their decision purely on money.

Times are hard and the withdrawal of the service means that some people are unable to get to their places of work and will probably become unemployed as a result.

This will mean they can’t afford to use the buses, which will mean falling passenger numbers.

Others who can, will find alternative ways of getting to work.

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Some will have to go to town and then go back on themselves and have to use four buses to and from work.

To blame concessionary passes is awful as a lot of elderly people use that service.

So far, there are at least two online petitions with over 2,000 signatures.

It is not supposed to be a decision for the company to have taken lightly, but it seems very easy to ignore what people are telling them.

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The Orbit is vital to so many people and this is causing nothing but upset.

Distressed lady

Alan was one
of my heroes

Alan Spavin was, without doubt, a great player and a true legend of Preston North End.

I remember seeing him play against Chelsea in the 1960 FA youth final and he was outstanding. The great Tom Finney said that if Alan had an extra two yards of pace, then he would have played for England.

It was fitting that Preston gave Alan a tremendous minute applause. He was one of my heroes and I will forever remember his great contribution to the fans.

Jim Miller, Penwortham

Who will pick up the pieces?

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Following the July 2 Ribble Valley Borough Council planning committee meeting when outline planning consent was granted on a second vote, despite overwhelming local opposition and threats of legal action against a member, I will once again register my objections.

Additional to all the other valid points which were voiced – but sidelined – long standing surface water flooding cannot be ignored.

Affordable flood risk insurance may be unobtainable.

The flood risk assessment report by PSA Design Consultants – ref T2069/DW dated August 10 – states that Barratts’ proposed superficial solutions of soakaways will not work because of the thick, impermeable clay strata.

This has been absolutely confirmed by Soiltechnics Geotechnical Consultants’ ground investigation of February 2016, which carried out 20 deep soil sampling pits on site.

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Alternative solutions will need to be sought, possibly into nearby Higgins Brook, causing extensive downstream water flows which, however, would put additional strain on an already evidently over-capacity system.

How can Phase 1 planning consent be granted before Barratts provide convincing answers?

The granting of any kind of qualified or reserve approval would appear to be a dereliction of duty by the licensing authority responsible.

The existing unsatisfactory situation would become much worse.

Who would be picking up the pieces and paying the costs?

Eric Ball,

Resident of Longridge

Kindness of Lancashire folk

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I was to visit Longton on March 22 to attend an old nursing friend’s funeral at St Oswald’s RC Church.

Dorothy Ann Lester had been a district nurse and we had trained together at Preston Royal Infirmary. I am now 80 years old and I was coming from Little Budworth in Cheshire. I decided to travel the day before but I did not set off until about 5.30pm.

The place I had to get to was Willow Cottage, a guest house. Unfortunately the sat nav took me to the wrong place. In the darkness I went to a bungalow and told them of my plight. The lady of the house said: “I will take you if you follow my car.” Unfortunately, I lost the lady. I saw light at a house and went to the window. Two builders seemed to be measuring up the floor. One told me that it was the next turning but “go very slowly or you will miss it”. I found the turn off and followed the lane around to the cottage. Then I realised I had everything with me apart from my handbag!

Ann, who owns the cottage, let me use the phone to ring my husband. She said you can send me a cheque and then made me a pot of tea and an omelette. The following day, after a lovely breakfast, she lent me £20, the cat made friends with me, and they both escorted me to the car with directions to the church.

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I met up with two nursing friends from our training school PTS X, and, after a lovely service, went to the Ram’s Head and chatted with the family and friends.

I then decided to go on the off chance to see an old friend, no phone to ring first! Margaret Best and I worked together in Lloyds Bank Preston in the 1950s before I went nursing. Luckily she was in and rang another old friend Marjorie Smith. I had been to primary school and the technical college, now the University of Central Lancashire, with her. Marjorie came round and told me to follow her for the easiest way to get to the motorway.

I have already sent the money and a thank you card to Ann, but I do not know who the lady was who got her car out to show me the way. I seem to have been blessed with guardian angels, or good Samaritans, all along the way. My husband, who is a Yorkshire man, said that is good old Lancashire kindness and friendship. The news may be bad, but there are more kind people than we might be led to believe. I know the lady in the car takes the local paper because she had read about the funeral. There may be some way you can put a small piece in to say thanks to everyone for me.

Jean Ashton nee Tattersall