Readers' letters - December 13

Passing Fulwood Library every day, I do wonder what is happening with this treasured community building.

I, like other Fulwood residents, wrote to my MP concerning its closure and I received a reply at the end of October stating that the Government would be looking to consider whether the council is “acting in compliance with its statutory duties under the Public Libraries & Museums Act”.

However, it appears that Lancashire County Council has refused offers to meet and has also not responded to their enquiries.

Surely, if a resident and council tax payer raises concerns about a community asset with our elected MP and Government, then Lancashire County Council has a duty to respond to their concerns?

I have no doubt that Lancashire County Council is in the process of quickly selling off this building to a supermarket, restaurant or coffee chain, but we have these in abundance, along with the litter they bring. I would prefer the supply and sustenance of the intellectual kind which a library provides.

Lancashire County Council’s leadership constantly bleats on about its lack of funds, yet it ‘came across’ an extra £12m.

I have little faith in Lancashire County Council’s financial management and, by not replying to these enquiries, perhaps they have little faith or confidence in them either.

B Adams

Preston

development

There’s just no consideration

The house building works north of Preston centre have now got completely out of hand for us long suffering residents.

I cannot go a mile from Hoyles Lane without passing SIX new house building sites.

I do realise and fully understand the need for new and affordable housing, but it is the way the residents have been treated that really irritates us – road closure after road closure, traffic signals after traffic signals (two in Hoyles Lane at the moment), excavating in the same areas, time after time, with no notification whatsoever to local householders.

The heavy juggernaut vehicles are quite threatening on what are no more than country lanes and the filth and mud constantly present on the roads and walkways are a menace.

People don’t open windows any longer due to the dust hazard but there are just no communications with planners and building contractors, no information ever forthcoming.

They just do as they like.

No publicly elected officers – LCC, PBC or local councillors –have really bothered, just a few mumbled statements at the onset of the works informing how beneficial these housing projects would be to the community.

Well, come on, Mr Politician, take a five-minute ride around Cottam, Bartle, Fulwood and Cottam Hall.

Be sure not to wash your car first though.

I know this is progress and quite necessary but the whole area has been “raped” with a complete lack of consideration for those who reside in any part of it.

RIP Cottam!

JS

Cottam

POVERTY

A breathing space needed

As we approach the Christmas season, a time when many families are struggling financially, I’m supporting The Children’s Society campaign to protect the estimated 64,000 children living in problem debt in Lancashire.

Children living in families in problem debt are five times more likely to be unhappy than children in families without debt troubles.

That’s why we’re calling on the Government to introduce a ‘Breathing Space’ scheme – to give parents time to get their finances back in order and repay their debts in a safe and affordable way.

Too often families fall into debt because of unexpected life events. They need time and space to get their finances back on track to repay their debts, rather than being chased by bailiffs and having fees and charges added, pushing them ever deeper into a perpetual cycle of debt.

At a time when some families are being forced to cut back on essentials like food and heating, we need our politicians to get behind this campaign to help protect families in Lancashire from falling further into the debt trap.

Paige Thompson

Chorley

brexit

Proud CV of our country

I again find myself as a EU leave voter writing about the EU referendum in defence of fellow leave voters being constantly being branded swivel-eyed loons (ref: David Cameron), racist, uninformed idiots, “little Englanders” and, just recently, as supporters of “mob rule”.

Well, I would just like to ask these remainers to consider the following statement made by the prominent remain campaigner Richard Branson, prior to the referendum, which I fully agree with: “The top 100 worldwide inventions/ discoveries that have had the most profound impact in improving the lives of millions of people in terms of social and economic advancement have all originated from the UK.”

These are just six of them:

1. The steam engine/ railways

2. The jet engine

3. Television

4. Computers

5. DNA

6. The World Wide Web (www.com).

If these are the achievements of “Little Englanders”, then can we ask the remainers to reply and tell us why me and the rest of the other swivel-eyed loons, et cetera, are wrong!

Surely if the UK was applying for a job ( trade with the world ) with this CV we must be in a favourable position!

Mike Gleeson

Fulwood

ENVIRONMENT

Sad world with

no animals

Recent news reports are full of the fact that the giraffe population has dropped by 40 per cent in recent years.

The same is true of other large animals that we take for granted. The Asian rhinoceros, snow leopard, tiger, orang utan ... and sadly, the black rhinoceros is now extinct in several African countries.

How about, as a change from the usual Christmas (or, indeed, birthday) presents, readers take out a subscription with World Wildlife Fund or an organisation like the RSPB – as plenty of British birds are under threat – or undertake to “adopt” an animal for their children, to instil a sense of global and local ecological care in the next generation?

They are the future, to use a cliche, and how sad would the world be without this wildlife.

R Kimble via email