Readers' letters - July 25

Yet another notification of a planning application for new houses in Bowgreave hits the doormat.

Another 90 houses on Calder House Lane (that’ll make a cool £3m plus) to add to the 220 houses already approved for Bowgreave and the further 800 approved for the wider Garstang area.

If no one objects to this, before we know it, there’ll be houses all the way from Scorton to Barton and the special character of the Garstang area will disappear for ever.

If you want to voice your concern to Wyre Council, you can do this by writing to Wyre Council or emailing the case officer Rob McKillop ([email protected]), quoting the application number 18/00632/OUTMAJ.

Alternatively, you can go on to the Wyre Council website at wyre.gov.uk/comment, quote the application number above and leave your objection.

If you think enough is enough as far as more new houses in Garstang is concerned, now’s the time to say it.

Gaynor Gee

via email

environment

Service is rubbish

I cannot believe that my wife and I are the only residents of West Lancashire Borough Council who are dissatisfied with the poor service we receive in return for the quite substantial payments we are obliged to pay.

When telephoning the council offices and, in particular, the waste disposal department, calls remain unanswered for ages and when answered, one has to deal with apparently disinterested staff.

May I add that, with my particular problem, the Lancashire County Council doesn’t seem bothered either. They simply referred me back to West Lancashire BC.

The problem is the disposal of a king-sized mattress, properly contained within a huge polythene bag.

West Lancashire suspended its bulk waste collection services many months ago.

When asked when the service is likely to be restored, the reply is “Not any time soon”.

Are they encouraging fly-tipping?

Clearly they prefer to use ratepayers’ contributions to clear up after the fly-tippers rather than accept a payment for the correct disposal in the first place.

I must emphasise that my wife and I would never condone fly-tipping and that is why we would never use anyone other than a recognised and accredited waste disposal organisation.

Unfortunately, my wife and I are both in our 70s and are unable to convey such a heavy and bulky item to a recycling centre ourselves, otherwise we would do so.

Ironically, if we lived just two or so miles along the A59 and within the South Ribble Borough Council area, we could have the mattress collected and disposed of for £16.

Surely all residents within the greater Lancashire County Council area

should be entitled to equal services?

David Asbridge

via email

nhs

Remember

Dr Cank?

Re: ‘We wouldn’t be here without the NHS’ (LP July 5).

The article asks if anyone has any stories concerning the NHS.

I’m sure half of Preston will remember the P.R.I (Preston Royal Infimary) A&E department and Sister Grimshaw.

I’m also sure Sister Grimshaw, and indeed the other half of the people of Preston of a certain age, will remember Dr Cank, he was also a permanent feature of P.R.I A&E.

He was a bear of a man, cast in the mould of Mr James Robertson Justice (Sir Lancelot Spratt in the Doctor films of that time).

You knew you were in good (and strong) hands if you saw Dr Cank when it was necessary to visit A&E, or Casualty as it was known at that time.

Dr Cank was a character and is well worth researching.

He deserves to be remembered in the annals of Preston’s medical history.

Derek Lester

Hutton

entertainment

Escapism with Mamma Mia

I have just been to see the sequel to Mamma Mia, pictured, and it is a bit disappointing in that it does not have a very good story, the scenery is not as beautiful and there’s very little humour. Having said that, it is worth seeing, even if just for the music. For pure escapism and the superb Abba songs, it is still a film to see.

Janet Berry via email