Readers' letters - March 23

D'urton Lane closure doesn't help traffic

Your article concerning Broughton Bypass delays and the closure of the filter lane is just part of the continuing inconvenience to residents and motorists, not to mention walkers and cyclists (LP March 15).

Whose stupid idea was it to close D’urton Lane to traffic whilst massive roadworks were being carried out elsewhere?

The house builders should have been told to wait.

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I read with disbelief at the end of the item that it will be closed permanently, unless councillors decide otherwise.

Well, I have a suggestion, unless you are able to construct the road that should have linked D’urton Lane to Eastway and now is to be a cycle path, leave the road open or widen the lane to form a proper road.

If you are prepared to allow the mass building of houses on every available green patch in Preston, have the sense to provide the access and infrastructure to enable the rest of us to get from A to B. The Broughton bypass is going to cure absolutely nothing without other surrounding roads able to filter the traffic away.

As it stands, the M55 roundabout has become a no go area for a lot of people, despite heaven knows how much being spent on improving the junction, traffic lights, new lanes and so on.

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People I know have stopped visiting Preston due to its inability to address very simple issues in traffic control and please don’t start me on the town centre fandango.

Steaming resident

via email
Picture: Work progressing on the Broughton bypass

libraries

Selling the family silver

I see that the sale of the former Fulwood Library building is due to be rushed through at breakneck speed by the Labour-dominated county council, obviously before the local elections and also, it seems, as an act of childish spite, as Fulwood is traditionally rock-solid Conservative (LP March

22).

I read that county council mouthpiece David Borrow, who would seem to regard Fulwood as his personal ‘bete noire’, waffled his way through some shallow excuse about owing it to the people of Lancashire to get the best financial return possible.

Really?

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As was noted at the time of the announcement of the library and children’s services cuts, “you can only sell the family silver once”.

Once it’s gone, Mr Borrow, it’s gone.

Still, at least the item was not accompanied by the usual photograph of Coun Borrow with his ‘rictus grin’ beaming at us from his ‘professional politician’s shiny face’.

Oh, to be in the land of I’m-Alright-Jack.

M McLaughlin

Fulwood

city centre

There’s too many beggars

My husband and I visited Preston today (our home town).

I think it will be the last time unless it is necessary.

Why have millions been spent on making Preston look smart, but at the same time scruffy beggars are allowed to litter the city up?

First we walked down Fishergate.

They were sitting in every available doorway (some with dogs and some were even smoking).

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We then went to Friargate (bottom of Orchard Street). You can always guarantee someone there.

Went to the market – one was sitting outside there.

Is there any way this

can be stopped? I am ashamed that this is being allowed to happen, and will not be visiting Preston in the near future.

I advise people not to contribute to their lazy habits.

Preston Girl

via email

social welfare

Welfare caps and birth control

In Channel 4’s March 20 programme on the effects of welfare cap thresholds, there was a glaring omission.

Whilst having sympathy for the plight of the women involved, more particularly the children, neither the interviewer nor the women, described as single mothers, mentioned a father.

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Now as immaculate conception has been discounted by science, and birth control is readily available, how did they manage to get into their present situation?

All three women had three or four children each, and came across as fairly articulate and reasonably intelligent.

My criticism of them is that they give a distorted picture of the help available to other more affected welfare recipients, by opting for their own personal lifestyle.

Denis Lee

Ashton

transport

Run buses for people not profit

The withdrawal of the 150/151 bus service has caused dismay in the Gregson Lane-Hoghton-Coupe Green part of South Ribble.

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Local councillors are working alongside community campaigners to restore the same or an equivalent service.

As a candidate for South Ribble East in the May elections, I support their efforts wholeheartedly.

But the truth is that massive Government cuts to Lancashire County Council’s budget have forced LCC to withdraw some subsidies to Stagecoach.

Without subsidy, Stagecoach often deem routes unprofitable and withdraw them.

We must return to a system whereby buses

are run for people not for profit.

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Award-winning council-run bus services have been set up in Reading, Nottingham and Glasgow.

Residents unhappy with the service can complain to their councillor.

Unresponsive councillors can, of course, be removed at election-time.

This, it seems to me, is a much better system than going cap in hand to a private company, whose only aim is to make profit for its shareholders.

Dave Savage

Secretary,

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P&SRTUC & County Council Candidate for South Ribble East

sport

Atmosphere was great

Re: PNE Face in the Crowd (LP March 20).

I am in the bottom picture.

It was a great atmosphere, as most away games are.

It was great to get an equaliser in the last minute.

I always like the fans’ gallery on a Monday and have been in the LP before.

Peter Greenwood

via email

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