Readers' letters - May 1

I have often, through these columns, criticised our city leaders because they seemed to think they were still running a town rather than a city, and so had a short-sighted vision of what the City of Preston really meant and could do with.

The latest plans (LP April 26) show that the city planners have woken up at last.

They have used both Manchester and Liverpool as examples as to the way forward for Preston, so let me mention just one example from these two North West cities to help guide our leaders into taking the right path and that is they should look upward, for instance, to high rise developments, just as both of these cities have done.

Okay, some initially were thought of as either too ambitious or even inappropriate but they have now been embraced by both cities while others still have the jury out on them, including those yet to be developed.

Just imagine the views from the tops of these apartment blocks.

Depending upon which aspect one is looking from, one could view Winter Hill and the West Pennine Moors towards the outskirts of Manchester, sweeping round to Parbold Hill, further round to Liverpool and even North Wales/Snowdonia, or across the Lancashire Plains towards Southport, the Ribble estuary and Blackpool Tower.

Or looking northwards towards the Lake District Fells and slightly over towards Bleasdale Fell, Parlick and the Forest of Bowland, then further over towards Pendle Hill and the foothills of the Pennines.

Of course such vistas to be enjoyed may come at a price but where else does one have such magnificent 360 degrees views, all to be viewed from one’s residence and a short walk away from work and leisure?

Importantly all of these views are to be had from a place which is not only central to these beautiful areas but are also within an hour or so’s drive from one’s home, and with Preston as a central hub for public transport also.

This is a golden opportunity to promote the city and, given the available funding, should be embraced by the powers-that-be.

Now get on with it!

Neil Swindlehurst

Walmer Bridge

politics

Questions of democracy

In response to Brexiters decrying the so-called Remoaners, and directing their venom in particular towards the Liberal Democrats, ridiculing the word ‘Democrat’ in their name, and calling them undemocratic for supposedly defying the will of the people following last year’s EU Referendum.

One of the main reasons why there was a referendum last year was that some politicians never accepted the will of the people following the 1975 Referendum, and, furthermore, few of the leading Brexit politicians actually expected their side to win.

The best result many were hoping for was that the outcome would be sufficiently close for them to call for another referendum in the future, and they are therefore now desperate for Brexit to be completed before people are given any chance to change their minds.

Unfortunately, David Cameron miscalculated badly, and lacked the political skills of the late Harold Wilson.

Regarding the Liberal Democrats, they are actually sticking to their long-held principles over the EU, unlike the Labour Party who appear to have abandoned them in order to ‘go with the flow’, something which could end up backfiring on them.

One interesting fact is the percentage of the electorate who voted to leave the EU last year (37 per cent) is virtually identical to the percentage that voted Conservative in the 2015 general election, so if you followed the same argument of the Brexiters, anyone who was in opposition to the Conservative Government after that election, should therefore also be labelled as undemocratic.

John Turley

via email

animal welfare

Check your pet’s health regularly

Health checks at home for your pets are a good idea as it helps them to get used to being examined by the vet at the surgery, plus you will notice disease or problems in the early stages. Check inside their ears for mites and canker before it becomes a full ear infection, their nose for any discharge and their eyes for soreness and asymmetry.

Run your hands over their whole body from top to toe, lift the tail gently, pick up each foot and feel between the toes. Feel for lumps, bumps, scabs and sore areas.

Be confident but gentle as animals pick up on our emotions, so if you are nervous they become nervous too.

These regular checks will help alleviate stress from your pet’s life when visiting the vet.

Josephine Harwood

via email

entertainment

Just what is the point of Ofcom?

TV Watchdog Ofcom has dismissed hundreds of complaints about the BBC’s Red Nose Day telethon, despite unacceptable content being shown before the 9pm watershed.

Likewise it seems that, despite numerous complaints, Ofcom considers the content of the soaps, in particular Emmerdale, to be acceptable despite constant warnings being given about what is to be shown prior to the broadcasts, and the fact that small children often watch such programmes unsupervised.

Indeed, why should they have to be supervised before 9pm? Surely the point of the watershed. This toothless organisation, Ofcom, is unfit for purpose, and it is time it was disbanded and replaced by something with more teeth, and a willingness to use them.

Bob Watson

Address supplied

media

Good riddance to columnist

Re: Kelvin Mackenzie and Sun race row. Will Kelvin MacKenzie never learn?

You would have thought he’d have learnt his lesson after insulting the good people of Liverpool – as a result the Sun newspaper was blacklisted from the city.

It’s hard to believe this man was an editor of the Sun and is now a columnist, which he used to express his offensive views towards the citizens of Liverpool.

But now he has overstepped the line and, quite rightly, he has been suspended from the Sun. Do these columnists think they can write their venom in their lucrative newspaper columns and get away with it? Good riddance to Kelvin MacKenzie.

Darryl Ashton

Blackpool

energy

Putin a fan of anti-frackers

Whilst travelling along Blackpool Road where the anti-fracking protesters are crowded, and considering there are many roadside posters, I noticed that the protesters have failed to display one important placard. This poster should be stating the fact that ‘Putin supports anti fracking’.

Where is this poster? Putin would just love for us to be dependant upon his own gas generated supply.

On another matter, the police are always crying cuts or lack of resources.

Yet there are always loads of them in the area.

Perhaps anyone from outside the area who is protesting should pay a contribution.

Mr P Webberley

Warton