Readers' letters - November 24

Our footpath is now unusable and risky

The current state of Lightfoot Lane, Fulwood, on both the road surface and pavements is an absolute disgrace.

Thick mud, blocked drains, severe ponding on many lengths of the road, and serious damage to several grass verges are prevalent throughout the length of the lane.

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All have been caused by various developers’ failure to maintain an acceptable condition, as was specified within the various planning conditions imposed by Preston City Council.

Shame on them for not enforcing their own prescribed conditions.

The pavement is virtually unusable by pedestrians, with slips and trips a serious potential risk, not to mention being frequently drenched by passing motorists driving through the many puddles caused by the many blocked drains.

Unfortunately for residents, this misery is likely to continue for a far greater length of time than was originally advised during the initial rush to get the planning applications approved, as the sale of the new houses across the many sites has now slowed to a mere trickle.

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Images of the Costa Del Sol and the Algarve in the 1980s with a proliferation of uncompleted properties across vast expanses of land, which existed for more than two decades, vividly come to mind.

No doubt Mr Hemmings, with the proposal for the former Ingol Golf Course, will be monitoring these (un) developments carefully to avoid any unnecessary investment with the serious possibility of little return in the long-term.

As a consequence, the proposed training complex may be some time in coming to fruition.

DEMOCRATIA ET SIMPLICITATE

Fulwood
Preston

transport

Past times on the buses...

Further to Norman Ellis’s photo of the BBMS bus, one can just make out that it was Fleet No. 7 (LP Looking Back, November 10). This has the Lancashire county registration number of 2295 TE.

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Its twin was Fleet No. 8. It had a Lancashire county registration number of 651 KTJ and was acquired from Leyland Motors (who built them) in 1962.

It was previously used as a demonstrator with Leyland Motors and was built in 1959.

The Atlanteans were a revolution in design, their main feature was having the engines in the rear of the vehicle, thus allowing passengers to board at the very front of the bus. This is a design which has hardly changed except for the London Bus Routemasters.

It also saw the demise of the conductor, as the driver could issue the bus tickets as well as drive the bus and open and close the door. The modern London Routemasters, aka Boris Buses, have now reversed that trend!

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Other buses/coaches in the fleet included No. 1 with the registration number of GTF 418. Fleet No. 3 and 4 were assigned to 1955 AEG Regent 3 Lowbridge double deckers with 3 having the registration number of UTC 672. This is still running today with Cumbria Classic Coaches for private hire and weddings. It was featured on Tony Robinson’s series of Coast to Coast.

It was acquired by BBMS from a batch intended for Huddersfield Corporation.

Being a rival AEG make, it caused a stir among the Leyland Motors workers from Chorley, who used to board it on their way to and from their works.

A more modern version of Fleet No. 3 was a Leyland Britannia coach (GCU 573).

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No. 5 was also a coach with registration number DRN 357 (the only one with a Preston registration number of RN) and was a 76DR004 Duple Roadmaster of the 1950s.

No. 6 was an Albion ( registration number 747 EUS), replacing an earlier AEG highbridge double decker with a Lancashire county registration number of GTJ 955. Oddly this Albion is also still ‘running’ – as a die-cast model!

The earlier AEG numbers 3 and 4 were not exactly speed merchants, with a top speed of just 40mph but, if even that was too fast for some passengers, they could relax with coach No. 5 which had a top speed of just 30mph!

When Ribble Motor Services bought them out, BBMS buses were assigned to the north end of the old bus station in Tithebarn Street, until the routes were gradually absorbed into Ribble’s other/competing routes.

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The old Starch House Square bus station is now largely buried under the Iceland store and Ringway!

In one corner (south west) was the Scout/Standerwick coach station/depot which ran services and tours all over the country and double decker coach versions of the Atlantean ran regular services to London, often from its other base in Blackpool and elsewhere. It did not have bus conductors but (usually) stewardesses. Bus conductors were usually called ‘clippies’ as they clipped one’s tickets on the return leg of the journey.

Neil Swindlehurst

Walmer Bridge

environment

Dumped rubbish attracts rats

I am writing this letter about the regeneration of the New Hall Lane area of Preston, which is a dump.

I was brought up in this area when shopkeepers and households had pride.

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Buy-to-let has ruined this area. The decent people who want to sell their property in this area have to sell at a knock-down price or stay because they have not enough money to buy in a decent area of their choice.

Dust bins and industrial bins are left out permanently on the pavements, stinking and overflowing, obstructing people’s way.

There are black bags and rubbish, household goods, settees and mattresses, on the corner of Scotforth Road, houses of multiple occupation (HMO) on Skeffington Road and Maitland Street and the telephone box on Maitland Street. My sister has a flat on Maitland Close. Her cat has brought four rats into kitchen. This area must be overrun with vermin caused by people’s actions.

Dumping is done on a nightly basis. Why has all this money been spent in this area and why is the council’s phones always engaged when you try and report it? When are cameras going to be put up to catch these people?

Name and address supplied