Sir – I was shocked at the response to the plight of the travellers when I recently attended a meeting on the subject.
As a Christian on benefits I am concerned about the issue of poverty, homelessess, hardship for the poorest of the poor in this country.
Surely these are issues at the heart of the Christian faith.
Some of the attendees at the meeting described the travellers as an untidy, dirty nuisance.
They just wanted them evicted without anywhere to go.
I think that emergency sites with facilities need to be established as soon as apossible.
Also, Patrick Hall MP suggested that there should be a traveller/gypsy official to deal with cases of hardship and procure fair benefits for those who cannot work.
For whatever reason that people fall through the net and decide on alternative llifestyles: travellers do live with tremendous hardship and need sympathy, empathy, positive help in some cases, not insults and eviction notices without being given somewhere else to go.
I think that if the positive options that came out of the meeting come to fruition then the needs of the travellers can be met.
We are living in a more caring society under the Labour Party.
What do you think?
Deirdre Dawson
St Peter’s Street, Bedford
Full time official needed
Sir – My wife and I attended the meeting on September 11 concerning the unlawful encampment by travellers.
We feel that the measures proposed by Patrick Hall offer a just and practical way forward, taking into account the needs and interests of both residents and travellers.
In particular, suitable traveller sites need to be provided as a matter of extreme urgency.
The employment of a full time gypsy and traveller official would provide an effective means for consulting with gypsy representatives and gaining their support and co-operation.
Such contact would be an important step in establishing a constructive relationship with travellers, which is necessary for any measures to be effective.
A long term goal must be the provision of permanent measures which need to be taken to speed up eviction procedures and provide temporary sites.
Malcolm Lee
Queen’s Drive, Putnoe
Cast bridge in stone
Sir – I wish to comment on my fear of the ridiculous imminent closure of Bromham Bridge.
With the implementation of a 2.5 tonne weight restriction there is no reason to allow a handful of pedestrians and cyclists to cause massive disruption, pollution and certain serious accidents at the junction with the A428.
I have regularly used the bridge over the last 50 years and can honestly say I never witnessed any discourtesy or injury to either group.
It’s a case of the whingeing few determined to dominate the huge majority.
Yes, a bit of stonework has been damaged but the repair costs quoted by the council are high.
Could I suggest in future the council contacts the St Albans Diocese and use its contractors (two stonemasons and one labourer) who recently cut and built many hundreds of metres of beautiful Cotswold stone wall around the new Biddenham Church graveyard.
The work was completed in less time than it took the last bridge repair.
Let us now have the vote we were promised – with the third option – a return to two-way traffic but do the weight restriction above.
However much some people would like to make motor vehicles disappear it isn’t going to happen.
RJ Howe
Deep Spinney, Biddenham
Internet not to blame
Sir – It is obvious from Mrs A Meehan’s letter (28/9) that she supports the post office closures and also commends the lack of support of the Labour MP and councillors in fighting closures.
I am particularly interested in Springfield post office because along with my Conservative colleagues, I canvassed for weeks to keep it open.
On one hand she justifies closures due to declining business and on another she slates previous Conservative governments for closing post offices when there was one in almost every locality.
For the record, five years ago, we had three post offices in Kempston, soon we’ll have one.
She blames TV licensing authority and road tax among some of the reasons for decline, yet these are government agencies controlled by the Labour Government.
I wonder if the residents of Springfield/Southfields will accept Mrs Meehan’s point that the closures had nothing to do with the Labour party in government and it is all the fault of the internet.
Steve Collins
St Matthews Close, Kempston
Different ‘cider’ festival
Sir – I think the woman from Wells and Young’s had got over excited with the prospect of the forthcoming CAMRA Beer Festival at the Corn Exchange in Bedford as the event starts on Wednesday .
She also omitted to mention the word ‘cider’ in the festival title Sampling these delightful ciders will be part of my main enjoyment! As a CAMRA member of ten years I know that at the Bedford Beer & Cider Festival I can get in free – but non members have to pay an admission charge after 5pm – Wednesday £2, Thursday £3, Friday £4 and Saturday £1 – still a bargain to get the chance to taste beers and ciders from all around the country.
You may see someone you know behind the bar – pulling a pint or two. I’ll be there and have booked two days holiday from work to help out at the festival – as it needs all the volunteers it can get to help keep the drinks flowing and the atmosphere friendly and fun.
It’s become a much loved event in the town.
Denise Troughton
By email
A Lilliput-down
Sir – On behalf of my family, I take exception to the heading of Steve Lowe’s column, ‘Lilliputians picking up the tab for greedy Gullivers’. My maiden name was Gulliver, a name I was, and still am very proud of.
The column heading is an open invitation to anyone who wishes to use the name as a joke, as you can imagine the obvious connections have been made over the years.
I realise the heading is just an analogy of a situation, but Mr Lowe should think a bit more carefully before taking a name in vain.
Could I ask that Steve does not stoop so LOWE in future.
Janice GULLIVER-Sharp
By email
Editor’s note: Sorry but the Reverend Jonathan Swift started it...
Prime Minister... Clegg?
Sir – You seem to be assuming that following the next general election there will be a Tory government.
However, I can confidently predict that we will have a Lib Dem government under Prime Minister Nick Clegg!
Cllr Roger Baines
By email
Councillor migration
Sir – The idea that Bedfordshire County Council may hope to resurrect itself at some future point isn’t so absurd when you consider that one of its main plans from last year was termed ROB standing for the ‘Rest of Bedfordshire’ – in short a plan for how the county would impose itself over Mid and South Bedfordshire.
Very much reluctant guests at the party these two authorities were never really driven by the idea of unitary status until the county threw its hat in the ring and sought to see the rest off.
What appears to be happening now is a steady move of senior county council officers into positions with the new central authority, some highly competent and others who shouldn’t be let loose near public services.
This will herald the start of a mass migration of county staff to the new authority possibly at the expense of current Mid and South Bedfordshire employees.
Now add the idea of shared services i.e Education or Welfare shared by both Central and Bedford with the bigger authority (Central) competing to be lead authority and all these staff being based at County Hall and overseen by in all probability Conservative councillors.
You then have something not that far removed from the situation we have had for the last few decades.Maybe!
Name and address supplied
Keep Eco-town away
Sir – The strength of feeling against the proposed Marston Vale Ecotown among many local residents is clear (BoS, 21/9 and Letters, 28/9).
The proposals are flawed and do not have public support. I submitted a formal objection to the proposal to the Government, and outlined four key reasons why the plans must not proceed:
■ The loss of green spaces all the way from Junction 13 of the M1 to the Marsh Leys roundabout near Kempston
■ The proposals provide for housing far in excess of projected demand for the Marston Vale area, which is already subject to considerable planned development in the coming years.
■ Even once the A421 is dualled, the A421 and the B530 will really struggle to cope with the likely increased traffic from the Eco-towns.
■ The Eco-town proposals merge existing, settled communities into one great mass of housing.
It is essential that the Government recognises the flawed nature of the plans and the views of local residents. The Marston Vale Ecotown must not go ahead.
Cllr Tim Hill
Liberal Democrat, Wootton Ward
Sands of time take MBDC
Sir – A few years ago you published a letter of mine stating that MBDC should not be investing in the Chicksands development as it had a ten year payback period without any guarantee it would still exist.
I see that sadly I may be correct in my assertion – what a waste of taxpayers’ money it looks like turning out to be.
I cannot believe Central Bedfordshire has got this far down the road and does not even know where the staff will be based.
I wonder how much of the promised savings we will actually see.
John Savill
Lincroft, Cranfield
Double standards
Sir – In last week’s letters page the so called ‘Independent’ borough councillors for Castle Ward, made unsubstantiated personal attacks on myself and accused me of indulging in ‘party politics.’
While I disagree with their analysis, I acknowledge that ‘party politics’ is a topic in which they are extremely well qualified to comment.
Despite attempts to air-brush from history their own party political pasts, it is worth remembering that collectively, the current Castle Ward Councillors have so far been members of five different political parties – the Conservatives, Liberal- Democrats, Labour, Better Bedford and the United Kingdom Independence Parties. I believe the term used for such behaviour is double standards.
In the meantime myself and David Fletcher of the Castle Conservatives Community Action Team, will continue to listen to the views of local residents and work in their interests.
There is a great deal of work to do, and we have been extremely encouraged by the positive response we have received from local residents in the area.
Cllr Andrew McConnell
Conservative Borough Councillor Crown Quay, Bedford
Brigg mistake
Sir – Last week you included a letter about orange lidded bins.Due to a mistake on our part the letter purported to be from Stewart Briggs, head of environmental services at Bedford Borough Council.
This was not in fact the case. The letter was actually from Cllr Ian Clifton, Environment Portfolio Holder at Bedford Borough Council.
We apologise for any confusion this has caused.
Keiron Fletcher
Communications Officer Bedford Borough Council