Sir - Ampthill Parish Council seems to be very upset that it was not consulted or asked to take part in discussions about the proposed Marston Vale eco-town.
Perhaps this is because the developers felt that this development would have little or no effect on Ampthill.
Should the eco-town go ahead it will have easy access via a new road to the M1 and Bedford and will be on the Bedford–Bletchley rail line.
Flitwick may be more affected with the new town residents travelling to its train station.
Marston Vale could do with something to tidy up this sorry area of Bedfordshire.
John Bingham
Cedar Close, Ampthill
Postmen’s suicidal policy
Sir - I run a small business. In the past when I arrived in the office the first task was to open the post.
That was a very important task and the contents of the post often dictated the course of the day.
Now the post does not arrive until midday. I can’t spend the morning waiting for replies to my letters etc and am driven more and more to using emails.
Do postmen realise that they are shooting themselves in the foot by having a lie-in? Naturally I don’t want you to publish my name and address because that might cause the deliveries to be even later!
Name and address supplied
Baby P tragedy dilemma
Sir – While Steve Lowe may have a point about blaming the poor as soon as something goes wrong – it must be their fault for being poor in the first place – there is a difficult dilemma here.
No-one can seriously deny that many young, poorly educated people are having children when they do not have the wherewithal, financially, educationally and emotionally, to properly care for them.
Bringing up children is a very hard job at the best of times and, wonderful though they are, every parent will know how trying it can be.
Yet young people, often just teenagers, are having children with no sense of responsibility to themselves, the infants or the wider society.
I do not know the answer, and maybe there isn’t one but certainly feel the question needs to be asked, otherwise tragedies like that of Baby P will become commonplace.
Mrs B Smith Address supplied
■ Sir – Steve Lowe’s latest piece betrays a certain lack of sophistication.
The expression ‘tend to’, which he actually quotes, implies not that everyone from a particular category (i.e., children of broken or chaotic homes) will fall into the evil and shameful ways enumerated, only that they are, as a class, more likely to do so than those from more favoured environments.
This is intuitively obvious and it would be most surprising if the opposite held true.
It might be added that the people most likely to bring up children in a context of squalor, chaos and deprivation are very likely to be dim, and to pass their dimness on to their children.
At the extreme edge, the child of such an environment might be Baby P. I seriously doubt that Baby P would have had much chance in life even had the Haringey social services people been minimally competent in assessing his injuries.
Otherwise, Lowe is quite right to condemn the Tories’ (so far unspecified) plans to make divorce more difficult.
A better approach would be to make marriage more difficult. Marriages are, quite legally, contracted between people who have no language in common, have never met, and (in extreme cases) are neither currently resident in the country where the marriage takes place.
A better approach would be to demand that the couple had been living together for at least three months in the UK and had engaged in sexual relations at least 12 times during that period (or three times, if the man is over 50).
And if anyone thinks this is a bit rich, recall that in renaissance times, the requirement for witnesses to consummation of a marriage was far from unusual.
And in those times, they had Michaelangelo, Raphael and Leonardo da Vinci, while we have dear Damian and dear Tracey or (for the more serious-minded) Jack V.
Who got it right?
C N Gilmore
Salisbury Street, Bedford
Softly, softly over mast
Sir – In response to letters (BoS November 23, Installation of telephone mast at Bedford Hospital).
I do not work for a telephone company so have no vested interest, nor am I an expert, on the long term effects of exposure to radio frequency waves.
My general concerns are for the vulnerable patients at the hospital who come from all over Bedfordshire and children in particular.
I actively support the hospital in its work to care for the sick and infirm and I am proud to have it situated in the ward I represent.
I also accept that The World Health Organisation (WHO) has stated that ‘considering the very low exposure levels and research results collected to date, there is no convincing scientific evidence that radio frequency signals from base stations cause adverse health effects’.
However there is still no clear guidance on what policy is appropriate in terms of electromagnetic fields and health outcomes, for instance, ‘no restriction to exposure’, ‘prudent avoidance’ or expensive interventions.
Studies have been published indicating these fields are a health hazard and so were studies indicating no risk.
There is continuing widespread public concern about the long term health effects and gaps in scientific knowledge have led to a recommendation for a precautionary approach to mobile phones and base stations until more research findings become available.
Smoking was once considered to be a safe, glamorous and acceptable pastime and the widespread use of asbestos in building materials took many years for their damaging consequences to manifest themselves.
If it is deemed blinkered to be concerned for the future well-being of the sick and vulnerable then so be it, but until we are absolutely certain there are no adverse outcomes I will continue to advocate a cautious approach to the siting of electromagnetic base stations near schools and hospitals.
Cllr Randolph Charles
Labour councillor for Cauldwell
Smoking gun
Sir – As many as one in six school children who are regular smokers usually buy their cigarettes from vending machines.
The British Heart Foundation estimates that in 2006, more than 46,000 children got their cigarettes through vending machines in England and Wales.
With the age limit for buying cigarettes having been recently raised from 16 to 18, even more underage smokers may now be accessing cigarettes in the same way.
It remains far too easy for children to buy cigarettes from vending machines and it undermines every other measure aimed at stopping them from smoking.
Smokers are twice as likely to have heart attacks as those who never start.
The BHF is campaigning for legislation in the Queen’s Speech on Wednesday to tackle smoking among children.
Please support this campaign, sign the online petition ((urln "http://bhf.org.uk/signup")) and help protect children from smoking.
Leslie Banks
The Lodge, Roxton Road, Great Barford
Anger comes to surface
Sir - On behalf of the residents, especially the elderly and ambulant disabled people who every day are expected to risk broken limbs due to the non repair of the length of pathway between The Avenue and Brookes Road in Flitwick, I wish to thank the county council for failing in their duty to carry out resurfacing work on this path.
They have been promising to do so for the past three years. The blame has to be apportioned through all tiers of government as all failed in their duty.
Like many others in this county I am tired of the waffling and broken promises.
We don’t care that the county council is going but we do care that a huge amount of money that should be spent on repairs to the highway will be spent on frivolous pieces of tat.
Have they no shame?
Roy Storey
Roman Way, Flitwick
Let there be lights
Sir - After reading about St Neots and Colchester’s health and safety issues regarding their Christmas lights I must say, shame on Bedford Borough Council for not being able to get the High Street Christmas lights on in time for the festive season.
Both St Neots and Colchester are old market towns too, indeed Colchester claims to be the oldest town in Britain, yet despite the health and safety setbacks have been able to ‘switch on’ in good time.
Ivan Nerurker
Bromham
Two coppers – too many
Sir – I note the police on the beat in Bedford have taken to walking around in twos. I would like to voice my disapproval of this change.
When I first came to Bedford two years ago I was impressed by the way that the police, one female community support officer in particular, strolled around the market talking to the traders and getting to know the locals.
I felt this gave the right impression – public servants being an integral part of the community.
Doubling up gives the wrong impression. It looks hostile. They are no longer talking to the public, they are too busy chatting to each other.
Now I feel as if I am witnessing the same scene I saw in London after Margaret Thatcher came to power.
The police started walking around in twos in London at about the same time that the police in Yorkshire were having running battles with the miners.
I do not have a problem with the police being in twos, threes or fours at night, when the streets are empty and they could be confronted by gangs of drunks or muggers.
However, I do not expect to see it in broad daylight, when the streets are thronged with people.
They have their police radios. They can call on their colleagues for help if some violent or difficult situation occurs.
Richard Gillard
by email
Keep on travelling
Sir - Our migrating birds have long since left our shores for warmer climes, leaving only pleasant memories of their sojourn with us in the spring and summer months, and we very much look forward to their return.
We do not now seem to have continuous reports of travellers visiting our parks and open spots, perhaps they have also taken up residence in permanent winter quarters.
However. shall we similarly welcome their return to unauthorised sites when the days grow longer? I doubt it.
Charlotte Hill
Address supplied