Readers' Letters - November 26 2009
Readers' letters from the November 26 issue of the Observer.
Not a warm welcome – a frosty reception
I was interested to read the article last week entitled 'Warm welcome for housing scheme'. Funny, it appears to be a warm welcome by a host of individuals who do not live in Sidlesham.
A warm welcome by people who do not have children at Sidlesham Primary School which will be affected by the potential housing development.
A warm welcome by people who do not currently have to endure the already difficult parking situation in Keynor Lane and the area surrounding the school.
A warm welcome by people whose only interest is money, not the people who will have to live daily with a housing development on the boundary of their children's playground.
I can assure you the parents of Sidlesham Primary School and many residents in the immediate area are not giving this housing scheme a warm welcome but a very frosty reception.
We have grave concerns about a development which involves fie dwellings and seven parking spaces on such a small plot and in such close proximity to a small rural school.
Additionally, how can it be guaranteed this development will purely be for local people? Will they guarantee this for the next five years, ten years, indefinitely?
Who will be classed as local; people who have been residents for over a year, five years, ten years?
Or will individuals moved from social housing to the locality be classed as local after one month and be entitled to live in this development?
In response to Cllr Margaret Whitehead's comment 'I am sure the development and school can sit alongside each other extremely well', I would suggest Cllr Whitehead thinks again.
Sue Osborne, Hunston
I am very concerned about this development. There was a terrible accident on the B2145 last Friday from the Keynor Road turning to the Anchor pub.
The road was closed off for most of the morning, which for me was a great inconvenience as the delay meant I missed my doctor's appointment which I had booked ten days previously.
There being only one road in and out of Selsey means Keynor Lane had to take extra traffic, including big lorries which, if they were met by another lorry going the other way, meant traffic came to a standstill.
The traffic from Chichester had to also pass through Sidlesham, which has taken a real bashing.
A very busy school with hardly any parking cannot take on the building of these houses.
It will just add more problems and make access to the school more difficult – and could, God forbid, lead to a tragic accident one day.
The school has a very small nursery with a growing local population.
Why can't the land be used for a bigger nursery with after-school facilities and more parking for the school? This would make this area a lot safer for everyone.
Clare Wood, Hillfield Road, Selsey
I am writing to add my voice to the number of concerned parents at Sidlesham School.
It is essential people realise the decision about School House is entirely about cold, hard cash and there is nothing 'warm' about the reception the housing plan has had from us.
The school has a small pre-school group attached to it that could desperately use school house to expand into. The small garden attached to it could be given over as a dedicated play area for pre-school and reception children or in general, or further parking for the school.
A housing development will enclose the back playground, making it darker and gloomier than it already is and it will increase traffic to the already overburdened and dangerous corner between Keynor Lane and Highleigh.
It is absurd to say this has been warmly received. It has not, nor will be, by the parents of children at Sidlesham school.
We only wish we could find the funds to develop School House, that the council will not provide, for the betterment of our school.
Don't dress this up as a happy solution to an empty house. It is not. It is a betrayal of the needs of our children.
Mrs K Evans, Sidlesham
Speed is the main contributory factor
Kim Bull (letters, November 12) is absolutely right in thinking excessive acceleration, frequent hard braking and inappropriate use of the gears all contribute to heavier fuel consumption; unfortunately, so does speed.
I believe the main reason for this is the geometrical increase in wind resistance as speed rises.
Thus, if I am right, doubling your speed quadruples the wind resistance which your engine has to work to overcome.
Older readers may remember a time when car road tests used to show fuel consumption figures at a steady 50mph and at a steady 70mph; the latter was always significantly heavier.
What I guess Kim Bull's green light is telling her is she is driving as economically as is possible for that speed, rather than she is using as little fuel as theoretically she might by driving more slowly.
Douglas Wood, Highleigh Road, Sidlesham
Casting doubt on Muntjac sightings
As a fanatical stalker, watcher, photographer and consumer of deer, I would be prepared to eat a very large slice of humble venison pie if Mrs Bromley-Martin (letters, last week) has seen Muntjac deer breeding on Bosham Hoe. Roe certainly, Fallow possibly and occasionally, but Muntjac? I don't think I need to reach for the humble pie recipe just yet.
Jonathan Fulford, Bosham
Chance to be a foundation member
We are delighted the Primary Care Trust has announced full A&E services, full maternity services and full inpatient paediatrics will remain at St Richard's.
The campaign to keep these services at St Richard's began in June 2006 and we would like to thank everyone in and around Chichester who has supported us over the past three years.
The Observer has played a key role in all this; regular articles and front-page headlines have kept the issues at stake at the forefront of people's minds. We are very grateful for this support from our excellent local paper.
We have been fantastically supported elsewhere: by members of the public, patients at St Richard's, MPs, Spirit FM, schools, district councils, parish councils to name but a few. People rallied with us, signed petitions, wrote letters, attended meetings and put in much hard work and support.
Now St Richard's and Worthing hospitals are working as a merged trust with the aim of achieving Foundation Trust status next year, the public are being encouraged to become foundation members. To find out how to become a member, please visit: www.westernsussexhospitals.nhs.uk or telephone Lyn Gaylor on 01903 205111, extension 4038.
Jonathan Hooker, chairman, Medical Staff Committee, on behalf of Support St Richard's Campaign
Where's the harm in 'road apples'?
Oh dear! I think Mr Chapman is obviously the indoor type and perhaps should consider moving to London where there are fewer animals to irritate him. But maybe he would complain to the Queen about her horse guards riding on the road, too!
I must admit it is unusual to see 'road apples' in Little London (from a wedding carriage I believe... how dare they!) On a serious note, dog mess carries harmful bacteria (especially for children) and is, after all, fermented meat. Horse mess is just grass and does not contain harmful bacteria and is far less offensive.
Here's the reality check – riders carrying huge shovels round while they ride? I don't think so! I myself ride on the roads, but not out of choice – it is a frightening experience in this fast and intolerant society that we live in, and is purely to get to the nearest bridleway.
So please, Mr Chapman, have a little more tolerance for horses and people. After all, I think there are a lot more important issues in this world you could channel your aggression into!
Nigel Thompson, Fontwell
Canadian residents paid to recycle
I am sure, in the spring or early summer, a leaflet was delivered to my house stating West Sussex now had the facility to handle an increasing amount of recyclable material – fruit-juice cartons, yoghurt pots, margarine tubs and bottles, presumably the plastic variety.
So, every fortnight my brown wheelie bin is full of all these goodies and the usual junk mail and newspapers. My general-purpose bin has very little in it. Now, apparently, that is all wrong. So why send out the leaflet in the first place?
Eighteen months ago I visited my sister in Vancouver Island, Canada, where recycling is all the rage. Nearly everything is recycled. Each household has about six different containers and when they are full you take them all down to your nearest recycling centre and you are paid for each individual item. Now that is a good idea.
William Evershed, Bracklesham Bay
Longer embankment may cost more
I attended the exhibition demonstrating the proposals for Medmerry and the sea defences of Selsey. I am totally unconvinced these proposals have any benefit whatsoever for the protection of the town.
The proposal is to create a new embankment of far greater length than exists at present and much closer to Selsey town and which will, in the future, be subjected to the same ferocity by the sea and westerly winds as the existing embankment.
I believe, because of its length and unknown ground conditions, it will inevitably cost considerably more to control and maintain than to deal with the existing embankment.
The scheme is obviously solely devised to provide additional nature reserve which is unnecessary here, but it apparently attracts funding.
These proposals need further attention urgently before it is too late.
John Smith, East Beach Road, Selsey
Don't penalise best in nursery provision
The story in the Observer about changes to nursery school funding quoted a West Sussex spokesman. Sadly, he made serious mistakes.
Bognor Regis Nursery School has 88 places, not 104. At present the aged 3-5 part of our 0-5 nursery is two-thirds full – unsurprisingly not all children are born in September!
They begin nursery the term after their third birthday so numbers build up in January and April, hence our nursery school is not full in the autumn term.
Secondly, the county spokesman talks about 'transitional funding' as if that would ease the pain of dramatic cuts.
The county's present formula would mean reductions of 100,000 in 2010, rising to 140,000 in 2011 and so on.
Also I must repeat what I told your reporter – we fully support better funding for all nursery providers in the voluntary, private or independent sectors. But surely you don't improve public services by reducing the best to give little to the others?
Jean Ensing CBE, chair of governors, Bognor Regis Nursery School & Children's Centre, Victoria Drive, Bognor Regis
The Bognor area has one state-funded nursery and hundreds of privately-owned ones.
Bognor Regis Nursery School has been awarded 'outstanding' Ofsted reports for the past ten years – not because it has been over-funded, but because it has used its budget wisely and in the interests of each individual child who has attended.
Sadly, if this money is taken away, those children who need that bit of extra help, or those who flourish with targeted challenges, will be the first to lose out, followed by the children in our community who need some extra social and emotional encouragement.
Do not underestimate the impact BRNS has on young children– it certainly gave mine the best start on the road to school.
The local authority have enjoyed the reputation BRNS has carried within Education World – and I'm sure they will disassociate themselves if the same expectations are not met at the next Ofsted inspection.
I hope they understand robbing one nursery of enough money to make a difference, and sharing that money between a very large (privately-owned) pot will only mean most remain the same, while BRNS pay the price!
Lisa Molyneaux, Bognor Regis
Why should dogs with responsible owners be banned?
No dogs on the beach in the summer? Will the next step be banning people from the beach?
Young and old alike enjoy our beaches, and rightly so. Young and old alike leave rubbish, broken bottles, cans, used and burnt barbecues, half-eaten burgers and chicken legs. Will they be banned from the beach? No, of course not.
My joy is to walk on the beach with my dogs summer and winter in the early morning (6am) together with many other people who are on their own, for whatever reason.
I moved to this area because of the beaches and sea and in the past seven years have enjoyed every minute. What else is going to be taken away?
I clean up after my dogs, and I am to be stopped my pleasure. Why not stop people playing football on the various parks as they make the ground muddy for other young people who do not play football?
It could go on and on.
Why weren't we given a chance to put our views forward? After all, the public were given a chance regarding Hotham Park, why not the beach issue? I do think this is a very important issue and effects many, many families with dogs.
There are a lot of people who live here who have dogs and young children and they go down to the beach in the summer as a whole family (including the dog) and they can be seen have a wonderful time. Now people want to stop that.
There are people who have beach huts who own dogs as well as having children and they all go down to the beach for the day, together with their dog. What is to happen to them? Leave the dog at home?
Pamela Riches , Aldwick
The birth of Christ is true meaning
The article Youth Matters by Lauren Anderson is quite amazing.
I usually read Youth Matters as I know we usually hear only bad reports of our youth today, but I know the majority work hard with whatever they are given to do and on the whole are very caring and helpful in the community.
I do like to hear and listen to their side of things and their achievements.
I could not believe the article last week, though: 'Let's not forget the true meaning of Christmas'.
Lauren states it is supposed to be 'all about spending time with your family, eating loads and having a good time'.
She made two other statements: 'the tradition of Christmas has been forgotten by many people' and 'it would be nice if people remember the true tradition of Christmas and why it is so important to celebrate it each year'.
Even the dog makes Lauren laugh, hoping for a little turkey. Nothing to do with Christ then.
All I can say is: Are you having a laugh, Lauren?
You say you go to university. Do you understand the word Christmas? Chris equals Jesus. Mass, according to the Oxford Dictionary, means, among other things, celebration.
I would suggest the true meaning of Christmas is to celebrate the birth of Christ. We can still enjoy being with our families, having a lovely time, but it is a birthday party for Christ after all.
The true meaning of Easter is when Christ died on a cross for each one of us as a final sacrifice for our sins.
Again a time of celebration of Christ's love for each and every one of us.
I wonder why, when people suddenly find themselves in a difficult situations, one invariably hear them saying: 'Oh my God' or 'Jesus Christ'. At other times when things
are going well, God does not come into the equation. Very sad.
Louisa J Freezer, Queen's Field East, Aldwick
Is flooding accepted part of strategy?
With the change of weather, Elmer Sands' sewage pumping station failed yet again, quite aptly on the morning of Friday, November 13 – unlucky for some – incidentally before the storm struck. It took the rest of the day for Southern Water to fix it.
In West Close, Middleton, a number of houses had sewage coming up through their manhole covers. One of the residents told me Southern Water had offered to flood-proof their houses for them. They had already offered that to our worst-affected residents.
It struck me that while the main priority is to protect property, this could easily be construed as an admission by Southern Water that:
a) they accept that flooding of properties forms part of their current strategy, and
b) they are unconcerned about polluting properties and the beach.
Really nothing had changed!
Meanwhile Southern Water have now put all Elmer Sands' problems down to surface water – nothing to do with us, mate – and are planning yet more investigations
and meetings. In the meanwhile we can all look forward to a winter looking anxiously at the light on the top of the pumping station, which flashes when the pumps fail.
Let's hope they get the flood-proofing done quickly and that it works – if history is anything to go by, we will need it!
On a happier note, Ancton Pumping Station was fine but as it had already failed in September it was still piped up to temporary modern pumps in the compound – perhaps some situations, like clouds, have silver linings!
Linda Smith, Arundel Way, Elmer Sands
Flats not the only profitable option
Arun District Council should explain its frequent statements that seafront regeneration can only happen if flats are built on the Regis site, which is now one of the few places without flats on the town-centre seafront.
If Arun's statements were true a few years ago, as some were led to believe, their truth is by no means certain today.
It is likely that, from now on, increasing numbers will holiday on the Sussex coast for economic and climate reasons, and to enjoy the new South Downs National Park. It is also likely the number of new homes around Bognor Regis will be much higher than anticipated.
If our town is to benefit from these changes, the whole of the Regis site will, in my opinion, be needed for leisure, art and shopping. Moreover, if mixed use there were to include residential, limits on noise would seem to threaten the vibrancy of the whole development, and lower the amount for which leases could be sold.
More than 10,000 signatures on a petition, 1,483 votes in a town-centre poll, and enormous majorities at public meetings opposed flats on the Regis site.
Please will Arun reveal the figures which convince it a mix of leisure, art and shopping cannot be made to be profitable for St Modwen, with flats being confined to the Hothampton part of their site.
Gillian Farina, Shelley Road, Bognor Regis
Way to avoid 'chore' of jury service
I read with interest the article about the shortage of people registering to vote.
It is my view one of the bars to people registering is the lists are used to pick jurors. Many people see this as a chore and therefore do not register to avoid serving the country in that field.
Dennis Peerman, Summerley Estate, Felpham
Cheaper bus fares may cut car trips
Rather than blaming Butlins and the university for traffic problems in Bognor, has anyone considered if the bus fares in the region were not so prohibitively expensive, fewer people would feel the need to use their cars.
Mrs N Price, Bognor Regis
A prescription to stock up elsewhere
Having a flu-ridden husband and a nine-week baby at home on a gusty rainy day, I braved the elements to pop down to Boots to buy some flu products.
I was met with an assistant who told me they could not sell any cold products as the pharmacist was on a lunch break and would be back at 2.30pm, a wait of about 45 minutes.
I naturally scoffed at this and thought I would try the Midhurst Pharmacy. I was informed by the very nice ladies at Midhurst Pharmacy of the same plight.
Consequently my husband phoned, urging me to get back with products for him and to feed our baby, who was getting very hungry. It took me nearly an hour to pick up these products and when I returned to the Midhurst Pharmacy, the helpful ladies informed me my concerns had been passed on to the pharmacist from Boots, who was at their store talking to their pharmacist. But they did not think the roster would be changed.
Come on Midhurst chemists, you moan no-one is buying locally and when we do, you make it nigh on impossible. Surely a staggered lunch break between the two pharmacists would be the simple answer!
As a result , it has forced me to stock up on these products at the big supermarkets in Chichester so I do not get caught short again.
Sara Williams, Edinburgh Square, Midhurst
Thank you so much
I would like to thank all volunteers who stood outside Tesco collecting for Macmillan Cancer Support on October 16 and 17. Also thanks to Tesco for giving us two days collecting and made us feel very welcome. Most of all I would like to thank all the customers who most generously gave us 800. I say a big thank you to you all.
Sue Bond, chairman, Bognor Support Group.
May I express my sincere thanks to the shoppers of Chichester who contributed to the Wheels over the World charity street collection on Saturday, October 24. A total of 229.78 was raised by the five collectors.
Thanks also to Chichester District Council who issued our permit and of course our collectors who braved the rain.
All the proceeds are used to arrange holidays for adults with a physical disability and their helpers.
Ian Tarrant, fundraising co-ordinator, Wincanton Close, Alton
The Chichester branch of Save the Children would like to thank everyone who helped make the recent Autumn and Harvest Sale at Central Junior School such a great success. A total of 670.49 was raised which is a tremendous achievement.
Special thanks go to the headmaster of Central Junior School for allowing the continued use of the school's hall and for donated harvest goods.
Equally, Jessie Younghusband, Kingsham and Portfield Primary Schools are thanked for their harvest goods.
The money raised will go to help children in both the UK and in more than 70 countries around the world and in particular to help alleviate the suffering caused by the recent natural disaster in SE Asia.
S Wood, chairman, Chichester branch, Save the Children
CancerWise, the local cancer support centre, would like to thank all those people who gave so generously to their collection outside Sainsbury's Chichester on Friday, November 20. This raised 451.57.
We are very grateful to Sainsbury's for supporting us as their charity of the year and would like to say a big thank you to them and their customers for their generosity.
The money donated will help us extend the support we offer to local cancer patients and their carers.
Diane Townson, centre manager, CancerWise
On Tuesday, November 17, my wife suffered a nasty fall on the seafront near Waterloo Square, breaking her nose and badly damaging her left wrist, which required surgery.
Immediately an unknown gentleman went to her assistance, helping her to a seat on a nearby bench, and a passing taxi, without any request to stop, pulled up and the female driver offered to drive my wife home, which she did.
She departed from our home before I was able to pay her for her services or ascertain who she was or the name of her organisation. All I can recall is she was slim and tallish, driving a dark-coloured car – perhaps a Skoda Octavia – and to both these people my wife and I offer our sincere thanks for their spontaneous and caring response to a lady in severe pain and distress.
Should either of these people become aware of this note, I would be more than delighted to thank them personally.
Stan Woodward, Trinity Way, Bognor Regis
On behalf of The Friends of The Regis School of Music, I would like to thank all those who so generously helped with our recent holly fayre.
This year our fundraising has been especially crucial, owing to the need to replace one of the pianos in the recital hall at short notice, as well as supporting our student bursary fund (which is always our first priority).
The sum raised from sales on the day was 625.15, with a further 140 of donations bringing the total to a magnificent 765.15.
More very generous donations for the new Venables and Son piano over the past two months have topped 1,530.
The directors of the school, Sasha and Nina Levtov, are deeply grateful for the loyal support of the friends and the local community.
Mrs A Whitney, chairman of The Friends of The Regis School of Music, Sudley Road, Bognor Regis
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Weather for Bognor
Sunday 27 May 2012
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