Readers' Letters - January 28, 2010

Readers' letters from the January 28 issue of the Observer.

Complicated issues demand objective knowledge

For those not up to speed, fatuous means 'foolish' and was one of a number of adjectives, including 'rude' and 'incorrect', used by councillors Clementson and Chaplan about my equally-damning remarks concerning the ability of councillors on the planning committees to properly evaluate the more important and complicated applications before them.

Sadly, gentlemen, whether you agree with it or not, that is the view of many in our industry who are paid to prepare and submit these applications, at considerable time and expense.

Often, land has been acquired for hundreds of thousands of pounds, if not millions, and the process to development is both comprehensive and complicated. These applications are not the work of novices.

To debate whether there are 14 or 16 members who sit on the planning committees is to miss the point once more. Then to use the argument two of this total are retired members of the RICS (Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors) just substantiates my own position, that there is insufficient experience on these committees.

Surely your indignation regarding my comments would have been better devoted to accepting this is the parlous state across the country, and not just Chichester, where 'well-meaning' politicians are lobbied on to committees that they are, at best, marginally qualified to sit.

Frankly, while we can extol the virtues of 'in-service' training, two three-hour sessions for newly-elected council members on the evaluation of the complications of property development is, frankly, laughable.

If you said it's all we can afford, it would probably have been viewed by most people reading this article as at least honest – something lost in political circles of late!

Maybe it's time we stopped haranguing all developers as harbingers of doom for our towns and cities with no other motive than excess profit.

Remember that profit motivates us all, often initiating drive, enthusiasm and imagination.

They may need reining back at times, but it is the quality of the potential partnership that could exist between applicant (developer), planning authority and committee councillor which has the potential to be truly inspirational. It's called open dialogue, open mind and open decision.

Mr Clementson, you as chairman are charged with the responsibility of understanding and dealing with these limitations in the process, if not your committee.

Bang the table, make a fuss, complain and make the body to which you chair respond to these shortcomings – there are probably more people than you know who sympathise with my rantings.

Hence my promoting the concept of the Special Planning Committee (SPC) to get those with knowledge and true objectivity together, by filtering the challenging applications, possibly including those in sensitive and historic settings, before allowing them to hop on to the 'escalator', which is the timetable to decision promoted by government.

This system plainly doesn't work effectively and plainly doesn't encourage thoughtful and thought-provoking design suitable for an historic, but progressive city, such as ours.

Andrew Finnamore, Developer, Amberley House, Chairman, Chichester City Centre Management Partnership

Casting vote clears the way for corporate will

Chichester District Council has now given itself a green light for its misconceived scheme to build 80 dwellings on the Portfield football ground.

Six committee members of the 14 present voted in favour of the development and six against, two abstained and the chairman pushed the project through with his casting vote.

The planning committee members included Cllr John Ridd, chairman of Chichester District Council, who expressed significant misgivings about the project. Despite this, he abstained. This is a great pity for the city and its people.

The proposed development has a distinctly bargain basement air about it.

At present, at least 15 per cent of the planned dwellings are below the minimum size required before a Housing Association will purchase them.

Council officers failed to correct Cllr Bateman (portfolio holder for housing) when she assured the committee all the affordable housing was up to or even exceeded minimum standards.

The new roundabout will inevitably make peak-time traffic on Westhampnett Road even slower and more congested.

County councillor Mike Hall expressed grave concerns at the meeting about traffic and the deteriorating air quality in Westhampnett Road. Yet a planning committee member dismissed these concerns because the emissions from cars are improving.

He didn't mention in which decade though!

Even on an average weekend day, more than 20,000 cars use Westhampnett Road, and jams are frequent.

Add to this the traffic from the new development (80 dwellings) and the 54 existing homes in Church Road: when this development goes ahead, Church Road will become cul-de-sac, open only at the Westhampnett Road end.

Add, too, traffic from the 750 new homes from the Graylingwell site. You don't need to be a specialist in traffic research to guess what is going to happen!

All this is going to happen thanks to a process which allows a major decision like this to be made by a chairman's casting vote on a committee that was otherwise evenly split on the issue.

Most of the members who voted for the Portfield development do not even live in the city.

Also, surely there is a fundamental conflict of interest when a district council planning committee is able to vote on a planning application by district council that will benefit a district council?

Isn't there a case for letting the city council or West Sussex County Council adjudicate in such matters?

I know I am not alone in feeling the system works in favour of the implacable corporate will of organisations like Chichester District Council.

The Portfield scheme will make life worse for people living and working in east Chichester, add to the congestion and pollution on the key eastern approach to the city, remove trees and fill in yet another green space and sportsfield.

It is all the more ironic when CDC is also actively promoting Chichester's bid to be the UK's city of culture.

City of culture? City of roundabouts more like!

Lynne Friel, Westhampnett Road, Chichester

I support the building of homes on the old Portfield football ground.

As Cllr Bateman stated in the planning meeting, there is a massive number of people on the city housing register with little chance of obtaining a home from a housing trust.

This site will also help to kick-start the house building industry in the city.

The recent award to ZeroC of Poudbury to develop up to 350 low-carbon homes at Roussillon Barracks is also welcome news for those on the Chichester District Council housing list.

PJ Hall, Wilson Close, Chichester

Co-ed schools may be the best – but only for the boys

I read the letter from Richard Cairns, headmaster of Brighton College, published in the Observer, with great interest.

Mr Cairns expounds his theory that co-educational schools are best and as the headmistress of a leading local independent girls' school, Lavant House, I would like to agree with him in one respect only.

Co-educational schools are certainly best – for boys!

Indeed, many of the points made by Mr Cairns himself in this letter, a slightly simplified version of the one he wrote for The Times, point to the enriching effect of girls in the co-educational environment.

He maintains the academic performance of children is better in a co-educational school because male minds are exposed to "what might broadly be regarded as a 'female' approach to learning".

This unabashed acceptance of the difference between the way girls and boys learn is the true weakness of his argument.

Boys and girls do learn differently, particularly during their adolescent years. Research last year for the Good Schools Guide suggested girls who transfer to all-girls' senior schools do considerably better than their peers who move to co-educational schools.

In a girls' school, girls can thrive in a supportive atmosphere without worrying constantly about their appearance or what boys will think of them. They can undertake numerous leadership roles and excel in subjects traditionally considered the preserve of boys.

Thus we can provide our girls with greater educational opportunities as well as offering them a longer childhood in an era where I, for one, feel children grow up too fast.

Nor does a single-sex school lead to a single-sex life! Our girls leave for university and settle there without difficulty. They are academically fulfilled and well-prepared for the challenges ahead.

We still live in an era when women cannot have it all.

But a good education at a good girls' school gives them a head start.

Kate Bartholomew, Headteacher, Lavant House School

Link road a way to ease congestion

Congratulations to the city council for highlighting in its new town plan the dire need for a road linking Barnfield Drive and the Broyle Road area.

Some time ago county councillor Andrew Smith raised this idea in view of the-then very impractical proposal to use the newly-built Bostock Road as access to the university. Since then we don't seem to have heard any more of it.

Many readers and residents will be very aware of the frequent traffic jams in both Spitalfield Lane and Orchard Street, and of the resulting air pollution.

The long-suffering, and hopefully still loyal, residents of those roads must be very fed up with it, as are the many drivers who have no choice but to use one of them to get from the A27 to the Midhurst road.

A proper link road from Barnfield Drive to Lavant Road would greatly reduce much of this congestion. In particular it would give a proper access to the University – especially to and from the Bognor campus – as well as easing the difficulty ambulances often have in getting to St Richard's Hospital.

It would help to lessen traffic at the Northgate roundabout and on Broyle Road. The traffic on Lavant Road would not increase as it would get there anyway via Spitalfield Lane.

The idea of cycleways and footpaths only on the Graylingwell site sounds excellent, but in reality can only be a dream.

The modern generation, students included, do not work that way. There will be more cars still with the many proposed extra houses and the possible expansion of the university, and we have to face up to it.

Is a sunken road across Graylingwell with shrubs either side too great a sacrifice to prevent total blockage and pollution in the northern part of the city?

Come on county council, as highway authority, put your foot down before it's too late! Or are you going to wait until you are forced into a more expensive option?

DLD Marsh, Peacock Close, Chichester

Open your eyes to see cyclists

I am writing this in the hope the lady driver who nearly ran me down on my bicycle at the junction of Central Avenue and Chichester Road, North Bersted, reads it.

By way of reminder, the date was Saturday, January 23 and the time about 1.45pm.

The weather and road conditions were excellent, with the sky clear and bright, and the road surface dry.

I had right of way and was travelling from Bognor towards Chichester. I was riding a silver bicycle and wearing a brand-new yellow hi-vis jacket and white cycle helmet.

You pulled out in front of me and nearly hit me.

The reason I did not get out of your way instantly after the incident was shock.

The last driver (a doctor) who did this to me threw me off his bonnet, destroyed my bicycle and nearly killed me. Can you understand now why I just stood there?

What do cyclists have to do to make drivers like you see them?

For the love of God, open your eyes to SEE before you injure someone or, worse still, kill them. Your driving and behaviour were a disgrace.

Jeff Vinter, Victoria Road, Chichester

Snow was extreme – and we opted for what we considered safest

I write in response to a letter in last week's paper 'A few flakes of snow and pedestrians have to run an Arctic assault course'.

The severe weather last week's letter related to was the worst this country has experienced in 30 years. Some people in the Arun District had up to ten inches of snow.

It was certainly more than just 'a few flakes'.

Despite the treacherous conditions, Arun District Council staff worked with our contractors to keep services running as efficiently as was possible in the circumstances.

However, the safety of members of the public and staff is always our priority and it would have been totally irresponsible of us to put anyone at risk.

Arun District Council staff worked with our contractors ISS Waterers and Verdant to grit pavements in pedestrian centres, before moving on to car parks to benefit shoppers and workers.

Experienced Verdant refuse crews worked hard to clear as much refuse and recycling as possible during the bad weather, but simply could not safely access some routes as they were extremely icy.

However, the council sent out 4x4 vehicles to assist and by working through Saturday the vast majority of the backlog was cleared. While this work was going on, many residents thanked the crews for their hard work in the difficult conditions.

In cut-off areas, collection points were set up and manned for those residents who were able to drop-off their rubbish.

The conditions on many of Arun's side roads were treacherous. Having a refuse lorry of up to 26 tonnes sliding up roads to collect rubbish was simply not a risk to our customers, their property and our contract staff we were willing to take.

It does seem contradictory to carry comments about the icy conditions underfoot and then criticism of the council refuse collectors not being able to service everyone in those same treacherous conditions.

As for criticism that advice on disruptions to services was not provided to local residents by the council, this is just incorrect.

All information about services affected was posted live to our website and the local press who helped keep residents informed of what was happening.

The council's website www.arun.gov.uk carried the most up-to-date comprehensive information of all neighbouring authorities, which were also affected by the weather.

More than 8,000 people viewed the information over the four day period. Indeed, the Bognor Regis Observer's chief reporter took information from the site for a story last week and for updates on the newspaper's own website.

We received more than 2,000 calls to our contact centre, Arun Direct, from residents who have shown a real understanding of the conditions and why some services had to be suspended.

While we apologise for the disruption caused by the suspension of some of our services, we are still in agreement it was absolutely the right thing to do and a decision we stand by.

There was not an authority in the country not affected by the extreme weather in some way. Many other areas, including within West Sussex, are still experiencing disruption and have a substantial backlog of collections still being worked on.

I am disappointed that after working so hard to ensure as normal as service as can be expected we have received criticism.

I am satisfied this is only from a few people and I thank the vast majority of people who have shown understanding and patience and recognise the high standard of refuse and recycling service that we normally provide.

Cllr Mrs Gillian Brown, leader of Arun District Council

So Mr Moore (Observer letters) did not see any postman's footprints in the snow. What about refuse collectors' footprints?

No, because their management, like Royal Mail, put the safety of their staff first.

If Mr Moore had got out of his comfy chair by his warm fire he could have walked the short distance to his local shop and picked up his newspaper himself, thus saving the young paper girl from putting herself at risk.

Why not, Mr Moore? Too much ice and snow?

A Wildman, Elbridge Crescent, Bognor Regis

I am one of the many pensioners who have been unable to venture outdoors since the snow started, and I am overwhelmed by the number of people who have phoned or called at the door to offer help – even people I have only met on the Star One bus to town before the snow.

I wish to give my profound thanks to each and everyone of them.

Ron Marsh, Hawks Place, Bognor Regis

When Bognor Regis had snow, some services came to a stop, including Tesco home shopping deliveries (just when you need it most).

One service carried on regardless – paper boys and girls.

I would like to thank J & G News, Hawthorn Road for delivering my paper before 8am each snowy day. Youngsters often get a bad press, but this time they have to be praised.

Pam Frostick, Sandymount Avenue, Bognor Regis

We all have to accept education has evolved

I would like to respond to the front-page article in the Bognor Regis Observer on standards in education.

Teachers do not sit back on their laurels; we are all concerned about standards and work long, hard hours to give our children the best possible education.

I think Mr Gibb misses the point that education has changed over the years; it is not about school blazers, setting or being able to recite Latin verbs.

It is about giving young people independence of thought, confidence to believe in themselves, skills to cope with a tough world and a sound knowledge base.

League tables are a joke. They take no account of socio-economic background, which is one huge factor in education, or of schools in close proximity where there is an element of 'creaming' off the more able children. They do not compare like with like.

Headteachers and senior leaders are in a no-win situation, particularly in the more challenging schools.

There is enough pressure on them running challenging schools without Mr Gibb adding more.

Has he any idea what it is like?

I would challenge him to spend a week in one of our more challenging schools, shadowing teachers and senior leaders and then maybe he will see the reality of life in education these days.

Having said all this and despite mounting pressures, teaching is the most wonderful job and I wouldn't change it for the world. But please, Mr Gibb, get more in touch!

J Johnson, Walberton

The heads of Bognor Regis Community College 'praised pupils' achievements' and and Felpham Community College head was 'pleased' with 30 per cent and

46 per cent, respectively, of A-C grades at GCSE.

What they are also saying is when 70 per cent (Bognor) and 54 per cent (Felpham) don't reach that standard, it's quite good enough for this year. An amazing admission.

In the article Nick Gibb remarks on the importance of the times tables, among other things.

At my village school, with mainly working-class children, I recall once having to demonstrate my knowledge of the times tables up to 12 before I could go out to recess.

I know I was no more than seven at the time, because we moved from the village when I was six months short of my eighth birthday.

There's little fun or creativity in having to learn multiplication tables. It mostly comes down to application and effort.

In that school we were expected to learn the tables at that age – and we met the expectations.

We were no cleverer than children starting school nowadays. But it seems that expectations are lower, by the school heads' own admission.

This past autumn the Observer published photos of intake classes in the area, with their bright, eager faces. What's going on in schools that transforms more than half of those bright-faced children, keen to learn, into pupils who perform poorly or fail in just a few short years?

Wherever expectations are set, the pupils will meet them or duck them. Set them low, as seems to be the case here, and the heads and maybe teachers are satisfied.

The sad thing is when the children expect nothing more of themselves.

R Pierson, Aldwick

Shoplifting now a part of modern-day life

Following the article in the Observer, from my personal experience I can confirm shoplifting is certainly rife and alive and well in Bognor, and apparently goes almost ignored by the larger stores, who seem to condone the blatant thieving.

About a year ago I was in a clothing store when another lady customer and I noticed a young man walk out of the store carrying about four pairs of jeans over his arm without going to a cash till.

The lady immediately alerted a shop assistant who looked completely disinterested and just said to us "Oh yes! Well we do get a lot of that in this store," as the young man in question walked swiftly across the car park to a waiting car, where he and another man drove away laughing.

On another occasion I was waiting at a cash till in a supermarket when two young men walked through another cashpoint till (unattended) next to me, completely loaded with two bags of groceries.

I immediately pointed them out to the lady on my till as they had not paid for the goods.

She did in fact say "Oh yes, I'll have to call someone from security", which she did at once.

Unfortunately it took so long for anyone to casually turn up with no particular urgency, that by which time the two thieves had disappeared out of the shop.

It makes my blood boil to think we honest customers are paying to subsidise shoplifting which seems to be accepted as just 'part of modern-day life'.

Mrs B Watson, Churchill Avenue, Bognor Regis

Use EU cash to get us out of holes on roads

I have recently, like many motorists, experienced the dreadful state of our roads.

Trying to avoid potholes while keeping a look out for other vehicles is not easy.

There have been several letters published on this matter and as far as I am aware the number of potholes in the country is around 900,000.

The councils are short of money because government funding is continually cut, so mending roads properly is not an option.

My solution would be to allocate the 45m a day which is going down a black hole in the European Union to be used for our benefit. Each council in the country would be given this amount with the proviso it is used to repair the roads.

When all the roads have been repaired and we have a good road system all over the country, then the 45m a day can be distributed for other causes such as pensioners, hospitals, etc, the list is limitless.

AE Lardeur, Pevensey Road, Bognor Regis

I decided to watch the film The Road last week and noticed our roads are almost as bad as those pictured in the film!

Are we so doomed that the local authorities, highways agency or whoever is meant to look after our roads, has decided to give up and do something else?

The roads in Bognor, Aldwick and also in many other areas of West Sussex are in a frightful state. I wonder whether we will hear the old chestnut 'we did not expect the logevity of the cold stretch'.

I suggest any new traffic light works be postponed, and the money saved be spent on repairing the many, many holes on our ailing road network.

I despise the litigation-mad sociey we live in, but surely there will be claims made by insurance companies before long aganst the council for costs of vehicle damage and injury to cyclists disapearing down the potholes.

I Armstrong, West Bognor

Town cannot afford to lose tourism info

I find the facts behind the comments made by Cllr Gill Brown in last week's Observer do not stand up to any scrutiny.

She states the provision of tourist information in Littlehampton has been passed on to the operator of the Look & Sea Centre, and that it was successful.

Has she been there recently? The tourist information is nothing more than a leaflet stand in the corner of the gift shop and the staff are generally too busy with the cafe and shop to provide any assistance of note.

How can she say this has been a success?

She also states most people get their information on-line. This may be the case before they travel, but what about those who just happen to be driving past or do not have access or know-how to use a computer to gain information?

Are we to turn our backs on them?

It is funny how the controlling party at Arun District Council can find the money to give themselves an increase in allowances, but then turn round to say the funds cannot be found for a front-line service.

In the winter issue of Quality Edge, a publication produced by Visit England, it states 'research covering the period January to August 2009 shows the number of holidays taken in England rose by 19 per cent on last year's figures – an extra 5.4 million trips, worth an extra 800m, representing a 13 per cent increase in value on 2008'.

It also states 'The pattern of homegrown breaks taken in England has also changed this year. The number of trips to the English seaside is up by 23 per cent in the first eight months on the year, while there has been a 13 per cent increase in trips made by households with children'.

Surely these facts alone prove this is not the time to be making cutbacks in tourism and that Arun District Council should re-visit the information presented to them when making their decision and see if the facts still hold up.

I would urge all the residents of Bognor Regis and the surrounding areas to write to the leader of Arun, Cllr Mrs Brown, and let her know how they feel on this matter.

And they should send her a very clear message this is one service the town cannot afford to lose during the current economic climate, particularly when Arun claim all the millions of pounds of regeneration in the town to date (and promised) is mainly down to them.

Cllr Jason Passingham, Bognor Regis Town Council, Orchard Ward

Bin clearance was rubbish

My wife telephoned to determine when our recycling bins were due to be emptied next. The reply was they were to be emptied on the Friday as this was our 'normal' clearance day.

This meant the recycling bins were not cleared for a month.

Bins were placed for clearance by most householders for well over a week after being advised the bins would be cleared as a follow-up action to the recent snow fall. This patently did not happen.

The advice about bins over the Christmas holiday period was virtually non-existent. The snow seemed to compound the problem.

Other authorities much more badly affected by snow maintained their clearance profiles so why did ADC buckle so fast?

Recycling bins were placed outside on Boxing Day. The result is vermin and birds have spilled rubbish and detritus.

In short, ADC's response has been inept.

No doubt the council will send me some sort of vapid reply or a satisfaction survey as a counter to these criticisms in a desperate attempt to give the appearance of being involved and trying to learn from mistakes.

The mistake is the whole process is a badly-managed mess. A discount on the council tax might seem a good start point to make amends.

PN Mortimer, Bognor Regis

Let us know his stance on car parking

Once again there has been criticism about our Chichester district councillor for Midhurst, Nick Thomas, who is supposed to represent his local ward residents and vote according to their wishes, especially regarding the prospect of car parking charges in Midhurst.

His job as councillor is portfolio holder for culture and sport and he has excelled himself in organising play and sports facilities and tourism agendas, etc.

Most are for the benefit of the Chichester area.

But when there are serious issues in Midhurst he should be supporting, he seems to keep very quiet.

He was seen at the consultation regarding the issue of car-park charging in Midhurst and chose not to make his views known.

When the issue came to final vote at Chichester District Council, he chose to abstain.

Leading local figures in the catchment area of the Observer are regularly criticised for their opinions or actions and they always defend themselves in the next issue.

But for some reason Mr Thomas prefers to keep his head down and hope it will all blow away.

I suspect many local people think it is about time he made a statement regarding his views about Midhurst issues.

It seems as though he lives in a little world of his own.

Mrs L Oram, Bepton Road, Midhurst

Discreet signs are not a big problem

We feel for Robert Froud and his business sign that is deemed to be unauthorised.

On our local road between Midhurst and Petersfield there has been a proliferation of road signs replacing ones that are almost identical, red surfaces for traffic calming, white bollards at every small road junction and huge arrows to indicate bends in the road.

All of these 'improvements' are just spoiling the lovely countryside.Surely drivers and other travellers can manage without quite so many.

Whereas a small discreet board, which is helping a small businessman in these difficult trading times, seems to be a problem for some people.

We hope a sensible outcome will be the order of the day for Robert and others in his position.

Rosemary and Douglas Newman, Rogate

I just had to respond to the article about Chichester District Council wanting the sign removed advertising the pine furniture business.

I have lived here nine years and have never noticed the sign until today, so what is all the fuss about?

I counted eight signs on the roadside outside the farm shop in Bracklesham Lane, so what is the difference? They're both small businesses.

Almost every small business from Stockbridge to Bracklesham have A-boards and tatty signs propped up on trees, posts and gateposts, so why pick on Mr Frouds' sign which is tucked neatly in a field?

B Wells, Bracklesham Bay

To the point...

On behalf of the Chichester Lions Club, I would like to thank the residents of Chichester for their continuing support and generosity. Our carol float collection this year (sometimes in wet and icy conditions) raised 4,963.71.

We are also grateful to the customers of Waitrose where our Saturday collection was 885.51 and to Sainsbury's customers on Christmas Eve morning when we collected 492.

This money will go into the charity account and will be used predominantly for local welfare needs.

Brian Attfield, Pound Farm Road, Chichester

I am writing to ask what is the meaning of the idiotic word that crept in, namely 'footfall'.

I have heard of footprint and football, plus snowfall and waterfall.

Does it mean the number of customers who fell over?

It is a mystery to me.

D Joslin, Manor Lane, Selsey

Shame on you, West Sussex County Council, you did not consider CO2s when putting out to contract all your school coach transport arrangements.

Transport for pupils in the Chichester and Midhurst area will now be covered by coach companies from Worthing and Partridge Green.

To do a split shift and be based at Worthing would require a driver to cover an extra 70 miles a day by car and an extra 70 miles a day driving a coach. That's 700 more miles a week and a massive 27,300 miles in a school year (39 weeks). But of course the price was right, damn the environment. No chance of 'act on CO2s initiative' here!

Annie Stephens, Clay Lane, Fishbourne

As we are all aware, while many continued with work as normal during the recent cold spell (some of us even driving around the country villages without mishap), the postmen were not allowed to deliver mail in case the pavements were slippery because of snow.

That is ironic when one considers the Christmas card issued to everyone by the Royal Mail.

Ken Strudwick, Pound Farm Road, Chichester

How naive of Messrs Harwood, Martin and Pratley (letters, last week) to bemoan the lack of a cogent response from the local authorities during the recent bad weather. Do these taxpayers not realise the 'authorities' are not here to serve us – we are here to serve them!

Philip Thomas, Tangmere

We must remember it is not only at Christmas time that Christian message is being dimmed, but throughout the whole year (letters, last week).

The current Equality Bill before parliament is so worded that soon the Christian message could be stifled by the secularists/atheists/pc faith group reigning the Whitehall Temple of Temporal Power.

I suggest readers check out the Christian ethics of all those candidates in the forecoming general election. Don't be blinded by their flashy words but by their past actions!

John Hutchings, New Park Road, Chichester

I compliment the goodwill of human mankind during the big freeze – whether it be a little smile to the stranger you passed in the street, or knocking on your neighbours' door to see if they needed anything.

Our little close here in Lavant was very much like that with clearing paths or digging cars out of the snow.

It was nice to see people going at a slower pace of life and looking out for others.

Why do we have to wait for a crisis before we look up and pay attention to others? Long may the goodwill continue.

Mrs Amanda Smith, Lavant

We would like to give a big thank you to the lady who very kindly picked up our 15-year-old black-and-white border collie at Hunston on January 8 at dusk and then took him to Selsey police station.

He is deaf and partially blind so he couldn't hear us calling him.

And a big thank you to the Selsey police for informing us and and returning him home to us safe and sound to Stockbridge.

I don't know who was more pleased to see each other, him or us.

Maureen and John Pope, Belgrave Crescent, Stockbridge

I just had to respond to the article about Chichester District Council wanting the sign removed advertising the pine furniture business.

I have lived here nine years and have never noticed the sign until today, so what is all the fuss about?

I counted eight signs on the roadside outside the farm shop in Bracklesham Lane, so what is the difference? They're both small businesses.

Almost every small business from Stockbridge to Bracklesham has A-boards and tatty signs propped up on trees, posts and gateposts, so why pick on Mr Frouds' sign which is tucked neatly in a field?

B Wells, Bracklesham Bay

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