Published at 11:07, Thursday, 14 June 2012

SIR – I found Chris Whiteside’s recent letter totally hilarious as I did Coun Haraldsen’s, calling for an elected mayor in your May 17 edition.

In an email titled ‘What have you to lose?’ and dated February 25, 2011 to all Conservative councillors prior to the last local election, I said: “I really do fail to understand why you cannot come to grips with the problem and simply fiddle about on the fringes when there is a more obvious means of changing the system. I believe that the time is ripe, but the window of opportunity is small, and whether you and your 16 like-minded fellow councillors have the foresight and backbone to stand and fight for democracy is doubtful... If by now you have not come to the conclusion that YOU are NEVER going to overturn the present dictatorial council by any means other than by supporting an elected mayor campaign, then it is about time you stopped taking the hallucinatory drugs.

“What precisely have you got to lose? NOTHING. You have been in the political wilderness for so long that you’re used to it by now and just crow about its injustices. Why not DO SOMETHING positive?”

So now you claim to have stopped taking the hallucinatory drugs and realise that the Localism Bill you doted on could NEVER bring change. Only an initial elected mayor referendum returning circa 3,000 votes, a selection of good, honest, business-wise and non-political candidates, will perhaps induce Copeland’s uninspired, no- hope electorate to even bother to vote on non-party lines. But unfortunately there appears to be no candidates willing to come out of the woodwork.

Some advice from a member of a small group who stood on the street corners collecting signatures: FORGET IT! The 60 per cent electorate that don’t vote don’t deserve the effort, so let them wallow and moan in the mire created by the allegiance of the Labour-voting 20 per cent with their 34 councillors who are responsible for the total mess that their ineptly- led and selected Executive have created and that all now have to endure.

Arthur MILLIE

Longcroft, Egremont

SIR – National Grid, North West Coast connections project, pylons and power lines: the consultation period for the six “strategic options” as shown recently in The Whitehaven News, is under way and runs until July 19.

This is an initial stage of technical consultation, primarily aimed at getting feedback from stakeholders and statutory bodies, but individuals and communities can give their opinion if they wish.

And you should have your say! As from this period of consultation they will choose which option or options from the six they will take forward to further development.

Only then will they actually consult intensively with our communities. Basically when we are left with the option or options the powers that be feel is best for them – not us.

You can view the strategic options online or phone 0800 876 6990 and request an information pack and paper version of the on-line consultation form, or e-mail nationalgrid@northwestcoastconn-ections.com or freepost NG NWCC.

Make sure your parish council is acting on your behalf also.

To be honest, Jamie Reed should have made all this perfectly clear to us, that we could put our comments forward now, not in 2013.

Do your job properly and make sure the people you represent know all the details and how to comment on them.

S CLARKE

Drigg, Holmrook

SIR – Colin Wales makes an eloquent case for a referendum about a nuclear waste repository, and I tend to agree with his criticisms of the consultation process so far and of the information provided, though not necessarily for the same reasons.

For one thing, it has not been made clear that the technical case for the waste forms proposed was based on the assumption of a repository flooded with mobile ground water, applying orders-of-magnitude safety factors at every stage of the calculation. Consequently, although a dry zone in which to site a repository is clearly desirable if only for convenience, it is certainly not essential. Of course NIREX emphasised the importance of geology, but in its legacy that was perhaps the worst of its many mistakes.

Further, I wonder whether Mr Wales’s phrase “deadly radionuclides” is a considered description or merely an automatic association of ideas from past campaigns. Does he know of anyone who has suffered verifiable harm from traces of radioactive material? I don’t, and they are everywhere as part of the natural environment. One such that does cause some concern for public health is radon, seeping from the ground and delivering about half of the total radiation dose to the UK population as a whole. Another 10th of the total comes from the potassium-40 in our own bodies, and there is no possibility of escaping that. Compared with either, anything that might credibly reach our successors from a leaky repository is insignificant.

Peter WILSON

Wasdale Park, Seascale

SIR – Lest anyone start running with the idea that Cumbrians support going forward to the next stage of siting a nuclear dump here, let’s get some facts straight.

The ISOS MORI poll asked people how much they knew about it, and then followed up by asking whether, based on what they knew, they supported the idea. A full 80 per cent of the overall sample had either ‘never heard of it’ (19 per cent), ‘heard of this but know almost nothing’ (25 per cent) or knew ‘just a little’ (36 per cent).

In Copeland the figure was 62 per cent for respondents who knew so little.

Surely the MRWS Partnership is not going to count this response as ‘support’? It seems more like woefully uninformed consent to us.

Dr Ruth BALOGH

Save our Lake District - Don’t Dump Cumbria!

Loweswater Hall, Cockermouth

SIR – Over 15 years I have built up a business in Cumbria. I am one of the many in the county who generate income and create work through tourism.

Surviving the impact of foot and mouth in 2001 was difficult but it was largely an unanticipated misfortune. I now seriously wonder if it will be possible to continue trading in Cumbria given the growing national assumption and reference to the Lake District as a nuclear waste dumping ground.

Even though we are still supposed to be at the ‘talking’ stage, The Daily Mirror recently reported “Nuke ‘graveyard’ plan: Tons of deadly waste could be dumped below Lake District” and the Sunday Times outlined that “Britain may have found a final dumping ground for its vast stockpile of nuclear waste: deep under the Lake District.”

Why, for the sake of a few hundred jobs, is Cumbria’s multi- million tourism industry being thoughtlessly undermined through this negative branding? What visitor would want to walk or holiday above the national stockpile of nuclear waste?

Where are the voices of opposition from the custodians of the Lake District?

It appears the Lake District National Park is sitting on their hands in the vain hope that West Cumbria will take the brunt of the bad publicity/branding.

What about the National Trust who safeguards large tracts of land in Ennerdale and West Cumbria ? Are their members complacent about an engineering project that would remove material equivalent to Sca Fell and create an underground facility the size of a major city under the Lake District?

Where is the support for the economic community from Cumbria Tourism? They outline that Cumbria’s visitor economy provides at least 32,000 jobs and £2bn annually. They should be concerned about the future of the West Cumbrian tourist industry, especially as they have recently invested in its development.

Perhaps they are relying upon Osprey Communications, paid a substantial sum by the Managing Waste Safely Partnership, to mitigate the damage to Cumbria’s image? However Osprey Comm-unications have failed to both manage information in the national press or effectively inform Cumbrians about the proposal. Only 20 per cent of 3,000 Cumbrians recently polled on their opinion were able to make an informed response.

This process could drag on for 15 years and continue to undermine our reputation as an area with quality produce and environment. It is now time for ALL county councillors and its executive to halt this process before the economic damage to Cumbria is irreversible.

Dianne STANDEN

ARTISAN, Market Place, Cockermouth

SIR – A photograph appeared in last week’s Whitehaven News showing the Lord Lieutenant of Cumbria, Sir James Cropper, complete with decorations from HM The Queen (including the KCVO – Knight Commander of the Royal Victorian Order), awarding a Certificate of Merit to a young Cumbrian, John McLeod.

This must have been a pleasant duty for him to perform. It was revealed in some national newspaper a few weeks ago that Sir James was one of several public figures who criticised the award of minor decorations (including the OBE, MBE and CBE) to members of the public for services to their communities.

The grounds for this were, apparently, that the practice of awarding such medals is archaic – because of the use of the word ‘Empire’ – and thus out of touch with modern day life.

This was explained as a belief that there should be instead a title more meaningful for the present times.

However, I fail to understand why this is so. Sir James apparently had no compunction about receiving awards from the Queen for those public services he has performed, whatever they may have been. Knight Commander of the Royal Victorian Order is hardly resonant of the present day is it?

Is there not a lack of social cohesion or class prejudice here, based upon the type of decoration awarded but, in some eyes, not necessarily deserved?

Brian PARNABY

Ullock

SIR – I would just like to start by saying a massive thanks to Morrisons in Whitehaven, especially all their customers.

I volunteer for a charity called Support Our Soldiers, this is a charity that sends morale-boosting shoe boxes to all the Lads and Lasses in Afghan, my son Daniel being one of them. I send over 65 shoe boxes a month with the charity sending up to 2,000. Last weekend I was collecting in Morrisons, Whitehaven. To say it was an excellent and successful weekend would be an understatement. The people of Whitehaven yet again donated in the bag load, it was the best weekend of collecting I have had to date, and will easily fill all of July’s 65 boxes and possibly even go into filling some of August’s. I was also overwhelmed by the many comments of support that was made and again a massive thanks for this as well. There will be some smiling faces in Afghan next month will all of the goodies that was donated, so on behalf of all at Support Our Soldiers and all the lads and Lasses in Afghan could I say THANK YOU for all your support. Just one last thing, if I spoke to you at the weekend or you have or know someone over in the sandpit please get in touch, I would love to send your loved ones or friends a box or two, my contact details are 07530316037, 01900818486 and if you would like to drop anything off just go into the Cooperative Funeralcare between 10 and 2.

Ryan WINTHROP

Cumbria Area Coordinator

Support Our Soldiers

SIR – Through your paper I would like to thank Christine and her helpers for the wonderful Jubilee party given at the Distington Club for Young People for the Community of Distington.

A great time was had by all who were there and it was nice to see the different age range all joining in together and enjoying themselves.

Shanette HARDING

Distington

SIR – I would like to say thank you to the Stagecoach bus driver on the 2.15pm Workington-Frizington bus who picked me up at Whitehaven Bus Station on June 2. I was on my way to Bethany House to visit my wife. I use a walking frame and the driver was very courteous and considerate, helping me to manage on the bus. I just wanted people to know that his kindness made my day.

John BOYLES

Herbert Hill, Whitehaven

SIR – In your letters page at the end of March, Steven Trembath from Longmile filling station asked how Atkinson’s (Esso), at the bottom of Inkerman Terrace envies being in such close proximity to two supermarkets.

Three months later, as a discerning shopper forever on the lookout for a bargain in these straitened times. I am delighted to provide the answer for Mr Trembath. The Esso garage is currently selling petrol cheaper than both Tesco’s and Morrisons’.

On shopping there to fill up my car and remarking to the guy who served me that I was amazed to see them serving cheaper petrol, he also told me that their fuel is better quality than the supermarkets and goes further in your tank.

Now, my brain was never configured to know about the efficiencies of cars so I’m not too sure how much truth is in that statement, but I’m clocking my miles to find out, and it’s very possible my days of filling up at the supermarket are over. So, three cheers for a smaller filling station that can put the supermarket giants to shame on pricing.

Mary BUTLER

Gable Road, Whitehaven

Published by http://www.whitehavennews.co.uk