Published at 15:44, Wednesday, 03 March 2010

SIR – I have been reading all the letters sent into The Whitehaven News about how much more Workington has to offer than Whitehaven when it comes to shopping, and it does, but there are still stores in Whitehaven who need support.SIR – Local Conservatives have talked a lot lately about the need to build a consensus in nuclear policy. The truth is that leading Conservative politicians don’t seem particularly keen on establishing a consensus on anything. SIR – What the Lord giveth the Lord taketh away. Last year, after years of pressure from the Lowca Parish Council and with the support of the local county councillor, Lowca was given an evening and Sunday bus service. Well done Stagecoach! SIR – I am writing on behalf of the Whitehaven Musical Festival Committee.SIR – Contrary to your report on the problems experienced by Karen Butterworth on Linethwaite Road near St Bees, the Highways Agency has no responsibility for this unclassified road and therefore is not, as stated, intending to make any changes to drainage on it nor has any responsibility for gritting it.SIR – Thanks very much to Bill Oldfield for his letter concerning the Albion Square plans. I hope it inspires everyone, including our councillors, to ask what this monstrosity has to do with this “Georgian Gem” that Whitehaven is so often referred to. Surely any architect should design something that complements surrounding places.SIR – In the News last week mention was made that “almost £700,000” was allocated to the Private Housing Sector Renewal project.SIR – One guy speaks the truth from a position of both knowledge and authority and all hell breaks loose from all the usual devotees of Sellafield. If they ain’t ‘fixed’ Mr Fountain’s “(untreated waste) silos” by now, will they ever? Not with the past ‘expert’ lot running things obviously – so let’s support the new guy and let him ‘kick some ass’. SIR – In the knowledge of Copeland Council’s current somewhat precarious financial situation, it should be of interest to council tax payers to know how much (or how little?) the council has spent on ‘away days’, for training and morale purposes over the course of the past two or three years.SIR – I would like to know if any of your readers are having the same problem my wife is having. After a two-year wait she finally registered with one of the new NHS dental practices (August 2009) and had an inspection in October 2009. As she required treatment she was given an appointment for November 2009 which was later cancelled due to staff shortage and she has heard nothing since.SIR – “Hospital staff sickness costs £500,000 a month”? (The Whitehaven News, February 25) – look in the mirror, Ms Heatly, it is your policies that are causing the high sickness levels at West Cumberland Hospital. It is your policies that have demoralised a first-class workforce. SIR – I agree with Mr Clarkson that Lowther Street would be a pleasant place without the buses. If only the one-way traffic system could be reversed, buses could drop people off at either end of Lowther Street, the Union Hall at one end and Strand Street the other end. SIR – Re your article on holy wells. Molly Lefebure mentioned in her book Cumberland Heritage that Cumberland had nearly 30 holy wells, several of which were in the Penrith area. You failed to mention our own St Begh’s Holy Well that can be seen on the hillside opposite the site of St Michael’s Chaplet on the Whitehaven to St Bees road, and then there is St Ringan’s holy well on Fangs Brow going down to Loweswater.

I have been covering in our Workington branch over the last 10 weeks and the number of customers who I know and see from Whitehaven is unbelievable, even though Whitehaven has a Clarks store and has the facility to order any item that the customer wants. Then they can either collect from the store or home delivery is free. Most companies do this now.

So all I can say is, don’t start complaining when another store closes in Whitehaven. You only have yourselves to blame!

KERRY

Manager of Clarks

King Street, Whitehaven

SIR – Why not pull Whitehaven town down and start again and build a new town in keeping with all the new-builds built in the last 15 to 20 years!

Yes, Copeland is rubbish or the planners are. What about Wilkinsons? It’s the only central store in town and no Woolworths (a big miss). So is proper seating, ones that seat four people or so.

Councillors should have the decency to resign over what has taken place over the last two years.

Name and address supplied,

Greenbank, Whitehaven

Look at the debacle over plans to reform the way in which elderly care is funded. The Government has tried to build a consensus with opposition parties on this issue but the Conservatives just won’t play ball.

Business Secretary Lord Mandelson said: “While the shadow health secretary was prepared to talk about the options on elderly care that we need for the future, David Cameron could think only of political advantage. Clearly, David Cameron drove a wrecking ball through the consensus on care – not to help the older people of this country but to indulge in playground politics. It is cynical, short-sighted and contemptible behaviour.”

Norman Lamb, the Lib Dems health spokesman said that the three parties had agreed on a set of “clearly-shared principles” before talks “collapsed in acrimony”.

If this is how talks have been going on elderly care, it raises serious questions about cross-party talks on nuclear power.

M J STEPHENSON

Southey Avenue, Egremont

But now, after changing the No 1 bus route early in January by cutting out the Kells’ leg, Stagecoach have discovered the resulting route can’t be done within the time allowed (something any bus driver or No 1 bus passenger could have told them beforehand) unless, that is, it doesn’t stop for passengers – an important technical point as I think you’d agree.

Their solution? Not to go back to the full route that worked (just about) but to cut out even more of the No 1 route from the end of March! In Lowca, that means ending the loop around Meadow View/Vale View estate, an area with many elderly, disabled and young families. They must now walk further to the bus.

How can a bus route stay even possibly ‘profitable’ if you make it harder for the people who need it to use it?

Frank HOLLOWELL

Lowca Parish Councillor

Solway Road, Lowca

This year we celebrate the 60th anniversary of the festival and would like to make it a truly memorable one.

One of the events planned will take the form of a display in the Civic Hall, commemorating all the years. For this we need the help of past participants and members of the public. If anyone has memorabilia, photographs etc we could use in the display, please contact me or send to my address.

Mrs E O’FEE

Abbots Cottages, Beach Road

St Bees CA27 OEW

Tel 822 264

The Highways Agency is an executive agency of the Department for Transport which manages England’s motorways and major A roads on behalf of the Secretary of State – in the Whitehaven area the only roads concerned are the A66 and the A595 from its junction with the A66 to just south of Egremont.

Every road has a highways authority responsible for its management and maintenance and in Whitehaven, except for the A66 and A595 as stated above, this is Cumbria County Council.

Barbara PHILLIPS

Central Office of Information, on behalf of the Highways Agency

SIR – On the evening of Wednesday, February 23, I noticed a fault with a street light that, I thought, might be a potential hazard and certainly was a nuisance. The location was on the A5094, Back Corkickle, Whitehaven, immediately outside the Chase Hotel.

I telephoned the Cumbria Highways fault line to report the fault. Within 15 minutes of my call an operative attended and a few minutes later the fault was rectified.

At a time when public service is, justifiably, under a very dark cloud this response was exemplary and I would like to thank all those at Cumbria Highways for their prompt attention and efficiency.

Andrew DAVIES

Back Corkickle, Whitehaven

Please don’t make the same mistakes as the new apartments on the harbourside. Just walk along three or four times a week as I do and listen to the comments of locals and visitors. I have never heard any praise – most call it hideous and an eyesore. Indeed looking across from the Candlestick chimney the top resembles a pigeon loft.

Finally, instead of all these millions going on feasibility studies and things which might or might not be built, why not concentrate on something which is already built and is a huge part of our heritage – namely Haig Pit Museum.

Name and address supplied.

I note from Allerdale Borough Council’s website that it seems that whereas Allerdale place a charge against the property under which the whole of the assistance is to be repaid, Copeland only place such a charge for 50 per cent of the repairs, the other 50 per cent being a grant.

If we are facing a time when public spending must be curtailed should not Allerdale’s policy be adopted?

Name and address supplied

There is some logic and merit in Copeland councillors promoting the siting of a 4km sq underground storage facility adjacent to Sellafield (based on the 1987/91 Nirex geological evidence and the fact that at least 70 per cent of all UK nuclear waste is already at Sellafield) even if it will use a mostly itinerant workforce to build it. However our self-serving quango- financed ‘Brit Energy Coast’ lot want to build new reactors (with again a mostly itinerant workforce) next to what is already a nuclear ‘liability’. (Note. There is only one licensed authority for nuclear build in the UK and that is at BAE in Barrow. Sellafield might have a ‘plumbing and building maintenance licence’ but an itinerant workforce has done all the past construction.) Further, to ‘enable’ this they also need a new 50-metre high National Grid ‘loop’ that will feed power northwards towards Scotland, who are themselves sending their power to southern England over an already decrepit 1950s and 60s’ system that needs many billions of pounds of investment (currently £20 billion) without worrying about any Cumbria ‘new build’ and with consumers footing the bill.

Is effectively placing three explosive devices next to a fuel storage tank an example of the best joined-up thinking from our Sellafield MP and his quango devotees?

If Sellafield could not organise the early ‘home going’ of a biblical 5,000 during wet weather recently, what hope is there for their emergency evacuation scheme? Forget the argument as to why Sellafield is ‘safer’ than elsewhere – that is more of the disingenuous Sellafield spin, and whilst itinerants may be good money for second homeowners and ‘hotels’ they are not ‘good news’ for a future Copeland workforce.

Mr Fountain, please continue to tell it as it is – that’s what Britain needs. The Muppet Show had more characters with ‘gump’ than the present ‘Sellafield at all costs’ quango lot.

Arthur MILLIE

Longcroft, Egremont

And reply to the letter from C> Farr, he is correct in that we both attended state schools; however, Whitehaven County Secondary School was a private school until the passing of the 1943 Education Act, when it was taken over by the state.

I remained there, having had to pass my 11-plus examination. A not-so-subtle difference between Mr Farr and myself is that I took advantage of the excellent education offered to me, whilst Farr apparently did not, at least insofar as the English language is concerned.

Brian PARNABY

Ullock

After waiting two years without a dentist and treatment she now has a dentist but is still not getting treatment. Will this mean she is meeting the government target even though her situation is no different?

Further to this, she now has a tooth that needs a filling and is breaking up, so she tried for emergency treatment and was given an appointment in two months’ time. We hope the tooth is still there to fill at that time.

Name and address supplied

You are very good at spin, Ms Heatly, you and your so-called Trust. Every time you move a hospital service from the West Cumberland Hospital to Carlisle you put a positive spin on it and claim it’s all for the benefit of the people of Copeland and Allerdale.

Tell the truth, Ms Heatly: the Cumberland Infirmary at Carlisle can not be allowed to fail because it is Slippery Blair’s flagship for which we will be paying for years.

Why is it that people that have held responsible posts for years at the West Cumberland Hospital have had to apply for their own jobs and that the numbers of managers has risen significantly and wards closed?

I find it hard to believe that you could not persuade a consultant to work at the West Cumberland Hospital but it’s no problem acquiring a consultant to work 40 miles away in Carlisle.

It’s about time our council representatives and local MPs realised the game you are playing with people’s lives.

What is coming next, job cuts and job losses? You have not brought this issue of staff sickness to the attention of the media and the public for no reason.

Tommy DOUGAN

West Lane, Flimby

This would be safer than the system we have now where people have to cross the main ring road to access the remaining bus stops. These could then be transferred to the opposite side of the road keeping everyone on the town side.

The main alteration would require a large roundabout at George Street/Tangier Street junction and alteration of traffic lights at Lowther Street/Scotch Street junction. If all the speed humps were removed from the main ring road motorists would be more likely to use this route, replace these with zebra crossings as they are in other parts of Europe now. This appears to work.

Personally I would like to see Lowther Street pedestrianised, all traffic banned except for delivery purposes and some parking for disabled people. It would get rid of the bottleneck outside of Wilkinsons and make this area much safer for pedestrians and enhance the town.

Many people like shopping in Carlisle, Workington and Keswick now they have been made pedestrian-friendly.

Name and address supplied

And finally Doctor Joseph Steele of Acrewalls Mansion at the bottom of Steele Brow used to bottle the water from Cringlegill Chalybeate spring on Dub Beck between Acrewalls and Millyeat and send it to London where he had a practice. The good Doctor claimed the water had medicinal properties. Steele Brow derived its name from the Steele family of Birks.

John S LEECE

Whinlatter Road, Whitehaven

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