Last updated 20:15, Thursday, 10 July 2008

SIR – Last week the House of Commons missed a golden opportunity to improve the respect in which it is held.

The behaviour of a minority of Members of Parliament and MEPs from, unfortunately, almost all the political parties has been bringing politics into disrepute. One of the most corrosive aspects is the impression that politicians are feathering their own nests at the taxpayers’ expense (which although not true of the majority has enough truth in it to have done a great deal of damage).
That is why all politicians with the brains God gave a wombat now say they believe in greater transparency about their pay and conditions. It is why both David Cameron and Gordon Brown have promised to end the position where MPs vote on their own salaries and expenses. And it is why a Member’s Estimates committee was set up to look at pay and allowances of MPs.
Last week a recommendation for reform came from that committee. Among other things it proposed that all MPs should have their expenses subject to external audit, and the abolition of the so called “John Lewis” list. Those reforms were voted down by 172 votes to 144. Perhaps the most disappointing aspect of this is that half the House of Commons, including the Prime Minister, did not vote on the question.
Your readers might be interested to know that voting among Cumbria’s six MPs was as follows:
For independent external audit and the abolition of the “John Lewis list” – David MacLean (Con, Penrith & the Borders) and Eric Martlew (Lab, Carlisle).
Against – Tony Cunningham (Lab, Workington).
Did not vote – Tim Farron (Lib/dem, Westmorland and Lonsdale), John Hutton (Lab, Barrow & Furness) and Jamie Reed (Lab, Copeland).
I don’t believe the position supported by the majority of those MPs who voted is sustainable. I support the “Right to know” proposals by David Cameron which would include an independent body setting MPs pay, and much greater transparency, including external audit, of MPs expenses.
Coun Chris WHITESIDE
Conservative PPC for Copeland

Fresh idea for storing N-waste
SIR – Having seen how difficult it is to get a deep dry repository for nuclear waste, it is time to look at another way of safe storage.
It would be possible to create two low level entries near the works for two self-draining tunnels. These would run inland under the hills for as far as necessary, with caverns being excavated to either side into which dry storage would be built to house the waste.
Two tunnels are required to avoid having to have any openings within the National Park, and for security. Monitoring would ensure that, if any container gave cause for concern, it could be retrieved.
This system would allow infinite storage capacity with the excavated rock being used for public works.
In the southern half of the district the main road, now de-trunked, has many places where lorries and buses cannot meet each other, the worst being at Ladyhall road end, near Duddon Bridge, where the lorries run over the kerb and up the grass verge to avoid head on collisions. The various authorities between them have missed the opportunity to improve the way through Duddon Bridge Farm.
We locals are fed up with promises, so let’s see the colour of the Government’s money before the council even discusses a depository, and get a new piece of road from the bridge to Ladyhall road end. Keep the traffic lights on the bridge because it is narrow, and more importantly they keep the speed of the heavy lorries down helping to preserve the old bridge.
Jack MORRIS-EYTON
Whicham

Back-room staff play a vital role
SIR – In your editorial “Hidden costs of drawn-out pay dispute at Sellafield” , (The Whitehaven News, July 3), you said: “People look on enviously on what Sellafield workers already get, ie ‘London Wages’.” You then went on to express some justification, and I quote: “Sellafield workers are entitled to the high wages they get – conceivably many of them put their lives at potential risk every time they enter the gates and the unions are entitled to get the best deal they possibly can for their members.”
This statement implies that everybody employed at Sellafield is being paid a wage far in excess of the average for the local economy. This is both misinformed and misleading. It does not acknowledge the multitude of ‘support services’ roles, cleaners, security guards, catering staff, postal workers, who are paid minimum wage, or little in excess thereof. As a worker within this category, I feel it is disingenuous of you to suggest that working within the confines of the Sellafield site constitutes big earnings.
I accept the fact that people should be paid a reasonable salary for the skills, training or capabilities that the job entails. But don’t forget that the back-room staff play an equally important role, for very little thanks.
John MOONEY
Whitehaven

Windfarms are a scar on the land
SIR – Councillor Tim Knowles quite rightly calls for an aggressive campaign against windfarm proliferation in Copeland (letters, The Whitehaven News, June 19).I wholeheartedly agree.
However, as a Copeland Borough Councillor, a county councillor and a member of the Lake District National Park Authority, I would take it further and call for an aggressive campaign for the whole of Cumbria.
I spoke at the planning meeting at Copeland against the Fairfield Windfarm Development, calling for the committee to refuse the planning application, despite the officers’ recommendation for approval.
My main thrust was to point out that among other reasons for the refusal was that two previous applications for development at Pica had been turned down by Copeland planning committee and subsequently upheld on appeal by two different inspectors. One application was in 1991 for a converted barn into a dwelling and the other in 1996 for 10 windmills at Fairfield Farm. Both were turned down for their own individual reasons except for one common to each: both developments were in an “Area of Natural Beauty”.
So what is different about this development to the two previous ones? Are the Planning Inspectorate at Bristol now being told to ignore designated landscapes by the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government? It seems like it and we have more of these ineffective, insane windfarm developments to come unless some action is taken.
Two weeks ago my wife and I took some friends from London to Borrowdale and up the Watendlath road over Ashness Bridge to the ‘surprise’ view at the top to take in the fabulous view. I was horrified when looking down along Derwent Water, Keswick and Bassenthwaite Lake beyond to witness the appalling sight of the Bothel windfarm on the horizon, approx 13 miles away as the crow flies. An historic view ruined for ever.
Our beautiful county is being vandalised by the proliferation of these ineffective forms of energy developments that are industrial scars on our landscape.
The secluded Martindale valley near Ullswater is to be given a “makeover” by United Utilities Electricity Services as part of a new project to tackle intrusive power lines in beautiful locations. For the first time, Ofgem has agreed a £5 million programme specifically to improve the environment in the designated landscapes of the four Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) and the three National Parks in the North West of England.
It is the first time United Utilities has ever been allowed the funding to re-lay power lines underground for purely aesthetic reasons.
What is the point of pouring £5million clearing a blight of overhead cables and at the same time spending billions on creating hundreds of more scars in the form of wind farms? It’s got to stop.
Councillor Norman CLARKSON
Calderbridge

Proud of our youngsters
SIR – I write as the very proud pastoral team leader (Head of Year) of Year 11 pupils at Whitehaven School. This group, of over 270 pupils, have this week left school following their GCSE exams and in these days of adverse and often ‘damning’ comments about our youth I would like to redress the balance a little.
At the start of the year a small committee was set up to plan and raise funds to pay for the publication of an official school handbook and to subsidise a Leavers’ Prom that they wanted to arrange for the end of July.
This group of young people, with a huge amount of support from the rest of the year group, have managed to raise nearly £3,000.
Week by week they have made and sold cakes and hot chocolate. They have arranged raffles, sport challenges and many other events, the last one being a prize bingo and we would like to take this chance to thank the Royal British Legion at Kells for their help to stage this, making just under £500. All this hard work and organisation means that everyone will receive a ‘free’ handbook and will have their tickets for the prom subsidised.
So, while being fully aware of some ‘problem youngsters’ in our community, I have to raise my hat to the vast majority of our students who now leave school, to start the next chapter of their lives as caring, hard working, sociable and responsible young people.
I know that they will do well in the future and I wish them every success.
Mrs S COSHAM
Whitehaven School
Cleator Moor Road Whitehaven

SIR – I would like to thank the hundreds of former staff and pupils of Ehenside School, who attended the open days and concert last week, to mark the 50th anniversary of the school. Sadly this is our last celebration as we close shortly.
Ehenside has served the communities of Cleator Moor, Frizington, Arlecdon, Rowrah, Ennerdale and beyond for the whole of this time. It is clear from all who attended (some travelling hundreds of miles to be here) and from the letters and e-mails from those who could not get here, that Ehenside has been a positive influence and in some cases inspiration enabling them to move on in life.
Without doubt there is incredible warmth and affection for the school. All who attended asked the same, why does it have to close?
As long serving teachers at Ehenside we were delighted with this incredible response from the events organised.
One final edition of the school magazine ‘Reward’ will be published by the end of term. Anyone wishing to obtain a free copy and who has not already signed up for one, should contact school by e-mail to admin @ehenside.cumbria.sch.uk or telephone on 01946 855000 and leave a forwarding address.
It is gratifying to know that in this day and age of accountability in education, that so may people regard Ehenside as a winner. As one former member of staff said: “once an Ehensider, always an Ehensider”. Everyone attending was proud to have been part of the school.
Mike and Vicki DUNS
Ehenside Community School
Towerson Street, Cleator

Any old iron?
SIR – You can plan and better plan to keep Whitehaven town centre worthy of gem town status – but you can’t stop the unannounced proliferation of street furniture installed by Capita, which is both physically and aesthetically obtrusive.
The other weekend three iron bollards have appeared outside the entrance to The Whitehaven News, and two more opposite Dr Ironside’s surgery. To make them easy to see on a badly-lit bend, they are, as you would expect, painted black.
I give them a week before someone hits them.
From whom do these ideas come and does anyone think of mums with prams or folks in wheelchairs before they site them?
Even during the blackout, pavement obstacles like tree trunks were painted with white bands. But you knew that already. Seemingly Capita don’t.
Michael MOON
Whitehaven Heritage Action Group

Tribute to Gordon Brown
SIR – We at Distington would like to pay tribute to a great man who has died, the freelance journalist Gordon Brown.
We knew Gordon well and he joined us regularly on our footpath walks. One journalist described Gordon as a gentleman. I would say a perfect gentleman.
I don’t think there was any walk in the Lake District and here which he had not walked and loved.
His other hobby was cycling. As a journalist he was great and no doubt he was a very popular man all round.
We will all miss Gordon very much. A truly great, good living, honest man.
James TAYLOR
Mid-town Close, Distington
Thanks for help
SIR – To the young ladies from Whitehaven who were supporting their rugby team at the Shay football ground, Halifax on Sunday, June 22, thank you for helping my husband when he took ill during the match.
One young lady who said she was a nurse attended to him and then left the ground to alert me and explain what had happened.
She escorted me to the ambulance which was taking my husband to hospital.
We did not get the names of these ladies so I am hoping they will read this letter and accept our gratitude.
My husband is now home and looking forward to the next match.
Mrs D TONER
Shaw Hill, Halifax