Gazette letters: April 7, 2016

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We are picking up the pieces

WE read with interest your Gazette Letter of the Week from March 31.

Unfortunately your correspondent is wrong in many respects.

With regard to Faresaver X31 being much more expensive than First we would comment that we charge what we believe to be realistic fare to secure the long term viability of the service.

Where competitors drop their fares to a level which we believe are unsustainable, we will not enter into a price war which will ultimately result in a service becoming ‘commercially unviable’. This can only result in one thing, the withdrawal of the service because it no longer ‘pays’.

Having said this, Faresaver offer a variety of incentives to regular users. For instance the £2 fare into Chippenham could be purchased as an 11 journey ticket at £15, equating to an average fare of £1.36, (cheaper than First).

Faresaver offers reduced rate travel to concessionary bus pass holders before 9.30am as a gesture of goodwill, we do not receive any reimbursement from Wiltshire Council for this.

‘Often the Faresaver does not turn up’. According to the West of England Real Time Information Systems we have achieved in excess of 95 per cent buses adhering to schedule. We pride ourselves on being one of the highest scoring operators in the monitoring area in this respect.

‘I beg First Bus and Wiltshire Council to look again and re-examine the situation and think again for all bus users’ sakes’. Wiltshire Council has no influence on a decision by First Bus to withdraw a commercial service. Faresaver has picked up the pieces on numerous occasions over the years when other operators have either ceased trading or decided that the returns achievable are no longer adequate.

We have served North Wiltshire for over 35 years and have every intention of continuing to do so. We are confident that those passengers who are so in favour of a multi-national bus company will soon learn that the local family run business is actually a perfectly acceptable alternative.

JUSTIN PICKFORD

Next Bus Ltd

Bumpers Farm Industrial Estate

Chippenham

Show us compassion

I READ Claire Perry’s and Michelle Donelan’s columns with interest, in your paper dated March 24.

Ms Donelan says that she “did not seek election to take money away from disabled people”, adding that she believes in ‘Compassionate Conservatism’, surely a contradiction in terms if ever there was one.

With this in mind, perhaps she could use a subsequent column in your paper to explain why she voted in favour of the £30 cut in disability benefits and against the need for any sort of impact assessment to be carried out before the cut was to be implemented.

Naturally, it is axiomatic to state that Ms Perry voted in favour of the same cuts, though she omits this fact when talking about benefits spending in her weekly column.

Owing to the outcry from an appalled public, including several Tory MPs, the new Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, Ms Perry’s “great friend” Stephen Crabb, has been forced into another humiliating Tory party climb-down, similar to that which another of Ms Perry’s great friends, George Osborne, was forced into over cutting tax credits, after the nationwide disgust that was expressed at yet another cut in benefits to the poorest segments of our population by the Tories.

I challenge both Ms Donelan and Ms Perry to provide any example of compassionate Conservatism since 2010.

PHILIP BLUNT

Brook Street

Great Bedwyn

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There will be risks

TO SAVE space for other correspondents, I won’t respond to each of Mr Morton’s points, in his interesting letter on matters regarding the coming Referendum (March 24).

Suffice to mention that nobody disputes the fact that the UK pays more into the EU than it gets back, or that they export more to us than we do to them.

These imbalances have been the case since we joined the then Common Market.

Some consider it a price worth paying; not me. We hear the same old scare stories regarding job losses and cancelled inward investment that we heard before joining the ERM and the Euro argument, usually from the same people. There will be risks, in or out.

I would like to respond specifically to his points regarding the mass immigration that has taken place over the last 60 years, and which continues today.

During that time, we all know that the true figures have been massaged or fiddled.

Mr Blair’s open door policy just one of many. The latest record net inflow totals for both EU and ROW are at record levels. Surprise, surprise.

I have often discussed this with friends in Wiltshire, some who say they don’t see any problem and, like Mr Morton, use the argument that the health service wouldn’t run without immigration (they, of course, don’t say mass migration).

They used to use the same argument about the Post Office or the railways. Of course they don’t actually live day to day with the social consequences of mass immigration.

If they did, they would not just see the immense pressures on housing and all the public services, but the fundamental change to the fabric of this country.

I used to say to our friends, come up to London and see. Perhaps Mr Morton would like to, not just the West End but West London as it is now.

BARRY WIMBLEDON

West Lavington

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Please enlighten me

FOLLOWING the resignation of Jon Hubbard as leader of Wiltshire’s Liberal Democrats, some time ago in October of last year, I am curious as to whether any readers would be able to enlighten me regarding a continued power struggle amongst local Lib Dems. You see, the website for Lib Dems in Wiltshire is registered to a Mr Jon Hubbard in Melksham, what is interesting about the site is that it still lists people as Liberal Democrat Councillors, when they have not been for some time. There has been a significant loss of Lib Dems, John Knight and Howard Marshall to the Conservative party and several others became Independents under Jon Hubbard’s leadership. Dr Brian Matthews recently compared the Lib Dems to having an impending Bilbo Baggins ‘The Eagles are coming’ moment, may I remind him that much like Liberal Democrat representation in Wiltshire (and indeed in Parliament), in both the Hobbit & Lord of the Rings, they ended up with less people at the end of their quest than they had at the beginning.

GARETH MILNER

Lowden and Rowden

Chippenham

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Worst is yet to come

WITH the news that steel making in Port Talbot is likely to end soon I wonder why we are still being told that it is only by staying in the EU that we can ‘safeguard’ jobs?

We are told ‘three million’ depend on being ‘in’ but this has long since been shown to be a disingenuous claim. The truth is it can be easily demonstrated that by being in the EU is costing jobs.

EU state aid regulations make it illegal for the UK government to help any British industry by grant aid, loan or tax break. Such practices “distort competition in a way that is harmful to citizens and companies in the EU”.

Thus the UK government, of any political flavour, is unable to help while we remain an EU Member.

Furthermore, in 1975 the UK surrendered all rights to stop the ‘dumping’ of cheap products on UK markets, something we could only end by leaving the EU and retaking our seat at the World Trade Organisation. Again, regardless of party in “No. 10”, we could not have prevented the Chinese off-loading their steel onto us under the existing regulations.

Currently three new ships are being built for the Royal Navy and hundreds of new tanks, and other vehicles, for the army. These are being built using foreign, not British, steel because EU procurement regulations mean the MoD are unable to show legally a preference for our own steel.

At a time when British plants are closing, our government is forced by rules made in Brussels to turn its back on our steel producers.

Even worse is yet to come; if we remain “ in”, The EU Energy Directive 2020 will add an additional 40 percent to the cost of electricity as it forces the UK industry towards inefficient, unreliable and very expensive forms of energy.

Outside the EU we could have prevented much of this with short term loans or other temporary assistance to the steel industry and also by removing the high costs of fuel to the industry, making British steel much less expensive on the world markets.

These are all verifiable facts readers need to be aware of when casting their votes in the referendum.

TONY MOLLAND

Former chairman

Devizes Constituency UKIP

Association

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Unpleasant sight

This morning whilst walking my dog I was treated to the sight of three players urinating against trees by the side of the road on both sides of The Common.

One was on the side of the Rugby Club building, and the other three were on the main golf club side.

Is it not enough that they already ‘bully’ everyone within a hair’s breadth of the pitch, throw down coffee cups and litter etc, and now they cannot even be bothered to return to their club house for the lavatories?

Daisy Barford

Marlborough

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What an insult

How dare Conservative councillor Simon Jacobs blame the Community Youth Officers themselves for the latest cuts being imposed by his party in the county.

In your publication Cllr Jacobs is quoted as saying that the job cuts are due to dedicated and committed Community Youth Officers not being up to the job – how dare he!

Cllr Jacobs owes an apology to every one of the Community Youth Officers, and frankly should consider his own position as a councillor if he feels that this is an appropriate statement to make.

To make such insulting and untrue comments about staff who have worked so hard to try and salvage something from the savage cuts imposed by his party just 18 months ago simply beggars belief.

If staff were not up to the job there is an established competency process that would be followed – this has not happened so there is no basis on which he can base such a comment.

Clearly in Cllr Jacobs mind, if an existing Community Youth Officer is not appointed as a new Locality Youth Facilitator then they are not good at their job. How are staff at Wiltshire Council meant to keep any sense of motivation or wellbeing if councillors are spouting such insulting rubbish?

Jon Hubbard

Wiltshire councillor for Melksham South

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Double standards

Last month Wiltshire Council found it necessary to reduce their Youth Service to just seven employees for the whole of the county.

They are also considering re organisation of the Library Service to include reductions in the numbers of paid staff.

All this due to cuts in the grant from central Government.

Last month Mr Osborne found it possible to reduce Corporation tax and increase tax thresholds which disproportionately benefit the wealthy. Need I say more?

C R Webber

Compton Bassett

Calne

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No bins, more mess

Reading your column from this week’s paper (March 31) I wish to take issue with regard to the “Take Pride and keep town tidy” column.

I live in Curzon Park in Calne, which plays host to many people who walk their dogs.

This has not been a problem in until recently, when bored youths blew up the dog poo bins. The council’s response: the bins will not be replaced due to cost cutting measures.

Now we have dog deposits all over the place.

I was walking my own dog in Castlefields park yesterday, a delightful area on which many volunteers spend much time and effort. I decided to pick up some cans and bottles carelessly discarded - where were the bins? No longer where I expected to find them, they too had been removed. When I did find a bin, it was overflowing onto the ground beneath.

What is the point in trying to encourage people to pick up litter if there is nowhere to put it? I certainly was not willing to cart my collection home while at the same time, controlling my dog.

Furthermore, the penalty notices just add to the litter as they never appear to be followed up.

A few of the £1,000 fines collected, would greatly assist towards replacing the bins and shock people into being more responsible.

Anne Morgan-Jones

Calne

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Cut all the rhetoric

WE have the furore over a senior government minister resigning, apparently over his disagreement with public spending cuts.

Perhaps our local councillors should reconsider their spending cuts that adversely affects the elderly, young and vunerable people in our society.

The of these latest being the closure of the public toilets and all the meaningless political rhetoric that surrounds that issue.

The taxpayer is also seeing more cuts to the public transport system making it difficult for people without cars to get about.

But we have yet to see any cuts to the way our local governments spend money on their political aspirations, which are costing many millions of pounds.

In these austere times they would be better spent providing the services for which the taxpayer is contributing to through local taxes.

One area of savings is to stop public consultations because our councillors and managers have already taken the final decisions ahead of any consultation this I know from attending such events.

Tony Fellenor

Farleigh Close

Chippenham

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Let's keep it local

It would seem at first sight the downgrading of town and parish councils a retrograde step and particularly the lack of information about changes to the buses.

Most of us in Chippenham, who wish to travel to Bath, Swindon or Bristol using our bus passes are reliant on rumour.

The old Shire county structure which is a feature dating back to a pre-Saxon time continued into Norman times has been destroyed first with Avon and then BANES, South Gloucestershire and North Somerset.

Why not do away with District Councils and revert to having local issues decided by the towns and parishes?

As for some counties they cannot be effective.

Now why not select regional government with an elected Chief Executive, who could make strategic policy decisions on housing, land use, planning for transport and energy generation.

After all, education has already gone from counties to Trust Boards and in some places the Church of England is making as good a job of running schools as it did before the 1944 Butler Act.

Regional governments can more appropriately direct EU funding to deprived areas than central government. Let us keep government local.

Paul B. Godwin.

Chippenham

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Thanks for support

AS a new year begins and we find ourselves looking forward to the upcoming months and the challenges they bring, I am writing to thank the town of Swindon for the incredible support they have shown us during 2015.

SSAFA, the Armed Forces Charity, is the country’s oldest military charity and we have continuously supported our Forces Family since 1885 - there for them then, still here for them now.

Numerous companies and traders in Swindon have worked tirelessly in support of our troops: Subways, Greggs Bakery, the West Cornwall Pasty Company and Brogans have supported us with food for our supporting soldiers and cadets, and many other companies have given us prizes, etc. to aid in our fundraising efforts.

Vince Ayris, Toni and Guy, Cotswold Spa Hotel, Morrisons Regent Street and the Debenhams have been particularly supportive.

We also had the support of the then Mayor, Coun Teresa Page, at our One Hundred Hearts Launch at Debenhams in February, 2014.

Special thanks also go to Thamesdown Rotary Club who this week gave us £3,400 – part proceeds of their 2015 Poppy Ball.

Together with us and the soldiers of 280 Mc Sqn RLC (our local reservists), Swindon’s good people have helped us to raise many thousands of pounds in support of those who need SSAFA’s help.

Thank you.

KAREN THOMAS

SSAFA Wilts

Community Engagement

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What a great show

I WOULD like to publicly congratulate all the young people and those responsible for putting on such a fine show in Annie at the Wyvern over the weekend.

It was a brilliant show put on by the young people of all ages that caught the imagination in a very professional way. Some of those playing main parts would not have looked out of place in the West End.Well done for such hard work in making this such a success.

CLIVE ALEXANDER

Alma Road

Aldbourne