I HAVE every sympathy with Bentley and the residents of Foxlydiate Lane and Webheath as the decisions that have been made are an unmitigated disaster for the whole area.
Lessons unfortunately cannot be learned because the Local Plan 4 cannot be changed and are set in stone.
The effect on other roads in this area is nothing short of catastrophic and because of the narrow lanes in this area very little can be done in mitigation.
The then Labour controlled Council seemed at the time to be hell bent at any cost to get Webheath and Local Plan 4 passed in this area.
Any argument put up due to poor infrastructure, narrow roads and safety concerns were ignored.
Webheath ADR will have another 165 houses and more to come to go with the existing Redrow and Taylor Wimpey site off Church Road.
Probably a total of 600 as well as the 2,560 planned on the Foxlydiate site.
Even the Government Inspector for Local plan 4 felt there was something wrong but nothing changed.
I understand that ex-Labour Councillors are regretting their decision in private but to those I say – too little, too late.
M Cottam, Webheath
I’M puzzled. The government claims ending self isolation will help the economy, but I reckon just one infection in a company of 150 people, mixing in staff meetings and canteens will result in the whole company being infected in weeks.
With boosters already failing (research suggests three months leading to no antibodies after five months), half the workforce will be as vulnerable as they were in 2020 by May 31.
Knowing several people who have been ill since they had their boosters, I would say half those aged 40+ will need a week off work once infected – that’s a lot of days lost.
One sixth, across all ages, but with a greater impact on over the 50s will suffer long Covid,
This can impair mental ability, fatigue and more days off sick.
Ending self isolation without a rebooster policy beginning in March is economic suicide, not to mention callous, greedy, selfish and shameful.
We still have 11,500 in hospital with Covid – equivalent to about 140 per county – 14 wards of patients in every county!
So planned operations are impossible if they involve recovery time in hospital – ending self isolation will mean more Covid patients.
The government is running around like headless chickens trying to save itself.
I beg people not join them – use your common sense to save lives, your families’ health, and your jobs.
If you have Covid, please, keep it to yourself.
M Bish, Abbeydale
HOW disappointing it is to see another of our local MPs, this time Education Secretary Nadhim Zahawi, resorting to ‘dog whistle’ politics!
When I was at School in the 1960s the History we were taught celebrated only the positive elements of our national heroes and was clearly designed to keep the masses in their place!
The current system of teaching ‘warts and all’ history is obviously more appropriate for a modern diverse and forward looking country and the Tories main objections are this inevitably leads to some criticism of their own – ie. The powerful, the wealthy and elite! Johnson and his cabal often invoke memories of Churchill.
I often wonder what the Great Man would make of this current bunch of chancers where honesty and integrity are not important as long as you hang onto power?
This Government has undermined democracy and our Institutions and has sought to silence ‘off message’ magistrates and judges and so called ‘activist lawyers’ – or anybody who stands up to them – and now wants to take away the right of protest!
These were exactly the same tactics used by the Nazis in the 1930s.
I Welch, Redditch
I’M writing to you to tell you that I’m concerned about my ability to access cash in my local community.
Being an old age pensioner, and on a fixed income, cash is very important to myself.
If I purchase an item from any retail outlet, using a bank card, and find it has to be returned for any reason, I have to wait several days if not weeks before the amount is deposited back into my account.
If I pay by cash and I return the item I get the cash immediately.
I understand we have to move with the times but there is always a case for maintaining the use of cash.
Perhaps it would be possible to start a campaign, supporting the government to protect cash, but on a more local level.
Please use any means possible to protect the ATMs we have in our local communities for the benefit of all if not just the people who need them.
C Bird, Address Supplied
I WAS dismayed to see Conservative Councillors voting themselves a 6.6 per cent pay rise which is more than 3.5 times the last pay rise given to public sector workers.
Actions such as these further demonstrate the Conservative attitude of thinking rules that apply to everyone else do not apply to them.
This comes as they also prepare to vote on an increase to council tax.
Together they show an utter disregard to the crisis in cost of living that is being experienced by others in the area.
A Fieldsend-Roxborough,
Liberal Democrat Candidate for Abbey Ward
