Letters to the editor, August 11

Cllr Philip Whitehead stated that he was very disappointed that people drop litter. I am afraid that people have been irresponsible since litter was available and no matter what campaigns like the old Keep Britain Tidy Campaign, there are those that will always throw their rubbish down for others to clear up.

That is no excuse for the council not to clean the streets, and it is not just litter that is spoiling our streets at present where they have not been cleaned regularly there is dirt and dust accumulating in the gutters and on the pavements. With an abundance of wild growth. the other Sunday on my way to church I was embarrassed when I passed the library.

The amount of litter dirt and grit there was, with a group of tourists being shown around the city. A neighbour and I have cleaned our side of our street and weeded and swept the gutters, but we do not intend to do the city centre, and neither should we. I am sure if our elected councillors had any competence or financial management skills they could find other larger savings within the administration side of the council. The saving they claim to be making not to clean our street is small compared to the overall council budget. Would they let their own homes get filthy? I am sure they would not. So, come on Wiltshire, a bit of TLC in the city please. We are now a major tourist attraction.

Ken Edwards, Salisbury

I was astounded to read the self-congratulatory letter from City Councillor Mathew Deane in last weeks Journal, in which he sought to take full credit for removing all the baby Rock Dove chicks that used to live under the Fisherton St railway bridge.

Cllr Deane is very good at destroying the only habitat of defenceless Rock Doves, but, completely and utterly incompetent when it comes to masterminding (alongside Cllr Andrew Roberts) the shameful and humiliating attempted take over of Laverstock and Ford parish. It seems this man has no shame and after dragging the good name of Salisbury through the mud he obviously hopes that this great victory over a handful of little Rock Dove chicks will make up for his past bungling.

I gather that next year he intends to stand for a City Division in the Wiltshire Council May elections, which makes me wonder just what the good folk of Salisbury have done to deserve this punishment, hopefully they will remember just how badly he has acted as a City Councillor and vote for anyone but him. As the leader of the Conservatives in Salisbury, no doubt Mr Deane fancies his chances of eventually becoming the leader of Wiltshire Council, a position to which no doubt he would be able to bring his special brand of political incompetence.

Chris Devine, Farley

Recent weeks have seen a succession of ill-tempered letters from councillors and others about the merger of the parishes of Salisbury and Laverstock and Ford.

Many readers might welcome a balanced view of how this spat between the parishes came about.

There is nothing new in cities and town’s expanding into neighbouring parishes. It happened in Salisbury in 1835,1904, 1927 and in 1954 when Stratford-sub-castle joined the city. In the last 60 years Salisbury has continued to expand in all directions, but particularly into the parish of Laverstock and Ford.

By 2020 there will be over 8,000 residents of that parish living next to the city, a fair proportion of whom are closer to the Guildhall than residents in the south and west of the city.

It is not surprising that a majority of city councillors suggested that those living against our boundaries should make a greater contribution to the upkeep of the city facilities which both parishes enjoy.

A stark example is the Guildhall. This fine building built in 1794, not surprisingly has high overheads. We all enjoy seeing it as the embodiment of our fine city, so it did not appear unreasonable to ask our immediate neighbours for help up keeping it.

Perhaps understandably the residents of Laverstock and Ford who enjoy these facilities already were not enamoured of being invited to support this move.

The whole issue was then complicated by the wish of Wiltshire Council to transfer a number of services such as toilets and grass cutting to the city council. These services are likely to force councillors to raise the city’s council tax precept, hence their enthusiasm to spread the load.

Localism triumphed, partly because great emphasis is currently placed by government on the wishes of the residents of the parish affected. If this enthusiasm for giving the minority preference over the majority continues, I fear for the sensible expansion of city boundaries across the country.

While I have tried to give a balanced view, I am conscious that I will always tend to see these issues from the viewpoint of what is best for my residents in Fisherton and Lower Bemerton.

John Walsh, City and Wiltshire Councillor

Paul Sample writes (postbag August 4) that Britain would be a much better place if every MP spoke up for their constituents without concerns over patronage and promotion.

One such was Sir Michael Hamilton, Salisbury’s MP from 1965-1983.

His 2000 obituary in the Guardian newspaper was headed “Promising Tory MP whose career floundered in a pit of china clay.”

That was nearly correct; it was actually a chalk quarry owned by English China Clays and it was situated at East Grimstead.

At the 1967 inquiry preceding this development, objectors and their expert witness had been locked out when the crucial evidence supporting the need for this quarrying should have been scrutinised.

A public inquiry had actually been a secret inquiry. As the Guardian recorded, Sir Michael then “fought an obsessive 15-year campaign”, in and out of Parliament, to correct this injustice.

I have recently completed a comprehensive record of this whole episode, from 1966 until 1985, and a copy, entitled A Brighter Kind Of Chalk, is available in Salisbury Library.

Malcolm Read, West Grimstead

With regards to your article on the Aldi traffic in last week’s Journal I would just like to point out that I raised the point of safety at the Wiltshire County Council’s Strategic Planning Committee several months ago before they started building the new store.

I suggested that all traffic exiting the site should turn to the right or alternatively a ramp should be built allowing traffic to go around the Park and Ride site.

Unfortunately, my colleagues on the Committee in Trowbridge did not heed my warning and voted against me.

Councillor, Bill Moss Salisbury St Marks and Bishopdown

I assume by the time you get this letter the annual tea light float will have ended! I would love to know what the group think this achieves?

I know they are worried about the big bad bomb but what about a bit of thought for the hundreds of thousands of civilians murdered, starved to death and beaten and shot by these poor Japanese.

Many of those who died at Hiroshima were at a military base of course and the rest of Japan had been flattened by American bombing but still they waged war.

Let’s rejoice instead for the projected million American civilians, as many were before they volunteered to fight the Japanese aggressors, whose lives have been saved by the Atom Bomb.

My advice is grow up and get on with life. Mourn instead for those the Japanese killed.

The fact that the Atom bomb has never been used since Nagasaki shows what a brilliant deterrent it is.

Steve Baldock, Harnham

The decision to close the Salisbury Walk-In Health Centre during the day is very regrettable. This will add further pressure on to doctors and the accident and emergency department at the hospital. It provides a valuable service to residents and visitors.

I received excellent treatment at the Centre when I tripped over a kerb and fractured bones in both arms.

I am calling on the NHS to reconsider their course of action which will be detrimental to the health and safety of people particularly the elderly, the vulnerable and women with young children.

This is just another example where local services are being eroded. The poor and disadvantaged always suffer the most with these types of cuts.

Please sign the petitions that are going round Salisbury.

Michael Pope, City Councillor

I think the old gaol on Fisherton Street Bridge is possibly the oldest continuously uninhabited ‘cooler’ in Wessex – and judging by its size it would seem those incarcerated there, were forced to crouch during their residency.

I’m frequently asked by tourists as to the building’s function; many of whom even attempt a hesitant tap on the door in the likelihood some ancient prison guard or custodian might appear.

Why not spruce it up a bit and turn it into a key landmark for the city?

It has many characteristics with endless potential of which the following are tentative suggestions: a butterfly house, a mini-information cubicle, a three book library, ensuite shower or a welcome tea kiosk.

Brian Black, Salisbury

Are Wiltshire Council and Salisbury Council playing footloose with the security of our city? Judge Cutler quotes in last weeks Journal, examples of murder and rape that have been solved by the use of CCTV. The UK’s heads of security have warned that a terrorist attack on the UK is not “if but “when”.

Will Wilts Council and Salisbury Council not heed these warnings and fail to provide CCTV to help in the protection of our City from the potential of a terrorist attack. Surely the lack of CCTV is an invitation to criminals of all types.

Graham Browning, Amesbury

Can we please have our market back?

More stalls are leaving because they can’t have their vans by their stalls. You say the vans will mark the slabs. Yet you have a massive wheel and fun fair. Not to mention the October fair. You know what the people of Salisbury think of the market, not much.

So please will you get off your high horse admit you’re wrong and let us have our market back please.

Sylvie Biggs, Salisbury

Reference the plans of Sprinkles Gelato. Some years ago before the very modern building was built next to the Odeon Cinema, there was a plan to expose the beautiful side medieval wall of the cinema making an atrium with a glass roof into a seating area.

Will Sprinkles Gelato perhaps do this, a place for citizens to sit and eat their ice cream and look at our heritage.

Eve Weatherley, Stratford-sub-Castle

Has anyone noticed that we seem to have sub-let the area in front of our library to a gang of ne’er-do-wells and their dogs?

We had people setting up camp in The Market Walk before this to show just how the world was treating them.

As was pointed out recently what appears to be a beggar down on his or her luck could be part of a Street Pantomime to attract funds for drink or drugs.

The library steps, allegedly provided for library users of all ages and physical fitness, has become a meeting place of undesirables who have no intention of going inside to increase their knowledge.

Having made enquiries to the library staff it seems that the resident caretaker has been made redundant recently so they have no control over undesirables.

I believe this building comes under Wiltshire Council, if so what measures are, or can, be taken to improve things?

Colin Duller, Harnham