By Andrew Lohmann, Webspace since 1997
Created 23-08-04, Changed 17/12/2010, 17/06/2011
A small selection of my letter printed generally in the local press. The date is that which the letter was sent it may have been edited if it was printed later.
Courier 24 August 1994 Wheelie bins Introduced
Courier 2 April 1996 Nesting birds at Barnetts Wood
Courier 03-97 CCTV
Stop the War Courier 16-02-03 Focal point
Radio 4′s PM 11-11-01 – 9/11
A21 dualling adverse effect Courier 01-08-03 On Sherwood
Courier 02-12-03 Euro Debate
Courier 03 Euro Debate
Courier 04-07-04 Making local democracy work
KM Extra 08-07-04 Bus passes and The cost of poor vehicle efficiency
Courier 11-07-04 (similar letter sent to KM Extra) All Kent Rail Rover poorly promoted
Courier 11-07-04 Bus Passes and bus information – not printed.
Courier 19-07-04 Follow up to poorly promoted Rail Rover – not printed.
Courier & KM Extra 15-08-04 Preparing for (or to have) Emergencies
Courier 22-08-04 Next Prospective Parliamentary Candidate
Troops should assist in Asia KM Extra 21-01-05
Uniting the two parts of St. Matts Schools printed KMExtra 18-03-05,
Clarification of the meaning of an advertisement. printer by km extra 04-03-06
Air Quality on the A26, Sent to the Courier 06-03-05, edited version was published 18-03-05
The real number of deaths due to roads v MRSA Sent to Kent on 20-04-05, printed 01-05-05
Would you trust Michael Howard. Sent to Courier and Radio 4′s PM 20-04-05 not printed.
A26 Southborough to Tunbridge Wells has been declared an Air Quality Management Area, Sent to KM Extra 08-05-05 I Gave an interview to KM FM on 10-05-05 then a well edited version of the letter was printed subsequently in KM Extra 20-05-05
The lesson don’t build, or plan roads it only encourages them. Sent 08-06-05 Published in the Courier virtually unedited 13-05-05.
Use of the old Ridgewaye School Gym by Ridgewaye Football Club, Sent to Courier & KMExtra 06-12-05 NEW
Recent crashes on A21 (Pembury bypass) Courier 02-02-07
Printer in Courier, Sent to Courier 19/4/2009
Cafe BLISS opens, Courier & Southborough Town Council News Letter (sent 29/11/2009)
Michael Foot and two good General Election Candidates, printed in the Courier 3/2010 (sent 7/3/2010)
Public Meeting on General Election 2010
Consensus not conflict, Courier Letters 25/6/2010
A Party Working together – printed Tunbridge Wells on Saturday 14/08/2010
Network Card and poorer customer service – shorted version printed Courier 17/12/2010
Additionally because I compost, and take recyclables to the recycling bank. What is left is a carrier bag of rubbish every other week.
These large bins will attract more waste, as has happened else where. But that is alright for the Council because, at the time, 2 years ago when Tunbridge Wells Borough Council decided to go for wheelie bins, the council also published a recycling plan which committed it to do nothing. At the same time, I was told, the council will continue to work towards the Government target to recycle 25% of household waste, wheelie bins will do nothing towards that target.
Surely if you or I want a new bin we should purchase one. At £28 each who will profit from this wasteful idea?
Yours sincerely
——————————————————————————————-
Doubly so because this will be the start of the extra traffic caused during construction, and inconvenience with road junction improvements. But also sadly hearing the nesting birds flying around in distress as their nests and territories were being destroyed. A neighbour told me that the nesting birds include Long Tail Tits. These birds will loose their territory become egg bound and the older one’s will die as they will be unable to find, at this stage, other territories.
I have written to High Weald Housing Association to inform them that birds are being disturbed during their reproduction cycle. This is most certainly contrary to European Union Directive “The Conservation of Wild Birds Directive”, EC/79/049/2-3-1979. I have asked them what legal excuse their contractors have for proceeding with clearing and if there is none would they stop. My fear is that the destruction will have been completed by the time I have an answer.
Yours sincerely
——————————————————————————-
What he had been doing was naughty, he probably won’t do it again. This is what only on-the-beat policing can do, and cannot be done by a machine or surveillance camera. This type of policing is what police are very well trained for, does not show up in statistics, and addresses common worries of people.
Yours sincerely
———————————————————————————–
Remembrance day has just passed but is the never again aspect being respected? All life is important the bombing during remembrance, muslim religious periods, and at any other time is wrong. On the day of the terrorist bombing 11th of 9th month, a tragedy was reported in the UK that is 5 million children suffer from asthma presumably the highest yet? I think we should be remembering those who suffer by torture, oppression, war and terrorism. These are on going. Perhaps we should also consider all who's life, or liberty is taken before their time. The bombing is to do with oil, but vehicle fumes lead to asthma, the bombing may therefore result in a double tragedy. It would be better to help the people such as of Afghanistan and leave the oil in the ground. I travel to Turkey on 8th October the day the American bombing started, two 250 seat Aeroplanes travel together one with 15 passengers the other with 40. On the day before aid agencies advised that food should not be air dropped as some would land in mined areas, and there-by kill people. So much evidence was claimed to exist so soon after the terrorist act in New York, I wonder if a comparison with the Japanese bombing of Pearl Harbour and the belief that the US let it happen so they would be drawn in to the war can be drawn? Is the UK's involvement in the bombing due to a second world war debt to USA? If so the pay back is unreasonable. -- Andrew H Lohmann ------------------------------------------------------------
To Courier Newspaper - printed and picture shown seperately Added 02-12-03, Revised: 12/08/09, 14/09/09 Dear Sir, The comments letters week on the Euro debate were curiously only towards the anti point of view. I attended that meeting and found the debate not pro enough for me. I changed my mind about the EU a dozen years ago, having thought they were too idealistic, I now see that the Union is positive and effective. Although I supported, along with most of the audience, making the Euro fully our currency, I would not have made it conditional on five tests which always seem to fail, as opposed to tests that can pass. As you expect no one could suggest a candidate which would have been against the war on Iraq, and for the peaceful resolution of conflict. The EU has prevented war in Europe between members, and it seems to be spreading a non-violent approach to resolution of conflict further afield. By comparison our country to country relationship to USA has become as a poodle, a criticism of both Mrs Thatcher and Mr Blair. The relationship seems to have changed over the 24 years since Earl Mountbatten criticism nuclear weapons. Since then there has been the invasion of British Grenada and the withdrawal of visa rights from UK citizens visiting USA. So not only do I think it excellent to be part of the EU, together we are becoming big enough to restore our relationship as allie and friend of USA. The picture with this letter is of the Statue of Liberty, fortunately at personal level relationship's between many countries is very good.
I visited Manhattan in 1993 as guest of Jim and Barbara Munves (who many people of T/W met). Technical stuff Kodak: Gold ISO 100, Nikon with Sigma 28-85 Zoom, or Nikor 50 mm Lens.
————————————————————————————
Courier 04-07-04 Making local democracy work – Printed edited to just the second paragraph.
Dear Sir,
I could answer Ivan Armstrong’s point in Courier of 2 July 2004, “politicians let politics down”, with the old phrase “the electorate get the politicians they deserve”. Having said that I think public, politicians, and the media all play part in making the status quo:- indifference to elections – TV – couch potato – home delivered pizza – foot ball and England is always in the right – and preference for food that looks perfect, though I wonder sometimes if worms and maggots won’t touch it why should I?
Democracy only works well when scrutinised sensibly by the public, the continuing 284 Saturday bus service initially started by Southborough Town Council is testament to that. Whereas the 274 bus that almost runs between Southborough and Pembury Hospital and only at irregular intervals came about due to a planning condition applied indifferently. The now withdrawn proposal of a bus route through the Oak Road Green, Sherwood seemed vindictive, though with public scrutiny the final outcome, the construction of the doorstep green playground is good.
The choice we have locally is voting at the polling station or by post is good, I don’t know of any other system tried locally. I guess the writer was trying to pre-empt postal vote only happening locally in future. In the June election the count started late in the evening and was a long process. I think different counters to the people who had been working in the polling station during the day should be employed to minimise the possibility of knowing which way a specific elector voted, and to reduce the number of hours worked. After the important first stage validation which checks that the number of ballot papers in the box coincided with the number of ballot papers issued, I think the ballot boxes should be re-filled, sealed and then counted the next day.
Faithfully
Dear Sir,
A small point to add to Maurice Knights’ letter on bus passes, which is that the free bus pass for use by people over 59 years of age provides half price travel after 9 am weekdays but also at all times at the weekends and bank holidays. Some other councils give greater discount, and there are also free passes and companion passes for disabled people or there companions.
I note the comment in another letter from Sevenoaks FoE that car manufactures should make cars more efficient. A vehicle’s energy required follows a cubic law as the speed increases, this translates taking in to account distance travelled becomes an inverse square law of Miles per Gallon (KM/L) at a given speed.Therefore a car that does 50MPG at 70 MPH, you would expect would do 100MPG at 50MPH, and 200MPG at 35MPH. Unfortunately this does not seem to be the case. The problem is that the internal combustion engine is only any good near to full power output, and at proper running temperature. Another point to consider is that all motor costs have remained fairly constant in real terms over the period 1974 to 2003, whereas the cost of bus and trains travel has increased so it might seem that there is no pressing need to save fuel, but for the fact that 5 million people suffer respiratory illness in the UK due to vehicle emissions.
So even if you don’t qualify for a bus pass like me, do consider using public transport. If you qualify for a free bus pass then can also mitigate the cost as well. Or literally vote with your feet and walk when it is practical.
Note for the Editor: The cost of motoring v Bus and Train travel see Hansard reproduced below:-
Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what has been the change in costs of travelling by (a) car, (b) train and (c) bus in each year since 1974, taking 1974 as a base figure of 100, and discounting inflation. [160584]
Mr. McNulty: The following table shows the information requested on real changes in the cost of transport as indices based on 1974=100. The information is available in Transport Statistics Great Britain, although the current edition does not include 2003 data and is based to 1992=100.
17 Mar 2004 : Column 289W
| All motoring(5) | Rail | Bus | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1974 | 100.0 | 100.0 | 100.0 |
| 1975 | 104.4 | 109.2 | 104.9 |
| 1976 | 101.2 | 124.3 | 114.9 |
| 1977 | 99.9 | 125.0 | 114.1 |
| 1978 | 99.7 | 132.0 | 119.4 |
| 1979 | 104.0 | 128.8 | 118.4 |
| 1980 | 103.8 | 135.6 | 127.0 |
| 1981 | 103.9 | 138.6 | 125.6 |
| 1982 | 101.0 | 146.5 | 133.3 |
| 1983 | 103.2 | 148.5 | 134.7 |
| 1984 | 100.7 | 142.0 | 131.1 |
| 1985 | 99.4 | 142.4 | 128.9 |
| 1986 | 94.7 | 147.0 | 135.2 |
| 1987 | 96.3 | 148.4 | 137.4 |
| 1988 | 95.9 | 151.3 | 140.1 |
| 1989 | 93.9 | 153.2 | 140.2 |
| 1990 | 91.0 | 152.2 | 135.1 |
| 1991 | 92.3 | 158.8 | 145.5 |
| 1992 | 95.0 | 164.2 | 150.2 |
| 1993 | 97.6 | 173.0 | 154.3 |
| 1994 | 98.5 | 176.3 | 154.6 |
| 1995 | 97.0 | 178.1 | 155.0 |
| 1996 | 97.5 | 180.3 | 156.9 |
| 1997 | 99.6 | 178.9 | 157.6 |
| 1998 | 99.3 | 180.1 | 157.3 |
| 1999 | 100.2 | 183.8 | 160.6 |
| 2000 | 101.0 | 181.6 | 162.3 |
| 2001 | 98.7 | 185.3 | 166.1 |
| 2002 | 96.3 | 186.5 | 168.5 |
| 2003 | 94.8 | 184.3 | 170.6 |
(5) “All motoring” includes the cost of purchase, maintenance, fuel, tax and insurance
Source:
Retail Price Index, Office for National Statistics
Faithfully
It would be beneficial if council’s would see that not only bus pass information but also managed public transport timetables information, once again at least one bus timetable in Tunbridge Wells seems lacking or has inaccurate information on the 29 bus goes to Brighton every half hour Monday to Saturday. I got a timetable from a stagecoach driver and confirmed this. Rail stations could be agencies for all public transport, with information on county bus passes.
So even if you don’t qualify for a bus pass like me, do consider using public transport. If you qualify for a bus pass then council’s and government will pick up half the fare for you.
Faithfully
—————————————————————-
It is now quite easy for someone to turn up at Tonbridge Station and buy a Rail Rover. But it took a number of people a number enquiries to find out that although Tunbridge Wells Station know all about the ticket and have those tickets, they don’t have the bar codes to issue the tickets, Tonbridge Station have the bar codes and the tickets, but did not know anything about the promotion, until Tunbridge Wells staff told them. The ambiguity between Medway Council’s understanding that they were promoting an all Kent Rail Rover, and South Eastern Trains’ published leaflet that omits some Kent Stations, was never explained to me by SET. I also don’t see why the tickets are not available from any staffed station, such as was the case with the Connex Loyalty card and, the Hastings line 150 year anniversary ticket previously.
More information is available: http://www.maritimeheritagetrail.co.uk/ The Rover is available until the end of August, don’t forget to check last minute engineering. The rail ticket to a mainline SET station which sells the rover is not refundable.
Faithfully
In Tunbridge Wells a Library Foyer display was banded within a day or two day of opening and Tunbridge Wells Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament collected 5,000 signatures in the following week to have it’s display reinstated, but instead a manager of the local library was sacked, and TW CND marched through the town with a coffin representing the death of free speech.
Civil defence planning, a course tutored by a retired police man was run in Tunbridge Wells. Although emergency planning was said at that time to be intended for planning for any emergency, and knowing who had a tractor locally would be useful, the nuclear war and shooting the looters after was the important lesson it turned out. Although it was said that they/we would deal with any emergency at that time, and not wait until after the training was finished, but the lie became plain when we visited the basement of Springfield in Maidstone shortly after the very deep snow in North West Kent that winter. The Civil defence old men had been playing boy scouts in their emergency basement room – Playing Nuclear War emergency and shoot the looters exercise whilst the snow accumulated outside too a record depth (1986?).
I don’t think the retired policeman doing the training liked the part of the training preparing for after a nuclear war exercise he was supposed to teach us, and presented with one of the other exercises instead or got distracted. One of those distractions was by how, when he as a young policeman with bicycle, he had had his helmet knocked off at pub closing time whilst on his own in a village. Though he was out numbered an old lady came out of a house and told the drinkers to give him his helmet back and go home, which they did. I must say I have seen former infant school dinner lady Val Catt, and later to be Councillor, do the same sort of thing with drinkers brawling on Christmas eve in the town. Getting back to the civil defence training – Eventually the trainer’s senior came and sat in and made sure the shooting the looters lecture took place, not a very nice or practical lesson. That was followed by the visit of police and emergency central control in Maidstone where anything could be managed it seemed, followed by the visit of Springfield I described above where we saw lots obsolete phone equipment, and white boards with the same nasty lecture notes on it from the after nuclear war exercise that they had been doing in the past months.
Given that at the time US was planning a limited (tactical) Nuclear War in Europe, I think in retrospect there was sense in government ignoring the snow and preparing for the war, but it was nonsense, and I am still doubtful about calling the survivors looters and shooting them makes any sense either. So my question is what are we being prepared for this time around?
Note for the letters editor – (not for publication)
Tunbridge Wells CND booked the Library foyer for a one month display which came to the top of the waiting list two years later. Two years latter happened to coincided with the governments civil defence exercise “Operation Hard Rock” and CND’s counter to it “Operation Hard Luck”. The library at about that time other displays had included Milk Marketing Board, Battle of Britten, English Apples, but probably one of the better presented was the CND display which had been largely created by local artist Paula Williams from Wadhurst. The month was cut short after a day or two, but not really because it was tatty, but more likely because Sir Patrick Mayhew our then MP was civil defence minister, and would be making a speech to Tory Conference at the time. A Library Foyer display was inevitably going to coincide with something there was a lot of pro/anti Nuclear War activity at the time.
The full civil defence guidance, which was a reproduction of something from the 60′s. Amongst the many practical things were the plans for building a men’s urinal. This document was countered a Youth Tunbridge Wells CND publication.
Faithfully
————————————————————————
When voting for local council’s though there are areas like Southborough, where if you want some scrutiny of local government, voting Labour is a good idea. When Lib-Dems ran Tunbridge Wells Borough Council, they missed some opportunities, like a environmental code of conduct for local developers**. Even so the brief change of controlling party was good and many good things came out of the change. The audit report is another opportunity for improvement of our week borough council. Next year there is a chance that at least one local Kent County Councillor be Labour. Needless to say there is also a place for local press to scrutinise local government more than they do so now.
When the parliamentary election comes, despite the war, I do wish for a Labour Government not just because Labour have there act together more, but because Labour MPs have an excellent record in scrutinise there own government.
** Note not for publication
In 1996 High Weald Housing Association built 166 houses at Barnetts Wood. Having done nothing for more than six months they made a dreadful mistake resulted in the bulldozing of many nesting birds, chicks and eggs. The fine for doing this could have been considerable, but unfortunately European directives were not applied in the UK although they always were law. Although I was unable to persuade the developers to defer building during the nesting season soon, or persuade the RSPB prosecute, after the house were built HWHA offered to sponsor an environmental code of conduct for local developers. The condition was that voluntary code applied to all local developers, and TWBC would need to pull it together and ensure that information on record from organisations like Kent Trust for Nature was passed on. Unfortunately Councillor David Mills was unwilling to do that when he was the leader of the one time Lib-Dem Borough Council.
Faithfully
Troops should assist in Asia KM Extra 21-01-05 with photo of 11 year old Mya Howard holding a poster at the Rally in T/W on 18 December.
Dear Sir,
It is unfortunate that Government should have been dragged into a war and occupation of Iraq. To there credit a large number of MP’s voted against that war unambiguously, and some troops refused to obey orders to fight in an unlawful war. Troops should be sent to help, if needed with the Asian disaster or brought home now.
There are various points of view on War and what we should do now. I believe, that when military forces of occupation pull out the very long process of healing of Iraq can start. The problem is that any form of outside military force in Iraq is largely perceived (with good reasons), to be doing wrong however well intentioned. The outcome, I am sure will include Iraqi oil being traded in US dollars, and will continue to be painfully for the Iraqi’s for many years whatever is done. I don’t see any reason to believe that the leaked UN report, prior to the war, predicting that ultimately 1.26 million deaths due to war and disease that follows is an underestimate.
If readers are interested Tunbridge Wells Peace Group <action4peace@tun-wells.co.uk> will be meeting next at the Toc-H hall off the High Street, Tunbridge Wells on 7 and 21 January at 7.00pm. Contact no. 07791 851 697.
Peacefully
Uniting the two parts of St. Matts Schools, printed KMExtra 18-03-05,
Dear Sir,
Recently taxi operation have restarted between the two parts of St. Matthews School, and that is subject of a planning application. The school suffers from unauthorised parking on it’s own land and during the past decade has taken steps to minimise the effect. Although no child has been seriously hurt so far, safety is a concern.
When a taxi firm operated between the two parts of the School, that causes considerable annoyance to the school and neighbours. The annoyance was greatly reduced following a change of use subsequently. It is therefore concerning that an application to change back to taxi firm operation recently came about.
The transport depot business prior to 1991 operate very quietly, the operator of that firm retired. Kent County Council nearly bought out the transport depot at that time, and the local press ran a story about this happening. The deal unfortunately fell through and Starline then bought the site.
The proprietor of Starline, was helpful in dealing with problems that arose a decade ago, but the problems were not resolved. The then clerk to Southborough Town Council Graham Penticost was keen to help local councillors resolve the problem. Meetings with KCC resulted at one stage with the proprietor of Starline finding an alternative site to relocate to.
It would be handy if the two parts of the school were united.
Faithfully
————————————————————————————————
Clarification of the meaning of an advertisement, printed KMExtra 04-03-06
Copy to Marks & Spencer.
Dear Nigel,
Thank you for printing my letter in KM Extra 4 March copy below. Having looked at the advert in wimpy again I see that the comparison is between a Marks & Spencer’s tuna sandwich, and a Wimpy Lean Berger. I have also visited M&S on the 5 March and spoken to the food manager Garry.
Sincerely
Published as a letter with minor changes 04-03-06 To KM Extra News Paper, Advertising Agency, Wimpy
Dear Sir,
I have been wondering what the meaning of the advertisement in the window of Wimpy in Tunbridge Wells (Junction of Grosvenor and Upper Grosvenor). The poster advert shows a Wimpy Burger with a number of grams of fat (oil) and a Tuna Sandwich with a higher number grams of fat (oil). The poster suggests there is no choice, but given that the poster does not mention the good Omega 3 oils in the tuna fish, or whether the burger contains saturated fat, the advert does not say?
I would appreciate it if Wimpy would clarification the meaning of the advertisement publicly. I am not a health professional, but I have been advised by my doctor to watch the type of oils and fats I consume.
Sincerely
—————————————————————————————-
Air Quality on the A26, Sent to the Courier 06-03-05 a much edited version was published 18-03-05
Dear Sir,
As readers will be aware the A26 Southborough to Tunbridge Wells has been declared an Air Quality Management Area, and air quality is to be monitored to EU/UK standards. The air quality is concerning and as I suffer from so called hay fever severally in the summer when near vehicle fumes, I am keen for people and local authorities to get on and do something about it. The number of vehicle a day on the A26 through Southborough is about 25,0000 a day and has been the same for three decades, so presumably the problem has existed for the same time. The air has been monitored for a decade, but not to EU or WHO standard methods, so it can not be said that there has been a problem previously, or whether vehicles have become more polluting recently?
Part of the solution is to:-
* Create a pinch point north of Southborough (could be a traffic light), to restrict traffic coming into Southborough so that vehicles coming in wait until they can move through built up areas freely. Cars entering Southborough having travel some distance would produces more NO2, the pollutant particularly problematic, and ozone, and that the fewer vehicles taking shorter time to complete their journey the less vehicle fumes will be emitted.
* Encourage walking buses to school, and walking. This solution would mitigate short vehicle journeys which produce high levels of carcinogenic pollutants such as unburnt hydrocarbons.
* Make public transport (buses and trains) that run parallel between Tonbridge to Tunbridge Wells cheaper, by subsidy, more frequent, and reliable.
* Longer term; build a freight sidings at Good Station Road, and Longfield Road to transfer local deliveries to road. The Shell heating oil depot at North farm Road could start using there freight siding again.
* Change the local plan to re-designate the industrial estate on the High Brooms side of the rail line for residential use. Therefore reduce the need for some heavy vehicle movements to occur through A26, and High Brooms.
Traffic on the A26 is capacity limited, for each car that could be persuaded not to travel on that road another would replace it. Therefore building roads won’t solve any problems. Although most of the traffic is coming into Tunbridge Wells not going through, the restoration the rail link T/W to Brighton would be helpful and would also provide an alternative route to London via Eridge.
The widening and speeding up of traffic on the A21 at Castle Hill will not help as this route into Tunbridge Wells is congested. In any case it is selfish to attempt impose similar problems on Sherwood, High Brooms, and Pembury Road. In any case the section of A21 at Castle Hill is noted in the Access to Hastings multi-modal study for its low fatality rate, and safety on that section of road is the primary concern of the public. An outer orbital motorway route connecting the A21 to the A26 South of Tunbridge Wells is unlikely to be built quickly or at all.
Many people are talk about building a bypass across Southborough Common to Langton, this would spoil a lovely local amenity. Instead I would like to see temporary fences and cattle grazing Southborough Common. I acknowledge that the house building that would come with such a scheme is needed.
Other measures widely discussed are to remove the traffic lights at Yew Tree Road, but I think the lights are beneficial compared to the problem that existed prior to there installation 25 years ago, even if when switched off things seem better briefly. The pelican crossing could be moved to in front of the Victoria Hall, and buttons for pedestrians added to the traffic lights at Yew Tree, and Speldhurst Road Junctions. Possibly loading lay-bys in front of the shops in the same section might also help, but these measures will do nothing for Southborough without a pinch point north of Southborough.
NOTE not for publication:- You may use this letter as First Person article.
Faithfully
Reference: My Access to Hastings archive: home_a2h.htm
http://A2H-FINAL-REPORT.pdf
http://A2H-APPENDICES.pdf
———————————————————————————-
Recently The World Health Organisation (WHO) warned that air pollution, due to all forms of pollution shortens lives in Europe by up to ten months and costs billions of Euros every year. So the advertisement printed in KOS last Sunday on 5,000 deaths due to hospital MRSA, and the conservative campaign comparing deaths due to road transportation seems very misleading..In January 1998 New Scientist reported that up to 24,000 people die annually due to vehicle emissions according to the government statistics (office of national statistics), this is considerably more than have been dyeing of hospital MRSA. This figure is in addition to fatalities on the road, and 5 million children suffer respiratory illness due to road pollution.
When USA introduced the 55 MPH speed limit, fatalities on the road halved. If engine size were reduced to match, then fuel efficiency and air quality would be improved, and therefore you would expect a substantial reduction in need for hospital care, and thereby expect the cases of MRSA to be reduced substantialy as well.
Faithfully
—————————————————————–
Would you trust Michael Howard. Sent to Courier and Radio 4′s PM 20-04-05, not printed.
Dear Sir,
Having been talking to people recently on the General Election, my obvious retort could have been would you trust Michael Howard? I suggest that no one was deceived by any dossier on the issue of going to war on Iraq. Surely the relevant question now is if the president of USA demands our involvement in war on Iran in June or some time, do we say no this time. In the end it will be down to MP’s to vote unequivocally no to such a war if they mean no, and Labour MP’s have proven very good at constructively criticising government.
Peacefully
—————————————————————-
A26 Southborough to Tunbridge Wells has been declared an Air Quality Management Area,
Sent to KM Extra 08 & 16-05-06 I gave an interview to KM FM on 10-05-06, then a well edited version of the letter was printed subsequently in KM Extra 20-05-06.
Dear Sir,
The declaration of the A26 Southborough to Tunbridge Wells as an Air Quality Management Area, and air quality is to be monitored to EU/UK standards, is overdue. The World Health Organisation (WHO) warned recently that air pollution shortens lives in Europe by up to ten months and costs billions of Euros every year. There have been a number of such warnings, for example in 1998 the office of national statistics reported that up to 24,000 people die annually due to vehicle emissions. The number of vehicle a day on the A26 through Southborough is about 25,0000 a day and has been the same for three decades, so presumably the problem has existed for the same time. I am keen for people and local authorities to get on and do something constructive about it.
Part of the solution could be:-
* Create a pinch point north of Southborough to restrict traffic coming into Southborough so that vehicles wait until they can move through built up areas freely.
* Encourage walking buses to school, and walking.
* Make public transport (buses and trains) that run parallel between Tonbridge to Tunbridge Wells cheaper, and more frequent, and reliable.
* Build freight sidings at Good Station Road, and Longfield Road to transfer local deliveries to road. The Shell heating oil depot at North farm Road could start using their freight siding again. The restoration the rail link T/W to Brighton may be helpful and would also provide an alternative route to London via Eridge.
* Change the local plan to re-designate the industrial estate on the High Brooms side of the rail line for residential use. Therefore reduce the need for some heavy vehicle movements to occur through A26, and High Brooms.
Traffic on the A26 is capacity limited, for each car that could be persuaded not to travel on that road another would replace it, so perhaps we should suggest radical things?
Note not for publication
1) I have reworded this letter slightly as was suggested to me.
2) Thanks for passing the original letter to KM-FM who broadcast some of my comments last Wednesday.
Faithfully
———————————————————————————————-
The lesson don’t build, or plan roads it only encourages them. Sent 08-06-05 Published in the Courier virtually unedited 13-05-03
Dear Sir,
Jan Petrie is correct in her understanding of traffic management. In about 1990 Cecil Parkinson claimed truthfully the 1980′s the Tories, had the biggest road building programme ever. But by the mid 1990′s the government started to kick many road schemes into the long grass, such as the failed Weald and Downland DBFO Scheme (Tonbridge to Hastings, and then to Eastbourne). Government switched away from using their computer model COBA (Cost Benefit Analyst) which builds roads for millionaires to travel faster on, because massive road building leads to even greater expectation, congestion, and therefore dissatisfaction.
In the mid 1990′s Parliament set up a committee HETRA to look in to road building and all transportation. This committee’s interim report said in essence that road building did not necessarily reduce congestion it had to be studied. Ultimately guidance was published on Multi-modal Studies, and the first study The Access to Hastings Multi-modal Study was commissioned in 1999. The study which looked at transport within a triangular area of Sevenoaks M25 along the A21, the coast, and Eastbourne, Unfortunately the Study consultants were unable to persuade the steering group to include the A26 rail corridor which formed the other side of the triangular area of the study, although consultation was carried out in St. Johns and Southborough.
The committee took a long time to report, and the guidance that followed was also late, a land mark lesson was being learnt, predict and provide has been replaced by traffic management. My own summary of the lesson is don’t build, or plan roads it only encourages them (meaning people put off changing the transportation need, by relocating for example, in anticipation of road building thereby exasperating congestion).
Jan Petrie’s assertion that more traffic will fill any capacity increase created unless other measures are taken is corroborated by a prediction made by the Department of Transport. The Department of Transport said at the public inquiry into the 6 lane A21 at Castle Hill in 1993 that traffic would increase from 25,000 to 40,000 vehicles a day by 1996 on the A26 if their road were not built, having said previously that Tonbridge and Tunbridge Wells Borough Councils have a plan to create a pinch point just north of Southborough. I don’t think they were being entirely honest, traffic on the A26 is at capacity it can not increase, But for each car that could be persuaded not to travel on that road another would replace it, so perhaps we should do more than tinker with the problem of the A26 air quality?
Road Peacefully
Use of the old Ridgewaye School Gym by Ridgewaye Football Club, Sent to Courier & KMExtra ~06-12-05
Dear Sir,
I supported the license application for the sex shop in Southborough, because the application shows a responsible attitude to the subject. I also think sex as with most issues should be dealt with openly and not made a mistery, or necessarily wrong. The teenagers probably are more interested in other teenagers, and as the news quiz quoted the pensioners have there walking sticks anyway. In the main people quietly think what is planned is at least better than a vacant shop, and on the basis that any publicity is good then keep the discussion going will be good for business in Southborough. The Town Council could have support this business more fully by wrapping it up in the Town Centre Development, and forgotten about it for a while.
Many people don’t like seeing the area of derelict land remain that way in Southborough. At Southborough Town Council last week consideration of the football pavilion was discussed, it would be good if the old Ridgewaye School gym, be used for sport by Ridgewaye Football Club. It is up to the owner’s Kent County Council to set the term it cares to offer. Readers might recall that the Royal Victoria Project in Tunbridge Wells was initiated by Kent County Council in the 1960′s and then was finally built in the 1990′s. Town Council members commented on the number of plans have come for the Town Centre that would have been built and finished years ago. I was disappointed six years ago that the planning application for a little Sainsbury that could be extended was not supported by the council or the public who attended the meeting.
Faithfully
--------------------------------------------------------
Since that car crash it has been recognised (as I have written before) that predict and provide policy for road building does not work whereas traffic management and study is better. It was disappoint to read of Councillor Ransleys proposal to clear the highways of parked cars and delivery vehicles so that more moving vehicles can fill the road and probably would actually result in stationary in cues of more drivers getting annoyed with highway builders and councillors not doing anything about the problem.
Like everything else you can’t just expect a technically fix to come along or expand capacity you have to study and manage problems in order to do less harm or provide a benefit. Similarly a wind turbine may not be viable in the south east because of the low wind in this area. You can use wind and solar power most of the time to dry your clothes with some additional disinfection due to UV in the sunlight bleaching. This winter has been exceptionally few drying days and much more wind. My environmental credentials are poor though due to the air miles I will accumulate going on holiday to Guatemala next month. The point once again like a car journey to recycling banks – does it leave or mitigate my dirty environmental footprint on the world?
Faithfully
------------------------------------------------------_
I started doing contract working, away from home, a year ago, as an electronics engineer. The pay rates are very good and the working atmosphere is relaxed, very sociable, and very productive in the automotive industry were I am currently working. I am told this is generally the case with short-term contract working.
Contract working is encouraged by government with low taxes that self-employed small business pay due to tax allowances. There are of cause extra expenses B+B, eating out, and travelling, these in my case added up to more than pay on the minimum wage would allow. Although you sort of gain employment rights as if you were employed, they are not strong you can you can be working one week and fired the next presumably that’s why BMW employ people on contract because redundancy was cheaper for them. But government also encourage bigger cars by allowing larger tax allowances for bigger engines cars. These aspects, don’t meet sustainability criteria, and should not be encouraged.
Perhaps things would be more equitable if we were all paid a flat or progressive income tax rate but with no allowances, because in that way the very wealthy would at least pay some tax. Perhaps we should look at ourselves, I believe that setting an example is the most persuasive way of bringing about change. Pulling apart a MP or minister’s expenses, which you will always find something, but this is rarely productive.
----------------------------------------------------------
I am very pleased to see café Bliss open in Southborough on Monday 23rd November lunch time. It is centrally located opposite the Library for the Southborough and High Brooms, Elaine Lawrence (key person) told me. Cakes and bread etc. are locally sourced, and each part of the smart shop has its own distinct theme. As a former East Ward Town Councillor I invite electors to visit and join in with this project.
Faithfully
_____________________________________________________________
I heard Michael Foot speak against nuclear weapons to a meeting of a few thousand 30 years ago at the Brighton Dome. He was the best speaker I have ever heard. Listening to some of archived speeches of Michael in parliament recently, his language was plain, simple and powerful. Significantly when Michael Foot spoke in parliament MPs sat quietly listening until the end, then the raw of laughter went up. Many of those things in Labour’s 1983 election manifesto that Michael Foot stood on have broader support now.
There is a romantic view that old style Labour or old style Conservative stood for something, many still do across all party’s. Tunbridge Wells Labour Party Prospective candidate Garry Heather is probably one of the hardest working the local party has had, visiting groups, union branches and asking them for support, canvassing etc. over the past two years. I have also found our Conservative MP Gregg Clark to be the best we have had. To have at least two candidates that electors want to support and have to chose between, is a very good thing. Each party’s attitude and priorities differentiates more than policy.
Engineering, and making things has never been as valued as making money work, the casino banking that results in jobs being exporting and free loading off of the rest of the world. As a job seeking Electronics Engineer, I would like to see this change, more slack put back in the system so that all who need, are supported and for companies to have the margin again to employ youngsters who need experience. For people to talk and debate with each other and to once again to value well made to last things, that have not been designed to ware-out or become unfashionable.
Following the reporting that a Southborough Town Councillor would be resigning some time back; Can you write letters of resignation from Jail? Is there going to be a by-election in High Brooms, coinciding with the May elections? Or is Southborough Town Council waiting till June? That is do they know something about the General Election date that know one else knows?
Faithfully
------------------------------------------------------------------
I attended the public meeting where five candidates for the parliamentary elections answered questions at the Baptist Church, Tunbridge Wells on Thursday last week. One question that I found interest was “Which issue would the you vote against a three line whip on?” The answers were theoretical or the party is right on everything, but Gary Heather for Labour said he would have voted against war. This answer received much applause, I am pleased to say having seen so much flag waving only last year in Tunbridge Wells for war.
Fewer people come to public meetings and talk about the things they need, consequently what people say is filtered and shaped by the media, But the internet and social networking is changing that. Empowerment of ordinary people, and the understanding of responsibility is a good objective. There are other signs that things are changing for example there was a good turns out at public meetings in Rusthall and Ramslye estate recently.
I hope things continue to change and people once again value well made things, made to last and kept consequently. Value quality of service provided rather than just profit made. Ethical relationships rather than legal agreements with each other. Less free loading off the third world who make or grow most of the things we use and find themselves in debt for doing that. The vast size of the military/nuclear industry, and wars that result consequently.
Faithfully
----------------------------------------------------------------
By comparison in Coventry were I have worked and found wonderful old medieval buildings some renovated by the council sadly many boarded up and all surrounded by ugly modern buildings. This is clearly popular and how people wanted it. New Labour learnt early about the need to be populist U-turning on ethical foreign policy and green transport, but I think they left office on more traditional Labour agenda leaving people wanting more, but from a different coalition of parties.
People empowerment and involvement is the way things were going, this is good. As ordinary people we need to encourage a coalition and consensus rather than conflict but I am sceptical.
Faithfully
---------------------------------------------------------------
By comparison it has not been until the past year that Conservative parliamentary party have somewhat got it together and opposed things that should be opposed and supported things that they should supported. On war, Trident and everything else they had been getting it the wrong way around, I should say that the Lib-Dems also sat on the fence. I hope that the country is governed considerately without more wars, sadly war and active service attracts military recruiting and flag waving jingoism. There are good people across all parties and there is a positive agenda passed on by Labour for higher standards in those with power and influence. By comparison John Major left to watch the cricket whilst his colleague’s that he called the bastards carried on stabbing each other in the back. His legacy Back to Basics was a joke. We could do without there more ideology based policy, but valuing each other, quality of service provided, rather than money, litigation and what works, is the best that can be done. I think the Conservative party and public expectation has changed
I was unemployed for a year, there were vacancies in Electronics that remained unfilled then suddenly companies started seriously recruiting a month after the change of government. It seemed as they were holding off driving down pay rates. Those who control money, are not governments, can chose when or if recession will occurs to some extent. Voting alone or voting for conservative irrespective of the quality of a particular candidate and his particular party in Southborough is not democracy. The Alternative Vote seems fairer but politically involvement is better; Please join; http://groups.yahoo.com/group/TunbridgeWellsLabour/ if you are broadly sympathetic to our objective.
Faithfully
---------------------------------------------------------------
A letter in last weeks Courier made a point about poor passenger care from rail company’s in connection with a claim. Recently by comparison I had cause to complain about a Kraft Foods product to Kraft foods and the Co-Op who replaced and then wrote me a nice letter within five days and craft foods rote within a month. That was adequate but as with the letter in the Courier last week I have received unusually, compared to past experience, poor response to complaints on a rail issue.
I recently lost my Network Card and incurred additional expense of the rail ticket having only discovering the loss at the station. With the same network rail card I have also previously, February 2010, applied for my card be suspended until I need it again. This was because I was unemployed at the time and the Job centre gave me a Newdeal Rail card which they renewed and that expired in August 2010. The conditions on the ticket I signed have changed and I was referred to a website.
Virgin Rail, but not Virgin Media are poor, BT over poor land line who pass you to India for complaints and UK for new business.
I am now employed, the New Deal Card case particularly rail operators are in pocket as a consequence of my lack of prior knowledge of that card. I have never been a fare dodging employed or unemployed person. I make this point because during my year unemployed I found some cases where the attitude towards me was less fair than on other occasions, the Newdeal card was one of those.
Neither anyone whether presenting a Job centre a travel warrant at a rail station or credit worthy citizen’s credit card deserves this poor service from any organisation. The problem is the companies policy not the employee who have to carry out that policy.
Yours faithfully
--------------------------------------------------------------
Andrew Lohmann