Road marks just waste of cash?

Aug 5 2009 by Lorna Hughes, Birkenhead News

HOW nice to see our supposedly cash-strapped council getting its priorities right as ever by wasting yet more taxpayers’ money on pathetically useless road and pavement markings that do absolutely nothing but further clutter and defile our street scapes – all in the false pretence of “safety management”.

I refer to the roundabout junction of Harrison Drive and the seafront coastal road.

What is it exactly that prompted the need for the ridiculously ill-conceived cycle lane markings here that intersect this roundabout – taking up not only a tiny section of roadway but also sections of the pavement, thus narrowing the latter even further?

Perhaps the council thought – in line with others up and down the country – that it was a trendy thing to do to deface our roads and pavements with all sorts of useless markings and lines, just for want of something better to do.

Look elsewhere (roundabout junction of Marine Promenade and Rowson Street for example) for further proof of this!

What most residents will find particularly offensive is that all the money spent on these pointless gestures could be better put aside for spending on facilities that matter to us, such as keeping our libraries, leisure centres, community facilities, etc, open.

But then that's expecting a bit too much from a council which has largely lost all touch with reality, isn't it?

NAME AND ADDRESS SUPPLIED

via e-mail

Take pride in Britain

IN October I have the great pleasure of hosting the 11th annual Pride of Britain Awards, sponsored by the Co-Operative, on ITV1.

It is an incredibly inspiring occasion where HRH Prince Charles and the Prime Minister join a star-studded audience to honour the nation’s unsung heroes.

For me, it’s the only TV awards show that really matters because the winners make our country a better place for us all.

In these difficult times I believe it’s more important than ever to celebrate the best of Britain.

But we need your help to find the people who put the Great into Britain so we can give them the recognition they deserve.

Do you know an unsung hero or heroine? Perhaps it's someone who has worked tirelessly to improve your community, a dedicated charity fundraiser or campaigner? Or a courageous child or adult, an exemplary teacher or care worker. Or a member of the armed forces or emergency services who put their lives at risk for others?

You can nominate your unsung hero for a Pride of Britain award by filling in a nomination form and posting it in boxes in Co-operative stores.

Or you can nominate by email: nominate@prideofbritain.com, online at www.prideofbritain.com or in writing to Pride of Britain Awards, PO Box 4014, London, E14 5BF. Nominations must be received by Friday 7th August.

CAROL VORDERMAN

Petty bickering

I CANNOT help feeling that the current spat in Wirral Council between the Labour Party and Conservative councillor Dennis Knowles is all rather juvenile.

I was present in Wallasey Town Hall when Councillor Knowles is alleged to have made the “cut throat gesture”, which he denies, towards his former Labour colleagues.

Councillor Knowles, who denies the gesture, suggests in fact that he was drawing his finger across his mouth in an attempt to silence vocal criticism from the benches opposite.

It strikes me that the Standards Board for England should have better things to do than adjudicating on an issue which may result in measurement being taken of the distance between a councillor’s mouth and his chin.

COUNCILLOR DAVID KIRWAN

Prospective Independent MP for Wirral West

Church danger

WIRRAL Council was right to issue the Diocese of Shrewsbury with the urgent works notice.

Your anonymous correspondent (Letters, July 22) should be aware that there is a primary school in SS Peter and Paul’s church grounds and the playground is in the front of the church. Children, teachers or parents could be killed or injured if part of the church structure collapsed.

An appeal against the closure of the church is being heard by the Vatican court later this year and the Diocese could be ordered to re-open it.

Most of the parishioners won’t attend Mass at All Saints, which the Diocese wants to buy.

ARTHUR READ

Wallasey

No free for all

I WOULD like to say how happy I am at the news that this “sport” freerunning is going to be stopped in the Moreton area.

It is about time that half of these kids did something a bit more constructive with their time, rather than emulate the goings-on of Chester Zoo’s chimp house.

I might sounds like another moaning resident who has nothing better to do than be a spoilsport, but I’m a hard-working family man who can’t stand the sight of a church roof being invaded like something out of a Hollywood blockbuster.

It is only a matter of time before one of them falls from a great height and suffers an injury that will end in a tragic way.

I’m sure the local police force will then be brought to task for not doing enough to stop them and keep them safe.

NAME AND ADDRESS SUPPLIED

via e-mail

Parking sharks

I AM writing this letter to apologise to all the traders in the Cherry Tree Centre in Liscard for not giving them my business any more.

I have yet again received a parking ticket as my sticker fell off the side window, trying to show the ticket to the guy was futile and met with “Someone could have given you it” .

Can I suggest you all take your Save our Shops signs down and instead spend a day watching the sharks circling around every vehicle in a 10 minute frenzied rotation right outside your companies.

I sat for 25 minutes last week waiting for my daughter and was truly shocked to watch the constant ticketing.

Save Our Shops should be changed to lynch our parasites, who are wreaking havoc on all those trying to help small companies by shopping locally.

Here is the perverse irony, once all the shops have closed which is very apparent already due to these parasites, then they lose their jobs, Brilliant, a self fulfilling business model prophecy that a 4 year old can predict,

Wake up Wirral Council and take some fast action or ignore this and let your business rate payers and locals down!

STEVE STUART

Wallasey

Lost camera

MY daughter had an 18th birthday party at Birkenhead Cricket Club on Friday, July 17.

Somewhere between there and the taxi journey at around 1am she lost her pink cybershot camera (a present). If anyone has found it could they please let me know or just return the memory card, which has precious photographs on it.

A FEARON

645 1218

Dog distress

I HAVE just returned from the Leasowe Road end of the seafront with my wife and two children, a boy aged 5 and a girl aged 11 months.

My son was on his little bicycle which is fitted with stabilisers as he is learning how to ride a bike, my daughter was in her pushchair being pushed by my wife. Everything was going fine until a Dalmatian dog ran after my son and knocked him off his bike. The owners, a middle-aged couple, did nothing!

I shouted after them that the dog should be on a lead if they cannot control its actions, they responded that I should be on a lead!

PETER

Moreton