Wirral News letters: October 6

Oct 6 2010 by Lorna Hughes, Birkenhead News

Increase the buses

I READ your article about the Wirral Grammar School bus being too full (West Wirral edition, September 29) and echo the sentiment.

This letter is a heartfelt plea for a more organised and joined-up Heswall school bus service, particularly for Brimstage Road, which only has one Wirral Grammar School bus.

My child had only been at school for three weeks and was mortified when the bus did not allow them to board.

It is hard enough being a very young 11-year-old going to a new school, stood at the bus stop with older, more confident children without then not being able to get on the bus.

I have also been called to school at home time to pick up because, again, the bus was too full for my child.

It has shattered our confidence in using the 653 bus service. We have now resorted to when possible trying to take our child to school in the car.

This goes against the ethos of easing congestion around schools in a morning.

So Merseytravel, when you undertake your passenger counts, add one more to your numbers for Brimstage Road please.

A PARENT

Heswall

An open book

I AM delighted that the new administration in the town hall has ‘thrown open the books’ and is publishing on the council’s website what it buys, from who, each month.

We all have a right to know how our taxes are being spent and to scrutinise the decisions and this decision is long overdue.

As one of the tens of thousands of people who made a stand in support of Wirral libraries, I am really pleased to see that £4,300 was used to buy new library books, following the decision to invest a massive £944,000 in essential repairs to our libraries.

DON MCCUBBIN

Conservative Councillor for Pensby and Thingwall

The bigger picture

NEW Brighton’s lifeboat station figured in the News (September 8) when Cllr Tony Pritchard argued against the RNLI’s wish to have first call on a small parcel of the Tower Grounds land.

I have no objection to his wish to engage in consultation – but how much better that would have been at an earlier time, rather than at the last moment when it would gain headlines.

It is perhaps worth looking a little more closely at the larger picture. The lifeboat was formerly located within yards of the Tower Grounds site now proposed for its return.

One of the dwellings overlooking the proposed site was in fact the very storehouse where the crews’ sea-outfits were kept within yards of the lifeboat!

During August I spent a week in Bridlington, where the lifeboat is kept immediately at the sea-front amongst residential housing and seafront guest houses where it is regarded as a valuable feature of the locality – just as New Brighton’s was for generations before its relocation to its present site.

The long-term location of the lifeboat, and the hovercraft, at their present sites will not be sustainable given the increased traffic and pedestrian numbers that will follow the regeneration.

By all means consider the pleasant views across the field for those living in nearby housing. But with careful consideration it will be possible to locate the new boathouse just a little further along and shield it with trees so that it will merge into the tree-covered hill behind.

CLLR ADRIAN JONES

Labour, Seacombe ward

Spend a tidy sum

RE: WIRRAL Council to spend £3.5m on Landican (Wirral News, September 29).

Can I suggest that more money be spent on keeping areas tidy. I, and am sure many other people, spend time at the cemetery tending commemorative areas such as trees etc.

These areas are often in need of grass cutting and general tidying. Please spend extra on such things.

DEREK HARTLEY

via e-mail

’No’ to off-licence

DO we need another off-licence? There is a proposal for an off-licence at 1 Zig Zag Road but the Londis shop just opposite sells alcohol and there are numerous other off-licences nearby.

We don’t need another.

F.M HANNA

Wallasey