Letters

What will it take for our pleas for slower speed limits to be heard?

n We are the residents of Waterloo Lane, Stourton Caundle, and every one of us is driven to anger and frustration every day by the permitted speed of our road, which has become terrifyingly dangerous. In spite of the fact that it states on www.gov.uk/ government/publications/ setting-local-speed-limits/ setting-local-speed-limits, “Traffic authorities continue to have flexibility to set local speed limits that are appropriate for the individual road, reflecting local needs and taking into account of all local considerations”, our local council have so far chosen, despite many pleas, not to implement any measures to better ensure the safety of walkers, cyclists, horse riders, animals and inhabitants.

Rural roads such as ours have a speed limit of 60mph, even though our road has many driveways, very narrow single vehicle widths in places, blind bends and blind brows of hills. This is total insanity.

When we pull out of our driveways we face the irritation, abuse from – and potential danger of – drivers speeding so fast they have no time to slow down. It is now risking one’s life when walking or cycling around the village. We have had accidents on the road, trees knocked down by cars at night unable to control their speed around bends, people thrown off bikes into hedges, and 12 cats have been killed in a relatively few years. These animals could have been children, walkers or cyclists.

The new law brought in on January 29th creates a “hierarchy of road users” which gives priority to pedestrians and cyclists. Surely, then, the local council are obliged to make it ‘easier’ for drivers to drive legally which they only could at a much slower speed?

We need a limit of 20 or 30mph on Waterloo Lane, but far more clearly visible ‘slow’ signs before narrow parts and bends, and 20mph limits before narrow parts and brows of hills, as well as in the village itself.

Why do pleas to the local council get refused?

E S Williams, on behalf of the residents of Waterloo Lane, Stourton Caundle

n Greg Williams, in his Labour diatribe in your February 18 issue, says Boris Johnson fancies himself as a historian. If Mr Williams can distinguish between hindsight and history, he might look at a little history himself. Labour took over in 1997 with a flourishing economy, but left in 2010 with [former chief secretary to the treasury] Liam Byrne’s infamous valedictory message: “Sorry, there’s no money left.”

Former Labour PM Tony Blair appointed Frank Field to “think the unthinkable” on social care, but sacked him when he did so. Then in 2015 Labour put itself in the hands of a man who consorted with the UK’s enemies and took a relaxed approach to anti-Semitism. Labour didn’t seem to know where it stood in recognising or rejecting the Brexit referendum. Mr Williams might profitably put some of his effort into self-examination rather than fussing about parties.

Mike Keatinge Highbank Marston Road Sherborne

n There have been two items

of great significance in your magazine. One: an article about Spencer Flower and his plans about meeting the housing needs dictated by this government, in which there is not a single mention of the installation of ‘green’ technology being a planning requirement.

Two: a reference to a planning application near Shaftesbury where the developers have offered to install solar panels when they build the houses. It appears it is not that difficult to do. Nobody in power seems to have the slightest awareness of the need to install green technology wherever and whenever possible. Perhaps when the cost of energy rockets following the actions decided by Putin, our leaders will finally wake up. Our solar panels, which did cost money to install, now produce electricity for FREE and that production is not affected by what happens to the energy market, whatever that might be, including the invasion of the Ukraine by Russia.

If we really want to protect our energy supplies, we need an integrated energy policy. This will not be achieved by a small number of private companies seeking to maximise their profits and dividend payments. Fracking is drilling for fossil fuels and it’s environmentally very risky, and nuclear power stations take a decade or more to build and centuries to decommission. Apparently, only the French or Chinese can build our nuclear power stations. Green power is domestic, local, entirely within our national boundaries and totally free from what happens on the world market. Do we really want to rely

Cartoon by Lyndon Wall justsocaricatures.co.uk

on the likes of Putin and the rulers of oppressive countries for our energy? The current lack of policy and idiotic attitude to green technology is proving to be an ECONOMIC and environmental disaster.

Richard Foley By email

n It is good to hear that the covid pandemic is finally over and we can all go back to leading normal lives once again. Yes, case numbers have been dropping, but where is the scientific evidence to support this move? Where is the advice by SAGE? The Welsh government hasn’t heard an announcement by Sir Patrick Vallance the Government’s Chief Scientific Adviser, or by Professor Chris Whitty the Chief Medical Officer, which is why they are taking a more cautious approach. So why has Boris Johnson taken this bold, or perhaps more accurately, foolish, move? Hasn’t the UK government always claimed that it is following the medical advice?

I suggest that the reason that Boris Johnson is planning to bring forward the cessation of all covid restrictions is to placate his backbenchers when it comes to calling for his resignation, and has nothing to do with the health of the public in managing the pandemic.

This is just another example of this man’s desperation to save his own skin. Yet again, he is trying to take us all for fools.

Name and address withheld

n When will our elected members of parliament start listening? It used to be that many pensioners used their winter fuel payment to pay their council tax, but it is my view that they are now going to use intended council tax payments to pay their fuel bills.

This is only going to escalate when the cost of gas and electricity increases by 54 per cent in April 2022, not forgetting the increase during 2021/22.

Our elected members need to allot time to debate the present system of council tax, with a view to scrapping it. Since its inception as a property tax, it has been used to fund items not directly associated with property. The majority of local councils are now having to allocate approximately 66 per cent of their total council tax receipts to fund adult and children’s social care.

So, how could council tax be replaced to create national fairness? Social care should be the responsibility of the Government. Monies should be raised by general taxation, thus leaving councils to make a local service charge for services rendered. By removing this burden, the local service charge could be set at approximately a third or less of the present unitary/ council tax charge. No one earning over the basic rate of income tax allowance, at present set at £12,570, would be exempt, which is only fair as we all use these services, so all should pay.

As of March 31, 2021, the total uncollected council tax, using Government figures, amounted to £4.424 billion. It included £1.512 billion for fiscal year 2020/21, which due to the pandemic and utility charges will see the uncollected amounts for 2022/23 escalate even more.

It is my view that politicians/councillors must start treating this matter as if it were their money.

Brian Jaye Sturminster Newton

n It is very sad that you feel the need to print the offensive trash that emanates from that self-opinionated hypocrite Chris Loder. He seems to have a problem with Chris Packham ‘and his crowd’, a man who has devoted his life to conservation, who tries to undo the mistakes of the past and make the world a better place. Mr Loder feels it is wrong that we should reintroduce species that were exterminated by mankind. And this is the same man who champions animal welfare, but it would appear his concerns only apply to pets and farm animals, not wildlife.

Chris Loder condoned the persecution of eagles (which we are once again privileged to see in southern England) based on a single Scottish [Natural Heritage] report.

Encouraging people to read this report, which focuses on only one side of the argument, produces a distorted perspective of the truth. This country already has a huge problem with the illegal killing of raptors – birds which are protected by law – and this is not helped by Mr Loder’s misinformed comments. I suggest Mr Loder educates himself by reading the many reports highlighting the benefits that the reintroduction of birds of prey brings, including mental wellbeing and an increase in tourism, an industry Mr Loder himself promotes in West Dorset. One only has to look at the growth in tourism in Scotland, in particular the Isle of Mull, to see how eagle (and osprey) reintroductions have boosted tourist numbers.

Previously, we had to put up with the rantings of people like Bill Woodhouse and now we have the poorly informed opinions of a man who purports to represent the views of West Dorset. Shame on you Chris Loder. I urge your West Dorset readers to vote for another candidate at future elections.

Geoff Coulson Stalbridge

n Re: the letter from Jeremy Bloomfield [NBV March 4], I am mystified as to what are all these measures, care of Brexit, that there is a lack of progress on? Could they make up for the loss of all the “support mechanisms of the last 50 years” that now threaten our small farmers, as reported in the very first article in the same issue? A few pages further on, David Warburton MP, bizarrely bemoans the loss of our multi-billion-pound music touring industry because of Brexit – something he voted for. But your beef is that Simon Hoare MP, “an avid Remainer”, is not using his time to write articles for the NBV. Think about it Jeremy, maybe he is using all his time, as Chair of the Northern Ireland Affairs Committee, trying to sort out the terrible mess that exiting the EU has left Northern Ireland in.

Name and address withheld