Many of my constituents objected to the local Conservative council giving
permission for the waste water treatment plant to be built in Fleetwood in the first place.
Then, several years ago, when I and local residents noticed the dreadful smell, I met with representatives of United Utilities (UU) who run the plant, visited the site several times and took up the complaints of many local residents.
After less than helpful replies from UU, I did indeed contact Government Ministers.
The reply I received said that "Ministers have no remit to become involved in this
matter...."
Why? Because the Conservative
Government privatised the water industry!
Control was taken away from Ministers and given to a variety of quangos. As a result I have had to work through the Environment Agency, Ofwat and United Utilities
themselves.
It would have been a lot simpler, Coun Hamer, if your government had not
privatised our water.
Joan Humble MP
Blackpool North & Fleetwood

Estate deprived of basics
Blackpool Council and its
associates have failed the residents of Grange Park estate over their most important social needs.
The closure of the only fish and chips shop and now the loss of the major food outlet, has added to our misery albeit due to development.
We worry these vital facilities may never re-open on the estate.
There are residents who now find it difficult to venture further afield to find a choice of shopping which was previously available close by on the estate.
Many would find it difficult to meet the cost of public transport to enable them to do this.
In reality, the residents are stuck with the few shops that have limited choice and have to accept this unfair situation.
Poverty is on the increase in these uncertain economic times and I wonder who else considers this when basic necessities are
removed without consideration of the consequences, especially for the elderly and disabled alike.
Frank Aston
Croasdale Walk
Blackpool

Ban bonfire night
Bonfire night is almost here and once again we are plagued for weeks before and after the event, by moronic teenagers terrorising elderly people and pets.
It really is time this
outmoded celebration was consigned to where it belongs – the history books.
I doubt many teenagers could give an account of what the celebration is about.
The sale of fireworks should be restricted to just
organised displays.
I feel there is no need to
celebrate an unsuccessful plot to blow up Parliament – a failed terrorist attack.
Every year children are maimed for life, by their or somebody elses stupidity.
If this event was abolished today, I doubt many people would miss it.
I would like to see it go in my life time, but I am not
optimistic.
Dennis Cavanagh
Claremont Court Blackpool

Make resort top dog again
I used to live in Blackpool about 30 years ago, working at the Cliffs, Claremont and Queens
hotels.
It was a fantastic time.
I was recently in Manchester for business, so I thought we'd visit Blackpool while we were in the north.
What a disappointment we had, that awful concrete "chute"
coming from the M55 into town and how it has all changed but
certainly not for the better.
We found it to be dirty, shabby and awful.
I've always sung Blackpool's praises where ever we go on
business but not any more. Come on – pull your socks up and get back to being our number one
holiday resort, like it used to be.
Pauline Smart
East Sussex

Will Tories say no to gas plans?
Whilst I recognise, and share, the genuine concern that Ben
Wallace MP (The Gazette October 28) expresses regarding the new Canatxx proposals for gas storage I think that it does him very little credit to try to play party
politics with this issue.
For the record the Labour members on both Wyre Council and Lancashire County Council unanimously opposed the original planning application – Joan
Humble MP opposed Canatxx at the public inquiry and it was also a Labour government minister who rejected the application.
Can Mr Wallace give us any guarantee that any future Tory
government would provide the same outcome?
Coun Clive Grunshaw
Labour's Parliamentary
Candidate for Lancaster & Fleetwood

Anger at MRI scan no show
I write in response to Josephine Stebbing's letter ("No Take up for Scanner Places" The Gazette, October 28). My mum has been waiting for an urgent MRI scan at Blackpool Victoria
Hospital for quite a number of weeks now.
She did request at the time of referral to be put onto the
cancellation list.
Should the hospital have phoned her about the
cancellation mentioned my Mrs Stebbing, we would have got her there like a shot.
It is awful seeing your mother in such pain, waiting for what is supposed to be an urgent
appointment and especially when some people haven't got the decency to turn up.
Kim Jenkinson
Poulton