Letters to the Editor - September 14th

Sep 14 2007 Liverpool Daily Post

In praise of tramways

FIFTY years ago today, the last Liverpool tram ran through the city streets, and today was the day optimistically picked several years back by Merseytravel for the opening of the first route of their new light railway, from Kings Dock to Kirkby via West Derby Road and Norris Green.

Sadly, their well-laid plans were scuppered thanks to a combination of the 2012 London Olympics and in-fighting between the various councils which make up the Merseyside conurbation.

Since Alastair Darling, the then Transport Secretary, put the boot in, a much larger amount of money has been promised to Manchester to extend their flourishing Metrolink system.

Earlier this year, a new state-of-the-art electric tramway opened on the island of Tenerife, having taken a mere couple of years to plan and build. It is powered with electricity, produced by wind turbines. In Dublin, the two-route tramway opened a couple of years back is proving so popular that centre sections are being built to increase the length of the articulated vehicles to carry more passengers.

Numerous new light railways are being built in cities throughout Spain and France, while in Germany the increasing use of tram/trains is bringing railed vehicles from main railway lines into the heart of city centres.

All these new tramways are a far cry from the old double-deckers which used to ply our streets long ago. But anyone fancying a nostalgic trip on an old Liverpool (or Birkenhead or Wallasey) tram need go no farther than Birkenhead. For the town that hosted Europe’s first tramway way back in 1860 has had a heritage electric tramway since 1992 and it is open each weekend on Saturday and Sunday afternoons.

T Martin, West Derby

Vote confusion

SO LIBERAL Democrat leader Sir Menzies Campbell now judges that there is no case for holding a public vote on the EU, unless the question is simply “in or out”.

Fair enough, and he could certainly incorporate his new analysis in the Liberal Democrat manifesto for the next general election, remembering to explain whether that would also exclude a referendum on the euro.

However, the manifesto on which he was actually elected in 2005 took a different view, pledging a referendum on the constitutional treaty, even though that would not be an “in or out” question.

“We are therefore clear in our support for the constitution, which we believe is in Britain’s interest – but ratification must be subject to a referendum of the British people.”

To depart from that clear promise of a referendum would mean that he, and all the other MPs who stood on that manifesto, were elected on false pretences.

No wonder the aforementioned British people no longer trust their politicians.

Dr DR Cooper, Berkshire

EU betrayal

FOLLOWING Rob Merrick’s comment (Column, September 12), I wish someone would tell me what purpose exactly will be fulfilled by a referendum on the EU constitution.

As a demonstration of democracy, it would be a meaningless ritual. Most of the electorate would find the proposed treaty incomprehensible, even now it is available in English, while pundits are no help because they cannot agree on what it means.

As an opportunity to protest against the EU, it would be futile. Supporters of the EU may even welcome a referendum. They have nothing to lose in the long term and they can guess that a one-way series of referendums will get them there in the end. There will be no referendums to get us out.

Real opponents of the EU, probably bemused by how this situation ever came about, should not be duped by the promise of a referendum. They should be working out how to reverse the betrayal of our sovereignty and the consignment of our country to oblivion. Many must be beginning to feel stateless already and will never recognise the EU no matter what the outcome of any referendum.

JF Lambert, Mossley Hill

Treaty say

I WONDER if your man in Westminster supports the creation of a European “superstate” but is too cowardly to say so?

The fact that the latest EU treaty is 63,000 words long and “nobody is going to read it, or understand it if they try” isn’t much of a recommendation for it.

As for leaving such a momentous decision to MPs, Ken Clarke famously boasted that he’d never read the Maastricht treaty before he voted for it, and there is no reason to expect our current government to be any different.

The people should be given a say on this, and if our EU masters cannot produce a compact and easily comprehensible treaty, then they don’t deserve to win the vote.

Dave Pearson, Port Sunlight

Bad building

REGARDING Ian Poole’s comments (Daily Post, September 12) on the mindset of our planning and regeneration departments, I could not agree more. It is interesting to note that the best buildings in this part of our city centre all predate World War II.

In contrast, all of the buildings that post-war planners have sanctioned are nothing short of horrendous, like Concourse House and the shops in front of Lime Precinct and Restaurant tower, and the buildings running the length of Lime Street from Kumar’s up to the old ABC Cinema. Even the former Blacklers building, on the opposite side, is just a poor facsimile of the original, destroyed in the Blitz.

The city planners and councillors who gave permission for the wholesale desecration of what was once a fine area have shown nothing but contempt for our architectural history. Is it any wonder that the recent BBC series, How We Built Britain, gave us a wide berth. We should not be afraid to look back to the pre-war buildings and layout for inspiration on how this area should be redeveloped.

PS, Liverpool

Key image

AS A Liverpool expa, I read your front page with dismay (Daily Post, September 13). Liverpool’s waterfront is one of the most recognisable in the world. It is a key image that supports the “city brand”. World Heritage Status helps differentiate Liverpool in the eyes of the world. It makes it special and gives it an advantage in attracting visitors that Manchester, Leeds and Newcastle don’t have.

It is the jewel in the crown. To be even being considered “at risk”, only two years after attaining WHS status, shows incompetence of the highest order.

Something as significant as WHS status needs protecting at all costs, and needs priority ahead of chasing the dream of having a taller building than Manchester.

You can have both – regeneration and WHS status – but it is negligent that the day after the city was granted WHS status planning rules weren’t updated to ensure that today’s headline would never have materialised.

Alastair Hill, Newcastle

Wirral debates

READERS on the Wirral, who might be interested in attending talks and debates covering a great variety of topics, should consider a society that meets in Prenton on Tuesday evenings from October to March.

There’s opportunity to join in discussion if one wishes. If the subject of a talk is rather specialised, subsequent contributions from “the floor” often widen the focus.

Forthcoming debates include one on the smoking ban and another on the value (or otherwise) of learning history. Anyone wanting a programme or more data should either ring me on 342 5775 or log on to www.litdeb.org.uk

This society has been fully active every winter for well over a century. Members are mostly retired, but all adults are welcome.

Our meetings are gently and informally educative, with much light humour and reminiscence.

Arthur Maltby, Barnston, Wirral

Dirty seats

THANKS to Merseyrail for trying so hard to keep our refurbished trains clean and trouble-free.

If a minority insist on feet on seats, then why not provide a dirty seat at every station platform, which the offender must sit on for 30 minutes.

Maybe the ridicule this would arouse would provide a quick and easy deterrent together with a fine for cleaning the original seat.

If a photo of this was displayed for all to see, perhaps we would have less law breaking.

A “naughty seat” for dirty feet, please.

Barbara Pratt, Heswall

Decent children

YOUR correspondent K Anderson makes a good point in the letter about young people today (September 12). It is all too easy to lump all young people together these days and assume they are all running around like wild animals robbing old ladies and setting fire to cars.

I am a teacher and, while I admit there can be difficult children, on the whole I look forward to my job and I cherish the many young people who are open-minded respectful and kind, who want to help make the world better.

Believe me they are out there – they just don’t get as much publicity as the bad ones.

Ingrid Smethurst, Widnes

Dracon was tough

REGARDING recent letters about feet on seats and Merseyrail. Like decimation, draconian is a much misused word. Dracon would have had the young student’s legs cut off – at best – not merely referred her to a genteel magistrate’s Court.

Peter O’Hare, via email

Congestion idea

MESSRS Williams and Gunning have missed the obvious explanation (Letters, Daily Post, September 11 and 12).The city council wants to impose a congestion charge, but to do that there needs to be congestion. The current situation can be blamed on the so-called Big Dig, so some means of keeping the congestion is needed, hence the narrowing of the roadways.

E Brown, Woolton