Letters to the Editor - September 20th

Sep 20 2007 Liverpool Daily Post

Arena a waste of money

I FAIL to understand why the city goes to all the effort and expense of building a showpiece event arena on Kings Dock and then, in the same year it opens, planned to build a temporary arena on the adjacent dock for an event that could so perfectly be staged at the new arena.

When you hear about so many organisations in the city who for lack of funds cannot continue to do some excellent work within their respective communities, this extravagant waste of money on a temporary arena would have been ridiculous.

People can see the river and all the new buildings any time they like. Cllr Joe Anderson had no need to worry about an event ending up being ordinary.

The things that make a concert special are the performers and the reception they get from the fans. If the sound system is right and you can get in and out of the place comfortably, then the event will be special wherever it is held.

The existing football stadiums are fine for a series of music events, but if they feel they can’t possibly run these events without having to spend a fortune on temporary accommodation, then why not select a field out in Speke or Switch Island where the access and infrastructures for large crowds are so much better than Kings, Albert and Salthouse docks?

Glad to hear they’ve decided against Salthouse now.

Michael Swerdlow, Liverpool

Protect our birds

AS LIVERPOOL prepares to welcome the QE2 into the Mersey, the RSPB is asking people to spare a thought for some other ocean voyagers that face more uncertain waters.

Huge numbers of wild birds use the waters off the Mersey or pass off-shore on their migration journeys.

Yet, while these birds are protected at their nesting sites, they are not protected at all at sea, where they actually spend most of their lives.

One of the most impressive wildlife spectacles in the UK is the thousands of nesting seabirds that congregate to breed on our coast. England’s seabird colonies are world-famous, and valuable wildlife and economic assets. We protect our wildlife on land, but, at sea, protection is almost non-existent.

The RSPB is calling on the Government to fulfil its pledge to introduce new laws to protect our seas and the wildlife, which depends on them. A Marine Bill to establish protected areas off North West England would help achieve the vision for a clean, healthy and wildlife-rich marine environment.Š

We urge everyone who lines the banks of the Mersey to see the QE2 on Friday to bear in mind the ocean wandering seabirds that share the high seas with the world’s most famous ship.

It is vital that we protect this special coastline by pressing for a commitment for a UK Marine Bill to be included in the Queen’s Speech this autumn. Local people can help by clicking on www. rspb.org.uk/marinecampaign or calling 0191 2334300.

Tim Birch, Policy Advocate (North West England), Royal Society for the Protection of Birds

No transport

HOLIDAY Inn Express built a hotel adjacent to Liverpool John Lennon Airport to provide a service for passengers. What they seem to have failed to do is provide the passengers with transport to get to the hotel.

A relative arrived from Canada at 7.30am and looked for a shuttle bus.

Not finding any connection, he called the hotel to be told that a shuttle is provided but the next bus was 3pm, eight hours later. The result was an irate taxi driver, who had waited 45 minutes for a fare, to take my relative to the hotel, which could be seen from where he was – a five-minute journey.

As passengers need to transfer to and from the hotel continually throughout the day, is it not feasible to have a shuttle service running at half-hourly or even hourly services?

For a passenger that continually travels on business in the Americas, Norway and Ireland, this is the first occurrence he has encountered where a specific airport hotel has not operated such a service. Is this a good advertisement for those travelling in for 2008?

A call to the nearby Marriott Hotel confirms their operation of a 20-minute peak period shuttle bus service in the morning, reducing to a 30-minute service later in the day that operates for 24 hours.

B Phythian, Aigburth

A new city centre

IT APPEARS that Charles Korsham and Wayne Colquhoun (Letters, September 19) have jointly determined to rouse the apathetic and cultureless population of Liverpool to act to save our proud World Heritage city, by becoming “true conservationists”.

Do they really not see that most lovers of Liverpool are actually thrilled at what is going on in this long dormant city?

No, it is not just about shops and consumerism, it is also about the rejuvenation of the built environment and culture.

Having recently returned from San Francisco, I took a tourist bus around Liverpool with the aim of “compare and contrast”, and to look again at Liverpool with fresh eyes.

What I realised was that, like San Francisco – a great world city – Liverpool has a mixture of outstanding, ordinary and awful buildings.

What I also realised was that Liverpool has every opportunity now to reposition itself as a truly world-class city.

There are buildings and areas of all world cities, which are either ordinary or downright awful – this will always be the case.

I for one am looking forward to seeing the black, granite “carbuncles” at Mann Island, and also looking forward to having Chavasse Park a living, breathing part of a much-expanded city centre.

Jane Anderson, Aigburth

Blair’s politics

I WONDER if your readers are thinking what I am thinking about the invitation of Margaret Thatcher to No. 10 a couple of days ago by Gordon Brown.

I thought this was odd behaviour for Labour’s new Prime Minister. I could only think of one other Prime Minister who has done this, and that was Tony Blair back in 1997.

Then the old conspiracy theories started to gather in my head. What if this is the old adage “beware of Greeks bearing gifts” or the Trojan Horse effect? Was Tony Blair a Conservative all along and brought in to infiltrate the Labour Party?

If so, it worked and won a resounding victory for the Conservatives.

My personal view, for what it is worth, is that the Labour Party is dead and began dying back in 1997.

George E Joynson, Bebington

Blaming others

FOR the past five years, local Labour leader Joe Anderson, with his characteristic sparkling wit, has accused the Lib-Dem administration of blaming someone else each time we have accused his party’s government of any shortcomings.

After last week’s by-election result, Joe obviously envisages that Labour have a good chance of taking over control of the council next May.

Should that misfortune befall the city, one can already detect, from his letter in the Daily Post, that he has started laying the foundations to blame someone else for the shortcomings of his prospective administration.

Cllr Paul Clein, executive member for children’s services, Liverpool City Council

Support and help

RE: YOUR story about GPs prescribing books, instead of medicines, to patients suffering from mental health problems.

Just when you thought the NHS could not possibly come up with any more ridiculous schemes, they throw this one at us.

When people are suffering from depression, they need support and help – not to be sent to the local library. I know doctors have been accused in the past of giving out medication too freely, but really this move would take us too far the other way.

M Nelson, Winstanley

European funding

COUNCILLOR Clucas (Daily Post, September 19) reminds us of the benefits of regeneration funding from the EU and says that we should: “Thank the EU”.

However, she omits to say that the monies that Liverpool has received over the past years is in reality British contributions to the coffers of the EU which are being returned to us, less a substantial service charge to cover the running of the EU machine, and to subsidise European farmers.

T Knifton, Formby

No need for election

ALL this talk about Gordon Brown calling a “snap” election. Surely he would be mad to do such a thing. Polls may be looking good for the moment, but that is the way with polls – one second you are flavour of the month, the next no-one wants to know you.

I think Mr Brown would do well to prove his worth and really bed in with the British public before throwing us into the turmoil of a general election campaign.

L Williams, Aintree

MP’s treatment

I AM amazed at the duplicity demonstrated by the Local West Derby Labour constituency party in dumping a hard-working, loyal, local and long-standing Labour MP, Bob Wareing, only to pilot in a southerner in his stead.

Considering the fuss the Labour group made in Croxteth only just over 12 months ago in the local elections about voting local, it smacks of hypocrisy.

Neil Branigan-Owens, Croxteth

Crime write-off

I AM sure no-one was particularly surprised by your front page on Tuesday declaring that Merseyside Police effectively write off 50,000 crimes a year.

It is all well and good to say the public expect police to dedicate their time to more serious crimes and cases, but no-one likes to feel that the police will never even begin to look for the perpetrator of a crime against them.

K Knowles, Wallasey