Letters to the Editor - October 23rd

Oct 23 2007 Liverpool Daily Post

Ruining our listed buildings

I WAS very interested to read that the politicians and business heads in Liverpool are gushing about getting the tram project back off the ground.

This might seem a good idea – after all, any additional public transport has to be welcomed – but what I was particularly disturbed to see was the artist’s impression of the tram lines in front of St George’s Hall. And where are the statues and lions? Are they planning to move them, too?

Why, oh why, is this city council so intent on ruining our listed buildings by putting monstrosities in place to obscure the view? It is bad enough that they are ruining the World Heritage site at the Pier Head, but now they are planning the same with our sacred St George’s Hall. No-one will be able to get in or out as they will have to dodge trams, and the noise of them rattling a few feet from the entrance will drown out functions that are held there.

Perhaps the city’s planners have a list of all top attractions and tick them off one by one when they have ruined them. They have already given the go-ahead for massive advertising hoardings in Lime Street, opposite St George’s Hall. I really don’t believe that any other major city would be so insensitive to decimate our heritage like Liverpool is doing. It appears they are desperate for change at any cost.

Name and address supplied

A false dawn?

WILL the suggestion that we will have trams back on Merseyside by 2010, be another false dawn, like the turning down of the LETS scheme to the Airport in 1999?

Does a £10m per annum subsidy requirement for the Merseytravel scheme meet Secretary of State for Transport, Ruth Kelly’s “value for money” criteria? For those who do not want to wait until 2010 to ride a tram on Merseyside, go to the Woodside Ferry terminal on any Saturday or Sunday and ride on the Birkenhead tramway.

Professor Lewis Lesley, via email

Train services

ALAN WESTON’S article (Daily Post, October 5) on improved rail services serving the North-west brings into question the claims made by Northern Way.

The Government’s White Paper entitled “delivering a sustainable railway” released on July 24 highlighted both Manchester’s Piccadilly and Birmingham’s New Street stations’ current major “bottle-necks” created since rail privatisation in the mid-1990s.

The interesting case submitted by the Greater Manchester Passenger Transport Executive was the re-routing of services from Liverpool via St Helens Junction, Manchester’s Victoria station into West Yorkshire and East Midlands, as the quickest route, thus relieving the congestion between Deansgate and Ardwick, delaying services by up to three minutes from Lime Street – a move strongly opposed by Merseytravel with its investment in the new South Liverpool Parkway facilities.

First TransPennine Express has announced a major expansion of their services from Manchester Airport with their refurbished Class 170 Turbostars trains (since the go-ahead for the third platform), via Manchester Piccadilly to, not only West Yorkshire and the north east, but Glasgow and Edinburgh, with no mention of Liverpool.

David C Roberts, St Helens

Legacy destroyed

THANKS are due to Larry Neild for highlighting the destruction of our maritime legacy (Daily Post, October 15). I refer to the Mann Island site which, despite appeals to English Heritage and the Department for Culture, Media and Sport, has been allowed to be ripped apart by mechanical diggers. The archaeological finds were of great significance and should have been preserved for future generations to enjoy.

We must question the role of our council’s World Heritage officer. The arrogance of the “we know best” planning department is only exceeded by the property speculators who want to make a fast buck out of our World Heritage waterfront before moving on.

Anyone who complains about this state of affairs is labelled as living in the past. This is not so. Liverpool’s future as a World Heritage site is at stake here, and it is being ruined to line the pockets of the few.

When I see the care taken of other World Heritage sites, I can only say that I am ashamed of what is happening in my home town. I thought that the vandalism carried out on 6 Sir Thomas Street would have been enough of a warning, but apparently not. The council admitted that this was “deplorable”, but simply carries on with the destruction of our heritage elsewhere.

David Swift, Litherland

Library’s decline

I WAS horrified to read about the plight of Birkenhead Library. This wonderful library has been allowed to decline for years, externally and internally. As a child I visited every week and the library was the place where I could get all the books I needed and some peace to study. I am certain that without this library I would not have achieved as much at school and college.

It was a mainstay of my life and every time I go in now I am thankful it was there for me. The area needs the library and Birkenhead needs to treasure the remaining stunning historic buildings it has.

The council has no money for repairs, but can engage consult- ants to come up with options for the library’s future. There appears to be no strategy for the Borough Road/Lower Balls Road area other than demolition; the once thriving shops and houses are now a wasteland of boarded-up buildings or characterless “green” space covered with rubbish and broken glass. To demolish the library to make way for more flats or for road widening would be a dreadful waste of our cultural heritage.

Mrs J Maskell, address supplied

Firm’s history

WE READ with interest your article, dated July 31, about the closure and sale of Outhwaite and Litherland, and would like the opportunity to correct some information in your report.

The firm, which was later called Outhwaite and Litherland, was started by our grandfather, Thomas Oscar Outhwaite, in 1907 when he began working as an auctioneer and valuer in Liverpool. In 1909, Mr HR Litherland joined the firm as a clerk.

He was made a partner in 1912 and that is when it became known as Outhwaite and Litherland. So, in fact, the firm of Outhwaite and Litherland is only 95 years old. The sons of the original partners, including our father, Thomas Reynolds Outhwaite, continued to build on the success of the business. Our father retired in 1970 and died in 1996.

Jennifer Caldwell (nee Outhwaite); Elaine Robinson (nee Outhwaite), address supplied

Answering prayers

CONTINUING the “no atheists in foxholes” debate (Letters, October 19), Robert Mahon claims that atheists suddenly become believers in times of trouble and that God does indeed exist. S Windsor admits that our secular society has allowed the existence of a divine being to be questioned. Quite so, and very many have concluded that, on the basis of probability, one doesn’t exist.

As regards the offering of prayers, sorry to disappoint, but what scientific evidence there is concludes that it simply doesn’t work.

And to those who would claim that their prayers were answered, what is the implication from those whose went unanswered?

PR Jones, via email

Dirty hospitals

THERE has been much furore recently about the cleanliness, or rather lack of it, in NHS trusts with Labour vowing to tackle the problem. Labour have been in power for over 10 years, during which time the situation has deteriorated. Nor is this the first time Labour have promised to tackle the problem – in July, 2000, Labour introduced the “Clean Hospitals Programme”.

A main cause for dirty hospitals has been Labour’s bureaucratic centralist approach to the NHS. The problem of infection spread is likely to be exacerbated by Labour’s plans to concentrate services in large super centres.

Mark Bill, UK Independence Party, Liverpool

The best new art

THEY say any publicity is good publicity, and I suppose that Liverpool needs all the help it can get in the run up to 2008.

But the Turner Prize attracts it for all the wrong reasons. How can anyone say a plank of wood plonked across the floor could in any way deserve £25,000? Or a video of someone dressed in a bear costume, or an empty room? Is this really the best “new art” that Britain can offer?

I certainly won’t be visiting it.

P Baxter, Heswall

Looking back

I WONDER if Gordon Brown must sometimes look back at the good old days as Chancellor of the Exchequer when he could leave difficult political problems and questions to Tony Blair and spend all his time fiddling with figures and pondering endogenous theories of economic growth without having to smile all the time.

Silvan Jones, address supplied

Generous donations

AS A Croxteth resident, I would like to say a big thank you all who gave so generously to the street collection for the Rhys Jones appeal, in Church Street, on Saturday, and a big thanks to all the collectors both young and old who worked so hard. It’s only the start, but what a start. Once again, thanks to one and all.

Ken Stewart, Croxteth Park

Best talents

I HAVE just been to see Roger McGough and Brian Patten at the Everyman. It sold out months ago and was an incredible, fantastic pure Liverpool performance. They say they’re waiting to hear from Capital of Culture bosses.

Why on earth aren’t they front-lining the event? They are two of our best talents, and should be up there from the very start.

E Reid, via email