Letters to the Editor - 07th March 2008

Mar 7 2008 Liverpool Daily Post

Leave Sefton Park alone

AS A local ratepayer, I would like to express my objections to the way in which the gentrification of Sefton Park is taking place.

Over 300 trees have already been axed in the name of returning the park to its Victorian design, a rather strange objective given that any park or built environment is a living, evolving entity.

This tree-felling is denuding the cover and nesting places of the many species of birds within its parameters.

Presumably, if the planners’ mission statement concerning recreating a Victorian Park is to be achieved, we will soon be seeing sheep grazing on the meadow opposite Croxteth Gate (something that commoners were allowed to do until just before the last war), and gate-houses and gate-keepers will be seen at each of the park’s gates as a means of preventing the hoi polloi from entering the park.

The waterways/lakes were supposed to be drained and dredged before the breeding seasons of the 1,000 ducks and waders that breed there.

This work has only just commenced, with nests at this point in time beginning to be built.

In the past five years, the moorhen population has almost doubled, our pair of swans on the large lake produced seven cygnets in 2006 and five in 2007, which all survived, and for the first time in 25 years a pair of Grebes produced chicks last spring.

Now, with the rushes being ripped out of the lakes, and the islands on each lake being divested of cover, breeding for these birds will be very much curtailed.

I am appalled that, during our Capital of Culture year, visitors from other towns will witness such wanton destruction of foliage, trees and the environment of Sefton Park’s wildlife, and ask that the council stands back and considers the reasonable views of people who live in the area and who want to preserve its intrinsic qualities, or who may use the park for recreation and enjoyment.

Janice M Sear (Dr), via email

Product of history

FOR good or ill, Liverpool is a classic product of the last 800 years of English history. Its rise, decline and partial regeneration perfectly mirrors the state of the nation.

To deny this is to deny the startling growth of the city during 19th-century acquisition of Empire, a growth repeated across the north of England and in the other nations of the Union.

This was echoed across Europe and around the world as the Industrial Revolution gathered pace. There was nothing in Liverpool’s development that made it “not English,” not even the influx of immigrants – most of whom were transient and en route to another country anyway.

Since then, there have been five generations of assimilation for those who stayed. Every major world port went through the same experience during that period. Liverpool was no exception.

Nobody pretends San Francisco and New York are “not American”, Hamburg “not German,” Marseilles “not French” or Hong Kong “not Chinese.”

Michael Durkin, L3

Less for more

AT A meeting last week with council-appointed consultants, a programme of works was agreed to be carried out in Croxteth Park for the Persimmon dowry spend.

However, the programme had little difference to the original plans made by officers and ward councillors 18 months ago, except that the costs have now gone up.

The work is now in the region of £283,000 and the dowry fund amount £245,000 means a shortfall.ŠAdded to the shortfall, Šthe periphery path included in original plan will now not be upgraded as a nature trail/bridlepath.Š

Less for more costs yet again.

Cllr Rose Bailey, Labour, Croxteth Ward

Great despair

RE: THE recent letter by Len Griffiths, of Prenton, “Civilised fans” (Wed, March 5).

He suggested that fans should have approached Mr Hicks and put their points constructively.

One fan did approach Mr Hicks and had a conversation with him for about 10 minutes.

Mr Griffiths complains of small sections of fans setting themselves up as spokespeople for all Liverpool fans, so was obviously not at the last meeting of the Spirit Of Shankly when over 800 Liverpool fans made the effort to make their views known.

There is nothing secret or small about this group, and I would welcome him to the next meeting at the Olympia on West Derby Road on 12pm, March 15, before the Reading home game.

This group is open and democratic, and is an attempt by all different factions, ie, websites, fanzines, supporters clubs, to come together and agree on a consensus.

The one thing all these people have in common is their love for Liverpool Football Club, and our despair with what is happening to our great club.

Peter Hooton, Crosby

City funding

I AM in total disbelief at the openly political way the Government has treated our city regarding the funding for our culture year and for the additional police officers requested by Mr Hogan-Howe.

It is reminiscent of the 1980s when Mrs Thatcher refused to recognise Liverpool.

Why is Liverpool treated like this by successive governments? This is a big opportunity for Liverpool, and it is totally unfair that we are refused the chance to use our money the way we wish.

Trevor Baxendale, L7

Two-tier service

I REFER to the letter from Neil Wilson of the Conservative Party (“Over-stretched”, March 6).

I agree our service personnel should receive appropriate health care and be adequately equipped and housed, but I would like to take issue with his complaint that “returning soldiers are placed on civilian wards”.

It is a sad fact that civilians in this country receive very serious injuries in terrorist attacks, traffic accidents, etc, and our NHS hospitals cope with them.

Also, service personnel are not immune from the normal everyday illnesses and afflictions which affect the civilian population.

Are the Conservatives proposing a two-tier health service, a “gold standard” for service personnel and “bronze” for the civilian population?

Should such “gold standard” healthcare be extended to members of our civilian emergency services who often take risks on our behalf?

What would happen if there was another terrorist outrage in our country? Would the doors of the military hospitals then be opened to seriously injured civilians?

What if a member of the Armed Forces requires a specialised treatment not available in a military ward?

Do Conservatives want to keep hospitalised service personnel where it would be easier to control them by service codes of conduct?

A sick or injured human being deserves the best health care and I want a “gold standard” health service for everyone. Apparently, the Tories do not.

Alex Black, Chester

Lively debate

I’D LIKE to congratulate Merseyside Stop the War Coalition for the recent public meeting in Princes Avenue.

The panel of speakers came to Liverpool from as far afield as Iran, Iraq, Lebanon . . . and even London. Each had their own stories to tell about the effects of the “War on Terror” waged by George Bush and his cronies.

All of the speakers were dedicated activists for peace and justice.

Best of all was the lively debate which followed the speeches. The audience was invited to put its opinions and questions and each member was treated with respect.

This was democracy at its best.

Mal Ferguson, Tuebrook

Election apathy

CONTRARY to the opinion of Rennie Ku (Letters, March 4) the electorate is to blame for poor election turnout.

The apathy of the electorate lies not in its failure to vote, that is understandable, but in its failure to organise new parties and select new candidates to represent them.

Almost everybody one speaks to agrees that the Government and party politics are at present a disgrace, but they are sitting back and waiting for the present lot to do it for them (Letters, March 4).

It is surprising that Liverpool students, traditionally activists and now present in the city in large numbers, have not banded together to set an example to the rest of us.

As for the electorate in general, it is now little more than a harem attendant for politicians who cannot wait to become the messenger boys of the EU.

It should not be too difficult to establish new political parties; the huge response to Liverpool Vision's initial efforts to involve the public in regeneration encourages the idea that voters will respond positively to politics if they believe it is meaningful.

Failures of government are now so glaringly bad that appropriate policies are many and obvious, enough even for parties in opposition to each other.

Pessimists will think up problems. For example, “Where can we meet”? they will ask.

Well, if necessary they could meet in the gutter, which would at least be better than the drain to which we, as a fading sovereign nation, are heading.

If nothing else, a sense of proper direction in the country might at least stop some of our young people from drinking themselves insensible every night. Is it any wonder that at present they do?

JF Lambert, Mossley Hill

Destruction of trees

I AM writing to express my disgust at what is being done to Stanley Park. As if it is not bad enough that our council have allowed LFC to claim a huge chunk of our park, the remainder is being destroyed in the name of regeneration.

While we welcome the restoration of the Gladstone conservatory, bridges and structures in the park, the destruction of so many trees is unforgivable.

I realise the park has been neglected for a long time, but I question if such extreme measures are necessary. For those of us who use the park regularly, it is sad to see healthy trees being hacked down on a daily basis and the impact this has on the wildlife.

I appeal to our MP, Mr Peter Kilfoyle, to take a walk through the park and see for himself what is happening. I would also hope he ignores the spiel being churned out by Liverpool city council on this matter.

R Thomas, Anfield