Letters to the Editor - 25th March 2008

Mar 25 2008 Liverpool Daily Post

Changes to hospital

I WAS surprised that you should so readily approve of the Royal Liverpool Hospital’s proposal to demolish its present building and then spend hundreds of millions on putting up a new one.

The main block was opened 28 years ago and, while it may not be architecturally inspiring, it remains structurally sound and has proved both functional and adaptable to changing need.

Certainly it is approaching the time at which essential services require upgrading and renewal, but that cannot justify demolition and another new-build.

It is anticipated that providing a new and significantly smaller hospital would cost £400m with monies made available within a Public Finance Initiative [PFI] scheme.

In effect, this would represent a very long-term mortgage deal costing anything up to £1,200m – monies that would be siphoned out year on year from the revenues intended to provide on-going care for local people.

The hospital’s clinicians already practise world-class medicine in addition to carrying out research and actively participating in the training of the next generation of medical and paramedical personnel.

Timely renewal and appropriate internal modification should enable the present building to provide care for people in and around our city for many years to come.

Dr Emlyn Williams, consultant physician, Royal Liverpool University Hospital

Preserve buildings

HERE’S a thought, given the loss of so many period buildings and streets since the 1950s whether through inept planning decisions or outright neglect, why not, in this our Capital of Culture year, lead the way by asking the Government to decree a moratorium on the demolition of any period buildings over 75 years old?

We can then make a proper detailed inventory and assessment of what remains of our pre-war architecture without being misled by greedy developers or ill- informed planners as to their true state.

Just because English Heritage refuses to list a building doesn’t mean it is not an important part of Liverpool’s history and therefore worth preserving.

After all, if these buildings and streets have survived the Industrial Revolution, World Wars, and other major historical events then they must have something going for them?

Far better to restore and preserve what remains of our Georgian, Victorian, and other pre-war built heritage than to demolish and replace it with yet more soulless and derivative eyesores.

It may be late in the day but, if we can persuade modern developers and planners to try to emulate the sophistication and ambition of those who helped make Liverpool so architecturally significant in the past, then, as a lasting legacy of 2008, we may yet gift the next generation a city that they can once again be proud of.

P Saeed, via email

Bin confusion

I WRITE in response to the recent comments in the press, made by Cllr Gill Gardner, with regard to "Bin fines of up to £100 get go ahead".

The Conservatives are not opposed to issuing fixed penalties; however it is apparent to everyone, except the ruling Lib-Dems and Labour administration, that there is still much confusion among residents about what, and what can’t be, put into recycling bins, and that further education is needed before this authoritarian measure is introduced.

I was at the scrutiny committee that looked at this issue (not as a member), and even the chairman of that committee, when faced with a small recycling test, posed by Cllr Suzanne Moseley, could not determine what went into each bin. If the supposed "experts" don’t know what to recycle, what hope is there for the public?

Therefore, I am not surprised that the Liberal Democrats were celebrating after the council’s environment scrutiny committee rejected a call by Conservative councillors to delay the policy.

It means that they can embark on a "nice little earner" to heap yet more stealth taxes on the people of Wirral.

Chris Blakeley, Conservative councillor for Moreton West and Saughall Massie

Much missed

TAKING advantage of the long Easter weekend, I settled down to watch The English Patient on DVD.

I somehow managed to miss this wonderful film the first time around, but was minded to catch it after the sad passing of the film’s director Anthony MIngella last week.

It is a fabulous piece of film- making, moving and epic, and I thoroughly enjoyed my two hours with Ralph and Kristin.

Mr Minghella may not have made many films in his relatively short career but they were of a stunning quality – Truly, Madly, Deeply is one of my all-time favourites.

He will be very much missed, I feel.

Irene Howard, Runcorn

Iraqi suffering

NO PEOPLE have suffered like the people of Iraq.

It is a war that has now reached epic proportions with a million dead and four million refugees, the largest refugee crisis on the planet.

It is a war that has included the widespread use of torture and terror.

It is a war that has led to the looting of a culture and the destruction of a nation.

All this is, of course, in addition to the decade of sanctions which led, according to the UN, to the deaths of over a million children under the age of five.

The people of Iraq are being crucified and we as a people should be deeply ashamed at our involvement and indifference.

Mark Holt, chair, Merseyside Stop the War Coalition

Chocolate record

WHAT a funny story you had in Wednesday’s paper about the girls trying to break the world record for eating Ferrero Rocher chocolates.

As a chocolate fan myself, I was rather surprised that the record – at six – is so low.

I would have thought it would be much higher, although I don’t want to throw down the gauntlet! It is certainly a novel – and tasty – way of fundraising.

M Mann, Southport

Proud of heritage

HOW wonderful it was to read that the new streets and buildings in Liverpool city centre will maintain the links with our past.

Our city has an amazing heritage and it is one we should be rightly proud of. Putting our history on display so prominently should make visitors to the city realise that there is more to us than just The Beatles and football.

I, for one, am really excited about the opening of the new development and feel we will have, at last, something to rival other major cities.

Roll on the opening.

J Monroe, Aigburth

Fine play

HOW great it was to see Brick Up the Mersey Tunnels back at the Royal Court last week. This is a fine piece of theatre and it deserves all the praise heaped upon it.

The play is truly original and captures the Scouse humour perfectly.

I have seen it three times now and recommended it to many friends. I look forward to seeing it again.

J Moores, Aintree

Postal closures

MUCH has been written and much has been said about post office closures, some of it confusing, and some of it plain misleading.

Here in Wirral West, I and the entire Conservative Action team worked very closely with the local community for five months last year, running a high-profile and vigorous "Stop the Post Office Closures" campaign.

I believe that active community campaign prevented Wirral West from having any closures. Wirral West was fortunate; the rest of the country was not.

Therefore, I welcomed the Conservative motion in Parliament last Wednesday calling for MPs to vote to suspend the closure of 2,500 Post Offices, a very straightforward proposal that could have prevented Post Office Closures.

By checking Hansard, you can see which MPs voted which way, and I have to say I was baffled to see so many Labour MPs, particularly those who have been vocal in the press about wanting to keep Post Offices open, voting against the motion.

On Wirral, all of the Labour MPs except Frank Field voted against the Conservative motion to Stop Post Office Closures. By doing so, they have been instrumental in allowing the Government to carry out its programme to close another 2,500 Post Offices by 2009.

Esther McVey, Conservative Parliamentary Candidate for Wirral West

Lost warmth

I HAVE visited the relaunched Bluecoat today – what a waste of £12m!

Those responsible have managed to lose the warmth and soul of the old arts centre, and replaced it with a sterile, modern atmosphere and a new wing that should never have received planning permission.

The impression is that the architect responsible had no true understanding or love of Georgian style.

From the garden courtyard, the wing looks a little like the exterior of a new-build supermarket, and the internal staircase is unfriendly, devoid of interest and cheaply fitted!

The internal space of the centre of the old building has been adapted for new uses in a very unsympathetic way that does little to show off the character and style of the building, eg, the upstairs restaurant has a huge rectangular bar area placed in the centre and manages to obscure the view of the lovely original windows in the centre of the curved bay.

So, in return for £12m, we have lost a warm, interesting and "human" arts centre and gained a hollow modernistic space.

At least the front exterior and courtyard have been well restored and maintained.

Simon Taylor, Liverpool 8