Letters: It is possible to build more homes without destroying the countryside
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SIR – Michael Gove’s decision not to make local authorities set aside protected land for housing is most welcome.
The suggestion from the Home Builders Federation that this will lead to a “further decline” in planning permission approvals is disingenuous. As with many villages around the country, here in Ticehurst (and neighbouring Wadhurst) we have seen a massive increase in building over the past 10 years, without regard for the impact on services and infrastructure, or the major increases in traffic.
To raise such concerns is not “Nimbyism”; rather, it is about protecting village communities and our precious countryside from ill-considered over-development. Stopping land-banking and encouraging building on brownfield sites should be the mission.
Carl Brumpton
Ticehurst, East Sussex
SIR – On the question of housing, Mr Gove is simply another ditherer who has failed to grasp the nettle.
Brownfield sites are where houses should be built, but they are often overlooked, in part because of the cost of cleaning them up. Yet it is madness to turn swathes of our countryside into dormitories, forcing people to spend much of their lives sitting in traffic in order to shop and commute, which brings its own costs.
Get on with it, Mr Gove. The country is fast running out of patience.
Lance Warrington
Cirencester, Gloucestershire
SIR – The proposed Waitrose development in Bromley (report, December 18) is a perfect example of what is needed in our towns and cities if we are to avoid concreting over the countryside.
There is a shortage of housing, and it can be solved by building either up in towns and cities or out into rural areas. I have used the Waitrose where the development is planned, and it is an ideal spot to build flats, being near a railway station and all the facilities of the town centre.
Britain needs a lot more high-quality flats to be constructed in town centres if we are not to lose more of our precious open spaces.
Adrian Marshall
Uckfield, East Sussex
SIR – Regardless of whether Michael Gove has given in to Nimbys or not, a serious shortage of labour in the British construction industry will prevent even a smaller number of housing developments being completed.
A close friend of mine in the sector is turning projects away because he cannot get workers. Young people have been taught to look down on manual jobs of all types, and until we correct this and show their value – both financially and to society – we are going to have problems.
John A Landamore
Lutterworth, Leicestershire
BT’s digital push
SIR – You are right to question BT’s pursuit of a wholly digital future (Leading Article, December 19).
Our landline was replaced by Digital Voice some years ago – just in time for Storm Arwen, when we lost power for a week. We also lost mobile signal as our nearest mast was affected. If we wanted to speak to anyone we had to climb the nearest hill.
BT installed full-fibre broadband in our house, but the system is not robust and has failed roughly every four weeks since last July, typically for three days. At the time of writing, however, we have had no internet or phone since last Wednesday. Openreach engineers are regular visitors to our village; indeed, they seem to be here most days.
In the drive to modernise the network, BT appears to have abandoned any pretence at building a robust infrastructure that is able to provide the necessary service for its customers.
Phil Mobbs
Kendal, Cumbria
SIR – Back in the 1960s and 1970s, the gas industry moved the whole country to natural gas.
During the process, every appliance was either converted or replaced with a new compatible unit, without any charge to the customer. The clear objective was to maintain the full service to which consumers were accustomed.
The conversion to digital phone lines represents a similar infrastructure change and should be carried out according to the same principles, maintaining all existing functionality.
Graham Hoyle
Cradley, Herefordshire
Dying well
SIR – Dame Esther Rantzen has called for MPs to be given a free vote on assisted dying (report, December 19). There should also be a balanced public discussion.
It seems to me that there needs to be an acceptance of the individual’s right to choose. The wishes of the dying person must come first.
However, no one in the medical profession should be obliged to participate in assisted dying. Only those who believe in the principle need be involved.
The availability of this option, alongside really effective end-of-life care, would help to reduce the anxiety and suffering that are currently not only allowed, but enforced.
A M S Hutton-Wilson
Evercreech, Somerset
Why bother working?
SIR – Sherelle Jacobs (Comment, December 19) is right to question the number of people, particularly young ones, claiming sickness benefits.
She describes the tendency to pathologise everyday ups and downs, and the lowering of the threshold for a diagnosis of mental illness. But I think there’s something else going on here.
People can see that, even when you work hard full time, if you earn the minimum wage you will not be able to live a decent life. You will not be able to afford rent or a mortgage for a decent home in a reasonable area or to bring up a family even in modest circumstances. This discourages people from working and causes despair. Years of endless cheap labour from unlimited immigration and the failure to build more homes are the main causes.
People aren’t stupid. Why work like a dog and still be poor when you can claim disability and have the state pay?
Alison Levinson
Hastings, East Sussex
Permanent vicars keep congregations together
SIR – The vicar of our parish in Exeter wrote to the Bishop Of Exeter in January tendering his resignation for this July (Letters, December 19).
The parish is still going through a consultation process as to what type of vicar its two churches would like before advertisements are placed in the Church Times. An appointment is unlikely much before the end of next year. Meanwhile the congregation is gradually drifting away and the diocese is deriving a nice rental income from letting the vicarage.
The Royal Navy would not wait two years to appoint a new captain of a warship – nor would an independent school wait a similar period to appoint a new head.
Robin Thomas
Exeter, Devon
SIR – Local parish clergy are being replaced by largely invisible central “advisers”, “enablers” and the like: pastoral care and local ministry and mission are excised in favour of vacuous initiatives and novel strategies, almost all of which have been hugely costly but failed to bear any fruit.
I retired a fortnight ago but am very much alive and kicking. However, at a recent meeting, the churchwardens of my now former parish were told that there needed to be a “period of mourning” (12 months was suggested), although the “quota” or “share” would still be required of them. Such top-down heavy-handedness is inimical to local flourishing, not to mention immoral.
Rev R C Paget
Brenchley, Kent
SIR – One of the joys of a long interregnum is that congregations benefit from having services led by retired priests, who bring their usually superior training and long experience to the pulpit. In short, they know of what they speak, which is often more than can be said of poorly instructed clergy emerging from theological colleges these days.
Jane Moth
Stone, Staffordshire
Plenty of fish – but nothing fresh in the shops
SIR – The announcement of an increase in the quota of fish that British fishermen can catch (report, December 12) should be good news, but I fear it will not benefit many customers.
It is now really difficult to buy fresh fish. Fishmongers are rare. Only two supermarkets still have fresh fish counters, and their choice is limited.
Of course there is plenty of frozen fish available, but I find that horrible. When thawed, each piece is half the size, swimming in water and utterly tasteless; or it is swathed in thick greasy batter which masks any flavour of fish. I do not understand how an island race could have let this happen. It’s a ridiculous waste of a healthy natural resource.
Joan Wheatley
Bawburgh, Norfolk
Labradorable
SIR – Your charming letter (December 18) about a Labrador sharing his teddy with an unwell owner comes as no surprise.
Having been blessed with the company of four Labs over nearly 50 years, I know that they have more emotional intelligence than many people, instantly recognising if you are unhappy or unwell and doing their best to help by staying close, lying on your feet or offering their favourite toy.
Owning a dog is a big commitment but so worthwhile.
Malcolm Webberley
Shillingstone, Dorset
Raising the bar
SIR – To prevent soap bars from becoming soggy (Letters, December 19), place an upturned nail brush in your soap dish, then put used soap on the bristles.
Alfred Fleming
Hayling Island, Hampshire
SIR – Soap bars, if not used often, always seem to dry out and develop unhygienic cracks. The answer is to use half at a time – but sawing one in half makes a mess.
However, if you microwave it first – five seconds one side, five seconds the other – it will slice neatly.
Mike Wells
Ickwell, Bedfordshire
SIR – A failsafe way to keep soap from becoming soggy is to press a small plastic top, from a bottle or tube, partly into the bottom of the moist bar. It will stay in place, so raising it slightly from the basin. High and dry.
Jan McKee
Eastbourne, East Sussex
Phoney festivity
SIR – Why must so many television programmes at this time of the year have to pretend it is Christmas when they have quite obviously been filmed in the summer?
I have just watched a wonderful programme about animals at Longleat, almost ruined by phoney Christmas jollity which detracted from the beauty and dignity of the animals.
M E van Rees
Kendal, Cumbria
SIR – Last week I was served a beautiful Christmas lunch with all the trimmings – but perched on top was a large Yorkshire pudding.
Is this a new trend? It looked (and was) completely out of place.
Alison Wakes-Miller
Thornham, Norfolk
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