THIS weeks Redditch Standard letters.
I HAVE used Redditch library for the past 16 years, I took my son there when he was younger to groups, to learn to read. It is such an important part of Redditch.
We need to leave it where it is as it’s very accessible to everyone, from mums to older people.
If it moves, it’s further for people to go who struggle with mobility issues. Why Redditch Council wants to move it is beyond me. We need to encourage more people to read books, not move it further away.
It’s such an important hub for so many people to meet others, and in these hard times places like this are more important than ever.
We don’t need more coffee shops and eateries, but more spaces to meet.
Libraries should be left well alone and councils should be focusing on helping people not hindering them.
Leave Redditch library where it is.
Bronwen Seaton
AFTER reading the article about the Halloween extravaganza, I’m personally disappointed the fireworks display will not take place.
I have attended the displays throughout my childhood and taken my own children as tradition.
I felt so proud when Redditch put up amazing displays year after year!
At least we could physically see our taxpayers’ money going towards something fun and exciting.
Now there’s not much to look forward to during these drab winter nights.
Sarah Hicks
I’M absolutely shocked it will be seven years on November 5 since our maternity services and children’s services were taken away on a temporary basis.
Our services haven’t been returned.
What about the garden suite too? The trust has said it would return the garden suite in 2024.
That’s outrageous – people’s lives are at risk and so are our children’s. The CCG said it would not be returning maternity or children’s services which I find absolutely shocking.
Something has to change now – enough is enough – we all need to stand together and keep signing the petition.
It’s time the trust actually listened to the people of Redditch, Studley, Bromsgrove, Wythall and surrounding villages which are forever growing – more babies are being born and houses are being built so it’s vital we have our service’s back.
Kirsty Southwell and Save the Alex team.
I WAS most unencouraged by Worcestershire County Council Conservative Cabinet Board Members constantly having a go about nobody turning up to the meeting on last Thursday to approve the next stage of demolishing Redditch Library and relocating it to the Town Hall.
Two days before the meeting, many residents had attended a scrutiny meeting arranged at Redditch Town Hall to give their objections, along with a further large petition and postcards with their reasons.
Conservative members of both Redditch Borough and Worcestershire County Council may like to note the following.
1. I was informed by Committee Services the rules for county council public participation relied on the resident being able to attend in person. It meant those unable to attend for whatever reason including those with disabilities or without a car would find it near on impossible to attend due to lack of public transport. I have yet to receive a response to my reply email in this respect.
2. Worcestershire County Council live streams its meetings whereas Redditch Borough Council didn’t set this up for the meeting in Redditch. In fact this is the same situation for Redditch Council most of the time.
3. Redditch Labour used its equipment to live stream the Redditch Meeting to its Facebook page to enable as many residents as possible to watch and contribute by commenting.
The councils keep saying they want to hear what we’ve got to say and the upcoming consultation is taken seriously.
But it appears, given their constant sniping and difficulties accessing, that both Redditch Borough and
Worcestershire County Council would rather we weren’t able to easily participate in meetings.
I would go as far to say this may well be because they would prefer not to hear what we think.
Andrea Berry
JUST take a moment to consider the plight of the most vulnerable in our society.
They are not online and have to access or ability to get online (there are many different reasons for this).
These are the people who the government professes to help and yet these are the very people who can’t get the help they need.
Why is this? Is it that politicians are ignorant or simply don’t care?
It is not just the government which displays this discrimination towards those with no online access, many companies also shun the non-onliners.
What does our MP think about this? What does Labour and the other parties think about this? Do they care about those without online access to support? Or do they think the most vulnerable in society shouldn’t be able to phone or use the post to claim the help they need and should just be abandoned?
Michael.
