THIS weeks letters to the editor.
‘It’s not fit for purpose’
I TOTALLY agree with Patrick O’Brien about the disabled parking on Church Green East.
It definitely is not fit for purpose.
I have parked there on numerous occasions with my blue badge and come back to my car to find someone has squeezed in between my car and the one parked next to it making it awkward to enter my car.
Also, some cars not displaying a blue badge,
Who patrols this area I ask?
We used to see parking wardens on a regular basis but I can’t remember the last time I saw one patrolling.
Redditch is fast going downhill with cars regularly parking on the pavements and anywhere they fancy without any comeback.
Come on Redditch, let’s get these problems sorted.
After all I didn’t ask to be disabled.
Anthony Bartlam
Winyates Green
‘Fly in the face of government policy’
CONSERVATIVE MP Phillip Dunne led the Commons Environmental Audit Committee in May 2022 which stated ‘From homes to offices, retail units to hospitality venues, our buildings have a significant amount of locked-in carbon, which is wasted each time they get knocked down to be rebuilt – a process which produces yet more (Carbon) emissions’.
Ministers must address this urgently. Climate change is causing fires to rage across Europe and Canada.
Europe has its highest temperatures in over 100,000 years and a third of Americans are living under heat warning restrictions.
So why is Redditch Council flying in the face of their government’s policy to only demolish buildings when absolutely essential?
I am talking of course about our library which generated 12,000 visits to the town centre in 2022 and will be removed to a location in the town hall where the uphill trek to the shops will be less attractive.
The simple option to encourage visits from the Kingfisher Centre to Alcester Street (which Mr Dormer claims is his aim) is to add a glazed roof to the area from the library entrance back to Smiths and around the ‘plaza’ to the Post Office and the Cascades.
I costed this in January 2023 at £475,000. It would now cost around £650,000 as the inflation in the construction sector has been higher than national inflation.
This leads to a second worrying point. The £4.2million grant was calculated at a total inflation rate of 6.6 per cent in 2021.
Since then we have experienced a total of 18 per cent which means the grant will be a minimum of £750,000 short, even if it was completed within the next two months, and the forecast is for a two-year build equating to perhaps another £375,000.
I urge our local Conservative councillors not to fly in the face of government policy by voting for unnecessary demolition.
I urge you to reassess the financial needs and reapply for a more sensible scheme with an up to date financial costing which will not leave us bankrupt and without essential services because of an irresponsible overspend we cannot afford.
Margot Bish
Abbeydale
‘I’ve made the decision to rejoin the Conservatives’
ALTHOUGH the recent by-elections show immense public dissatisfaction with how hard it currently is to keep on top of day-to-day needs for most people.
I still get the sense the Labour and Liberal Democrat solutions are not resonating with the public in a way that makes voters cast their protest vote against the government in an overly enthusiastic way.
The Lib Dem leader is a stuntman, lowering the tone of the debate by referring to his adversaries as ‘clowns’, while the Labour leader relies on a doppelganger, hoping the youth of his candidate will make him seems more appealing.
The fact that he has chosen a candidate for Parliamentary office on the basis of inexperience and the same name shows poor judgement and a vacuous approach to politics.
For my part, I’ve made the decision to rejoin the Conservatives, whose leader is experienced, appealing and capable.
The opposition leaders are none of these things.
Matthew Thomas
Alvechurch
‘Redditch Labour Party are against the Library going into the Town Hall’
DURING the election Labour Councillors campaigned not to demolish the Library and have it moved to the Town Hall.
The Conservatives posted newspapers and campaign leaflets declaring their intension to demolish the Library and move it to the town Hall.
Straight forward Redditch Labour Party are against the Library going into the Town Hall.
Redditch Conservatives are in favour of the Library going into the Town Hall.
All Councillors have declared their intention on what they want.
At planning, a change of use application came to the committee stating that the town hall use should change to accommodate the Library as well as other things.
Labour councillors sought legal advice on whether they should declare an interest, as we have all publicly on both sides of the political parties, have said in public what we want.
With the advice given Labour Councillors declared an interest and could not take part in the debate and vote.
The Conservative members on planning decided to toe the party line and remained, not declaring that they had already during the election made predetermination on the Library, so therefore I believe compromised the Planning Process.
They voted all in favour of the change of use therefore paving the way for the Library to be moved.
It should be noted that the Conservatives have the majority on planning.
I believe that the planning process is now flawed and has been brought into question.
Well done Andrea Berry for giving her speech on the issues these plans have on the disabled, well-spoken and good points raised.
Coun Joe Baker
Leader of Redditch Labour
