This week's letters: Foxlydiate pub and breaking international law - The Redditch Standard

This week's letters: Foxlydiate pub and breaking international law

Redditch Editorial 26th Sep, 2020   0

IT IS important, as you alluded to in your article ‘Planners back bid to retain the frontage of Foxlydiate pub site’ (Redditch Standard) that the final decision on whether the plan to replace the historic and popular Foxlydiate sits with the planning committee of Bromsgrove District Council.

It is to be hoped they consider the irony of taking out the main meeting place and hospitality venue for an area which against the wishes of most of its residents has had or is planned to have considerably more housing over the next few years.

This issue would not have arisen if the current owners of the Foxlydiate had been prepared to carry on running a popular, successful venue particularly with the potential scope for custom increasing due to the amount of people living in the area.

Time and again houses are built in the UK without appropriate infrastructure being put in, but it is perverse that such an important piece of social infrastructure is actually proposed to be taken out at a time of housing and increased demand.




If the Foxlydiate was not there, then surely an equivalent would now be being planned? This was not a venue which was struggling for custom.

Unfortunately rather than selling to maintain the current use, which would have been in the public interest, they have chosen to use the Covid-19 crisis and the enforced closure of hospitality outlets to bring forward the closure of a venue which was still very active prior to lockdown.


I will make all of these points at the Bromsgrove planning meeting, and probably like many others reflect that what national planning rules so often forget and was mentioned to me by a Brockhill resident, that building houses is all very well, but people who live in them do not, even with the events of 2020, spend 24 hours a day, seven days a week there.

R Lunn. County Councillor. Redditch North.

I AM deeply concerned by the government’s plan to break promises made in the Withdrawal Agreement; an international treaty signed less than a year ago.

The Northern Ireland Secretary admitted this would break international law. The Internal Markets Bill would renege on commitments to avoid a hard border on the island of Ireland and would set negotiations with Europe back to square one.

This Bill has already passed its second reading with a sizable Conservative majority.

The Conservatives pride themselves on being the party of law and order, of economic stability and of the Union.

Now the government is openly breaking international law and paving the way to a no-deal economic disaster.

How can the Conservative and Unionist party jeopardise the hard-won peace in Northern Ireland?

The Prime Minister does not speak for ordinary Conservatives.

He was elected to deliver a comprehensive, ‘oven-ready’ deal with Europe, which would help communities and businesses like mine.

Yet his actions threaten not only the reputation of the Conservative Party, but the global reputation of the UK as a trustworthy nation.

J West, Winyates Green.

OH NO, Mrs Maclean, there is no distorted logic in this world that allows you to defend the indefensible (Redditch Standard).

I am outraged by yours and your government’s actions in voting to break international law that was agreed by your government.

Your vote may have enhanced your standing with the Prime Minister and your career path, but it must surely ruin completely your credibility with any principled and honest Tories who voted for you at the last election.

Your career is irrelevant in comparison to our country’s standing on the world stage as a trustworthy and honest ally that keeps its word.

History contains many examples of unprincipled governments which took illegal action in the name of convenience or as ‘an insurance policy’ (as you put it) with disastrous and devastating results.

Your government lied to the electorate and now tells us the lies were necessary.

Lies don’t become the truth because they are vigorously defended.

I also suggest you avoid making any public statements in the future on laws and lawbreaking.

What right has the government to expect citizens to abide by lockdown rules when the example it sets is so reprehensible?

M Lee, Crabbs Cross

TO say I am disappointed in our MP would be an understatement.

Here is an MP who had voted to stay in the EU in the referendum before changing her tune ‘to carry out the wishes of the people of Redditch’.

It would be interesting to ask the people of Redditch if they agree with the UK breaking international law.

At the time she was a loyal Theresa May supporter – although she isn’t following the principled stand of our former Prime Minister now.

She then threw her lot in with Michael Gove in the race for the leadership, before switching camps to Boris Johnson where she’s been rewarded with a nice role in the department for transport.

Now the UK could break international law, a law signed by the aforementioned Boris Johnson, but who has now changed his mind.

Of course that’s nothing new for U-turn Boris, however the word is that the Tory grandees are fed up with his flipflopping.

If he goes sooner rather than later, which our MP will be left looking for a new foothold in her mad scramble up the greasy pole of politics. Integrity? Forget about it.

R Wilson, Greenlands

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