REGARDING Ipsley Meadow (Redditch Standard) the extension of the Abbey Cemetery is the most commonsense proposal.
It will utilise all existing support services already on site.
Some of the suggested land is already enclosed by the security fence to keep animals out of the existing Abbey Cemetery.
It is remote from neighbouring housing areas.
It will avoid the need to provide expensive new access and car parking.
It will avoid the need to have funeral corteges travelling two kilometres across the town after a services at the existing crematorium.
It will us only a small piece of the existing the Abbey Meadow and will not destroy it because the council’s written intent is to use unobtrusive, ground level visually discrete memorial stones.
It will not destroy any known truly historic feature within the Abbey Meadows.
It will be a use which is sympathetic with the 400 years worth of burials already there.
It will be substantially cheaper than all other options so far investigated.
It will be an acceptable use of historic monument land. If Dudley can have a zoo on its famous castle monument then surely Redditch can extend its cemetery on to its Cistercian monument.
I Willcock, Ipsley
I’M completely at a loss as to why some parents picking their children up from St Stephens School on Meadowhill Road feel it’s okay to sit in their cars sometimes as much as 45 minutes before the school day ends churning out sulphur and nitrogen oxides and other dangerous particulates for when their children come out to meet their parents.
I know residents around this particular school aren’t happy about cars sat running for long periods as it affects their health too.
In times when we’re collectively reducing vehicle emissions I’d be interested to understand what our local council’s point of view is on this pressing issue?
Does this happen outside other Redditch schools or is this an isolated concern?
S Jones, Redditch
THE adoption of a supercilious tone in D Vincent’s letter is to be regretted (Redditch Standard).
Popping into a museum occasionally, interesting as it may be, does not necessarily give one a sound knowledge of history.
He refers to Bordesley Abbey (founded 1138) as ‘the very cradle of [the] town’.
In the Domesday book (1086) we read that following the Norman Conquest Richard Osbern was granted land in Ipsley formerly owned by Alfgar.
There was a settlement in Ipsley long before the Normans invaded and centuries before Abbot William and his monks arrived.
Competing antiquities is not the issue.
The essence of the matter is who needs Ipsley Meadow more now, the living or the dead, I believe it’s the former.
Being dubbed an ‘Ipsley nimby’ surprised me a little as the address given on my letter was Matchborough.
Seems his geography is as dubious as his history.
K Wass, Matchborough
THANK you for that excellent report in last week’s edition about HSBC’s decision to down grade its Redditch branch.
I’ve complained to HSBC, and asked the following questions:
1) Why was Redditch chosen to be a digital branch and not Bromsgrove?
2) Will Bromsgrove’s branch also become digital and have no counter services in 2022?
Despite making several requests, at the time of writing, HSBC have failed to provide answers.
I’ve been a HSBC customer for many years, and now it seems a good time for me to switch to the bank on the other side of Church Green which said it will keep its counter service and has the advantage of longer opening hours.
Southcrest Resident
I’VE been following the Ipsley Meadow / cemetery site story for months and have had a couple of letters published on the matter, one last week.
Regarding the article in the Redditch Standard last week, there are no reasons given why the Abbey site is suitable, only reasons why Ipsley Meadow is unsuitable.
Three Ipsley residents were interviewed and they just don’t want the new cemetery on their doorsteps.
I must admit I didn’t know what the word ‘Nimby’ meant until I read D Vincent’s letter.
M Jones, Southcrest
THIS week marks 100 weeks since Prime Minister Boris Johnson stood on the steps of Downing Street and pledged to reform adult social care.
It is a scandal that we are still waiting to see those proposals.
That’s 100 weeks where too many older people are still unable to get the care they need.
We are living through a pandemic, where care workers have given their all to protect those most vulnerable, yet still await proper pay and recognition for doing life-changing work.
Over two thirds of people have told us social care should be a top priority for the Government.
In the last 20 years there have been green papers, white papers, commissions and reviews but nothing has changed.
Adult social care and the people it supports deserve better.
People everywhere are asking the Government to #FixCareForAll with our five asks:
1) A new social care system that is fully resourced with a fair price for care
2) A national workforce strategy that values our people
3) Transparency and accountability through regulating the system
4) Care which is co-designed by older people and the sector
5) Seamless pathways between health and social care
Find out more at www.fixcareforall.org.uk and join us.
S Monaghan, Methodist Homes (MHA)
