Letters on Spalding town centre, drainage boards rates, Pinchbeck speeding and the Prime Minister's rule breaking

It was quite properly thought that it would be much more efficient and less costly if South Holland District Council collected the money for them as part of the total council tax bill.

That is called a ‘precept’, in the same way as the county council, police and parish councils ‘precept’ on the district council for their money to be collected for them.

For inexplicable reasons the Government decided to treat Drainage Board monies as district council expenditure, which they are not.

It made no difference what sort of government existed in London, be it coalition, Labour or Conservative, that iniquity has never been corrected to this day.

(South Holland Council leader) Coun Porter, others and myself have pressed for it to be put right, and for it to be treated as a ‘precept’, because that’s what it is. It affects about 20-odd councils around the country, but it affects our fenland areas most of all.

The net result is that if IDBs have an unusually difficult year, their extra financial needs prevent the district doing things for their towns and villages because of the overall ‘cap’ which government puts on their ability to raise funds.

After last winter’s downpours, and the resultant heavy maintenance costs, added to the news that they will no longer have access to ‘red’, low tax diesel, their financial needs have rocketed.

Anyone concerned should write to their MP, as we have both attempted, to demand equity, and the IDB demands be treated as ‘precepts’!

No way do either of us want IDBs to be centrally controlled, or heaven help us all when we flood, and shops in London and elsewhere have empty vegetable shelves!

Chris Brewis

Sutton Bridge

Visitor from Canada was disappointed

Regarding your articles on Spalding town centre, I was in Spalding in January and I was quite dismayed to see the decay.

So many shops closed and the store fronts left to rot. Even the market days are depressing, with minimal stalls.

First of all you must encourage new shops opening in the town. Perhaps a break in rents or some kind of incentive? Then you can make the area more appealing with a fountain etc.

And YES - more public toilets that are clean and accessible. All shops and public places should be wheelchair accessible also.

Just a few thoughts from someone who grew up in Spalding.

Heather Davidson

Canada

What are we waiting for?

More than four months ago I write to your paper having read a somewhat pathetic response from Pinchbeck Parish Council concerning speeding on Spalding Road.

As I recall, certain promises were made that action was to be taken to address the problem. What has happened since.

Absolutely nothing appears to be the case. Is our parish council simply a talking shop? Why does it take so long to put speed reduction cameras measures in place?

George Scott, chair of the Spalding and Peterborough Transport Forum, is clearly very concerned at the lack of action on this matter.

He has hit the nail on the head with his remarks, as opposed to Councillor Scrooge who blames young drivers (mistakenly, I believe) for the problem. She wants to make speeding ‘culturally unacceptable’ – is she living on a different planet or what. To achieve cultural changes concerning human behaviour takes generations to achieve, if ever.

Just take drink-driving, for instance. What are Lincolnshire County Council and the Road Safety Partnership doing about the issue.

Again, little or nothing seems to be the answer.

It is high time these bodies pulled their fingers out and actually did something visible to address the problem.

The situations on Market Way with no footpath either side of the road is a potential death trap for pedestrians.

Mr Scott talks common sense, but talk on its own is meaningless.

Actions speak louder than words, so what are these people waiting for?

Tom Bell

Pinchbeck

PM is a loose cannon and he talks gibberish

In response to Milena Birkett’s letter regarding (prime minister) Boris Johnson: ‘This Is a Witch Hunt’. I cannot believe what I’m reading. Boris Johnson has been sacked on numerous occasions for not telling the truth. I think the words I’m looking for are lying and still lying.

For her to say the Prime Minister lying is a trivial matter, what world is she living in? Not the same as mine. A prime minister misleading Parliament is a sackable offence. Alcohol on a work premises is another sackable offence.

He’s the elected leader of the UK. It’s his responsibility to keep to the rules he and the Government make.

He’s lied from day one regarding ‘Partygate’.

He believes he’s untouchable. How many parties has he held while the rest of the country was still in lockdown – only he knows.

The rest of the country was unable to attend their loved ones’ funerals or birthday parties, while he was having drinks, celebrating his birthday etc (sorry, works meetings!) with bring your own alcohol.

She states he’s only human, are we not all human beings?

Witch-hunt? This is questioning Boris’ scruples. When in his position, make sure you’re squeaky clean. The best prime minister we’ve had in years?

Don’t be misled... he rambles on talking gibberish, when he’s finished his speech you still don’t know what he’s said, even more confused.

Boris is a loose cannon, opens his mouth without thinking, then unable to remember what he’s said or the lies he’s told.

As far as the Ukraine v Russia conflict, it’s frightening to think BoJo is out there offering The UK’s support.

David Barfoot

Shepeau Stow

THOUGHT FOR THE WEEK: A still, small voice

Many people have a favourite hymn. Mine is ‘Dear Lord and Father of Mankind’ written by John Greenlief Whittier, an American Quaker, who believed that God was best worshipped in Quaker silence.

The verses used in this hymn are part of a longer poem ‘the Brewing of Soma’. This describes an ancient Verdic Indian practice of using a drink made from psychedelic mushrooms.

It induced a frenzied ecstatic state. The first verses describe this and then there is a middle section of the poem where Whittier likens this to ancient practice found in other religions such as the dervishes and medieval Christian flagellates induced and manipulated from without not within.

The last five verses which make up this well loved hymn describe the quiet contemplative prayerful way of seeking God.

Perhaps this has a message for us all today. Life is full of noise and busyness. We are frightened by silence and turn on the radio and TV because the house seems too quiet.

Modern society has come to expect a background of sights and sounds. If only we can stop and listen to the ‘still small voice...’

As Quakers we do not have dogmas and creeds. We believe that true religion cannot be learned from books or set prayers but comes only from a direct experience of God.

We do have a little book called ‘Advices and Queries’ that gives us wise council. To quote from one of the ‘advices’, “all of us need to find a way into silence which allows us to deepen our awareness of the divine and to find the inward source of our strength. Seek to know an inward stillness, even amid the activities of daily life.”

David Ditcham

Spalding Quakers