Letters, June 20 2014

On the Mercury’s website there is a listing of the council’s representatives on 70 outside bodies/boards.

There are 39 councillors though just 17 Labour and Tories took the 70 places.

Rather than divide between elected councillors, Labour 15. Concervative 14, and UKIP 10, all went to Labour and Tory. I thought there wasn’t a pact - according to the Labour and Tory leaders.

Cllr Trevor Wainwright states the reason [the vote was proposed] was purely because these outside bodies are very important to the borough and what they need is experienced councillors! What do Cllrs Plant and Jeal know of what is best for the port?

Of course Labour and the Tories have formed a pact, they want UKIP to fail, but where does that leave the resident ratepayer? The answer is in the same backwater we have been foundering in all these past years, because there is no difference in this borough between Tory or Labour.

Whether a reader is Labour, Tory or UKIP, the electorate must be disgusted at the exclusion of 28.7pc of the voting public. I was hoping for a three-party system.

JOHN L COOPER

Burnt Lane,

Gorleston

Shame about our blackberry bush

I went back to see how the repairs to my house were progressing following the flooding earlier in the year, and went along the rear passageway of Lichfield Road in Great Yarmouth and the play park.

What a shock I had. Someone had sprayed the weeds and also killed all the blackberry bushes. Why? We all loved to pick and eat the blackberries as did the children; the residents have been picking them for the last 25 years. All the lovely birds of every kind, which nested in the blackberry bushes have gone, we used to feed them in the winter and summer.

I wonder what Prince Charles would say?

However, why did they stop spraying at the gateway to the park and not spray the whole area? This is now overgrown with stinging nettles where mothers and children have to walk by and I cannot get past with my mobility scooter. My neighbour and I are very upset by this.

Mrs IRENE THOMPSON

Mrs ELAINE McINROY

Email

No-one has all the answers

It wasn’t that long ago that Mr Barkuizen’s weekly religious rants were brought to a halt, readers had more than had enough, and wrote in to this effect.

However, slowly but surely he has come back in, taking up space for readers to have a say about subjects in our local area. As far as I am aware the Great Yarmouth Mercury is not a religious publication, so why week after week do we have to endure his religious rantings.

I cannot be the only one who is sick to the back teeth with it. Halloween, Christmas, Easter, you can be sure there will be a lengthy letter. Mr Barkuizen, you do not and never will have all the answers, no-one is in the slightest bit interested, enough is enough.

Mr P PAGNAO

Covent Garden Road,

Caister on Sea

Lovely town and its toll of neglect

Its 6.30am and I am enjoying my daily treat at Barrie’s Market Tea stall, a bacon roll.

As I look across the Great Yarmouth market my thoughts go back to the 1960s when the fruit and veg warehouses were operating early morning where Argos currently stands next door to Hollis corner shop, probably the first self service supermarket of its day.

There would be queues at all the tea stalls caused by the smell of bacon across the market, and when I say market, this was a market, there would be a five-year waiting list to get on as a full-timer, and that was if you were fortunate or knew the right person.

The hustle and bustle of the works buses coming into town, leaning as they came around Burtons corner with the conductor hanging on the rear platform for dear life, shouting out “Town Centre”! and then on to Birds Eye, Erie Resistor and Hartmans factories. The actual top deck looked like a smokehouse with everyone smoking.

A lot of bus passengers would get off the Yarmouth side of Haven Bridge and walk into town to see what the shops had to offer down Broad Row and Market Row before they hit the town centre, but not now, who wants to walk nowadays?

Then I am back in today’s town centre with its empty shops, but not only empty but in a state of dilapidation through lack of investment by current landlords. This magnificent building we all know and loved as the Co-op, standing majestically in the morning sunlight with its beautiful façade bursting with pride of its previous achievements and waiting for the next chapter in its life.

Then as I look over to the pound shop, which is one of the fastest growing businesses in the country, and what a coincidence that the previous business on this site, Woolworths was the original sixpenny store.

The decline in retail within our town centre and holiday trade comes in many forms, some of which could have been avoided. We all complain in some way, yet no-one listens and nothing gets done.

I realise we are coming out of the worst recession in years, but that should not be an excuse to accept what is happening around us. The following is what I think has caused damage to our lovely town and what is required to put it right.

The first one is the closure of South Denes Caravan Camp along with the tent site. This site spread from the Pleasure Beach to the harbour mouth, and the tent site on the opposite side of the road just before Hartman’s Fibre factory.

The site was run by the council with private owners renting various sites for the season and the block nearest the harbour was the touring site. Our family had three newsagents shops plus a mobile on South Denes and this was probably one of the busiest sites in East Anglia, as it was right on the beach and kiddies could play safely.

It may have not had the modern features of today’s camps but everyone had fun which was proved by its popularity. Its main attraction being that it was actually on the beach.

Then about 1990 the camp was closed by, I believe, the council in preparation for the Outer Harbour, construction of which was not started on until 2007, some 17 years after closing this busy holiday site.

The repercussions of this early closure was hundreds of caravan operators losing their living and thousands of holidaymakers not returning to Great Yarmouth as there was not an alternative to this site in price or location.

PHIL THOMPSON

email

Thank you for my sister’s care

I am writing to praise and thank the accident and emergency and intensive care departments, doctors and nurses at the James Paget Hospital for all their valiant efforts in trying to save my sister when she was admitted on June 1. Within minutes of arrival she was being assessed and we were kept informed of the situation. Their professionalism and care, both to my sister and us, was exemplary. On behalf of all our family we want to thank them for their efforts and attention before she was transferred to Addenbrooks at Cambridge.

JACQUELINE BROOM

Halvergate

Shocked pier no longer paddles

For years I have followed in the Mercury and the Lowestoft Journal the saga of the disappearing coastline from Southwold to Hemsby and beyond. In his page dated 11th April, Peggotty declared that he could not recall Gorleston beach ever reaching its present width, a statement that I fully agree with. The accompanying photo showed a magnificent stretch of sand. However, I was shocked when I looked at the aerial photo of the Britannia Pier in last week’s Mercury issue - the pier is completely out of the water! I recalled days as a lad in the mid fifties fishing from the end of the pier in stormy weather with waves crashing against the piles, causing the structure to tremble. In the summer of 1960 my friend Cookie and I did a seasonal job on the pier before returning to school in the September. General manager was Mr Meredith, Chief Cashier, Mr Powles and the Billy Fury show was in full swing. The sea came a long way towards the beach that year and a lot of money was lost which when dropped, rolled and fell into the sea through the gaps in the decking! Toby Sutton ran a powerful speedboat from the end of the pier. No more speedboats now! The speedboat was moored overnight in the harbour and every evening I watched (enviously) as the driver headed for the harbour’s mouth at high speed, disappearing from view in a matter of minutes. I recall seeing at least two rescues of unfortunate holidaymakers who had been swept under the pier; rescues carried out by other holidaymakers using lengths of rope and a life belt. One poor fellow was holding onto a pile and his torso had been cut to ribbons presumably by barnacles. Upon completing the rescues, a large cheer went up from the watching crowd. My last visit to the pier about 10 years ago and I noticed that the area used for fishing (on the lower deck) was very rusty and had been largely cordoned-off for safety reasons. The pier was opened in 1858 at a cost of about £6000 and was longer then what it is now. The following year, during a violent gale a sloop came through the pier and severed it in two. It was then shortened by 50 feet. In November 1868 the schooner Sea Gull crashed into the structure and took away 100 feet. Pending repairs, a rope bridge was thrown across the breach. (Information and photo from “Pictures of Old Yarmouth” published by the Yarmouth Independent June 1897.) Changing the subject slightly to the planned fire diving spectacle at Pleasurewood Hills this summer, we have had fire diving in this area before. I wonder if anybody else remembers Rex Reed “the fire diver”? I can’t recall where he came from but he was not a local man and was here for the summer seasons. He did fire diving from the Britannia and also the South Pier at Lowestoft from 1964 to 1966 or maybe longer. His modus operandi was to erect a chalk board; “fire diving here at XX time”, to attract spectators. He threw an accelerant (petrol?) into the sea, set fire to it and dived in. His wife or partner then went through the watching crowd with a hat, in the manner of Punch and Judy. Although I knew about this spectacle I never witnessed it personally. If Rex were to attempt diving from the Brit now he would get a headache! I wonder if Peggoty has any information on him? Did anybody take a photo? Did the late Ivan Gould pay him an official visit with his camera? So many questions! Perhaps our marine experts can shed light on what is happening to our beaches.

MIKE KING

Sandbank Road

Lowestoft

Monster book is just as real too

I felt compelled to reply to Mr Barkhuizen’s letter in which he, very Christianly, put atheists and sinners in the same category. It goes to show how “loving” religion is if it can put those who have a belief that there are no god/s in the same basket as murderers, rapist and other “sinners”.

See Mr Barkhuizen, I have the ability to live life without sending thinly veiled threats of eternal torture to those that don’t share my views. I don’t live my life by a book, written a couple of thousand years ago by desert dwellers.

You won’t find me quoting meaningless passages from a book. There is no evidence for god and using your bible as evidence of said god is, well, childlike. I have a book on a Flying Spaghetti Monster, how is this any less real than your book of choice? You can’t prove I don’t have one as much as I can prove I have.

God isn’t real, he’s a way of suppressing people. A way of enforcing terror, like forcing a child to behave or to go on the naughty step. Life is so much more fun and peaceful without him, and that’s why religious conversions are on the decline. Long may that continue.

R GERVAIS

Email

I agree creation was no accident

Mr King has it right in his letter last week. What kind of mind says that the universe came out of nothing – by itself? That life came out of non-life? That the human brain and eye are just accidents?

The mind of the atheist.

If we fool ourselves there’s no holy God, then to us the Bible is just a human book. And we can live whatever way we choose. Because if there’s no God, there’s no right and wrong, and no day of judgment ahead.

But the Creator says in His book, the Bible, “Since the creation of the world His invisible qualities are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and divine nature, so that they are without excuse, because, although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but became useless in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened. Claiming to be wise, they became fools.” (Romans 1:20–22).

E BARKHUIZEN

Albemarle Road,

Gorleston

Article captured event’s spirit

Congratulations to the Mercury and Lucy Clapham for the lovely article “Remembering the Longest Day” published last week. It truly captured the spirit of our Great Yarmouth event and despite negative comments elsewhere the event was well planned.

Previous D-Day events held in the morning were always poorly attended and it is to the Town Hall’s credit that, on this special 70th anniversary event, the parade should be held in the evening. The attendance was outstanding with strong representation from the Town Hall, veterans, standard bearers, uniformed youth organisations and the general public.

The excellent Service written and conducted by Cannon Christopher Terry was spot on. The absence of the Last Post, although included in the service sheet, was most regrettable but on the day outside the control of the organisers. In paying our respects to the veterans, their comrades and their families I can assure them all that it was an honour and privilege to be on parade and they will never be forgotten.

T C BYRNE MBE

email

Much evidence for evolution

I am amazed by Colin King’s letter on evolution. In one short letter he manages to rubbish the work of the majority of the universities around the world and commit some fundamental errors.

The big bang he refers to is not part of evolutionary theory. This is an area of cosmology studied by astrophysicists unrelated to the study of the evolutionary process. It is a theory based on the available cosmological evidence which, like all scientific theories can be altered if new evidence comes to light. Colin then goes on the imply that evolution also suggests that life started from chemical soup. This again is not part of the evolutionary theory but a area called Abiogenesis. Not a science I am very familiar with but understand that the scientists who do study it are having significant success in that they have managed to reproduce a basic living form from available chemicals. Colin’s biggest error of all is claiming that there is no proof for the evolutionary process. Clearly he has not studied the subject before commenting as the amount of evidence in both the fossil record and the DNA processes is so overwhelming that while the theory may be adapted from time to time as new evidence comes to light, there can be no doubt that the process has taken place. There is also the point that what else have we got? Most religions have an origin of life story. They all appear to be just that - stories. The one many of us were taught about Adam and Eve is so nonsensical that even at the age nine or 10 I did not believe it. So for a believable explanation we only have what we now call the Darwinian theory even though Darwin was not the first or the only advocate of the idea. He did write the best seller though.

I would sympathise with Colin about Richard Dawkins. While I admire his work and have read all his books I do think he goes a bit over the top when commenting on the way we educate our children in such matters. That said he is, in my opinion, absolutely right.

DEREK BROWN

Royal Naval Hospital

Great Yarmouth

Keen to see how it all plays out

The arrival of UKIP has certainly stirred up politics as Pauline Lynch said (Mercury June 13). As an ex Lib Dem, before they became Tories and near extinction, I recall the optimism of an early success. This failed to develop into a breaking of the mould and it is unclear how far UKIP will break the mould. In many areas of the country they failed to field candidates.

I was privileged to be a candidate at the local election and thank people who voted for me. I learnt a lot and met many interesting people and confirmed that Caister is a great place to live. I thought I was fed up with the Government and how our borough has fared but was amazed at how disillusioned so many people are. Many with politicians in general and others with the main parties - hence UKIP appealed. It seems that immigration and the EC are a big concern due to the impact on services and jobs.

It was unfortunate that EC and national issues dominated much of the local election. I am still not sure what UKIP plan for us. How will immigration be curbed for the borough or the EC be stopped from interfering? I was amazed by the rise of UKIP last year and having heard little during the year wondered if they had become extinct like the Lib Dems who failed to field any candidates.

It will be interesting to see how the UKIP councillors shape up. Nothing was said about how to cope with the next £1m of cuts from the Government or how to regenerate our shopping centres and areas like the boating lake. Dog poo, litter and grass cutting are other big issues raised at many doors. I see UKIP want to cut car park charges, they could start in Caister where the charges scheme is mad. It is unclear where the deficit will be made up. I was surprised how many people want good public services at the same time as wanting tax cuts.

The next year will be interesting with a three way split on the council and the general election in May 2015. We have already seen extra money for roads and schools as the cuts went too far. I expect we will see all sorts of promises from the Government. I anticipate a new rail station, promises of further reviews of the A47, and the Norwich rail link to London, more help for the NHS and unemployed and the benefits of the Assisted Area Status (which arrived after four years of waiting). I would like to know what cuts are planned if the Tories are re-elected?

CHRIS WRIGHT

Victoria Street

Caister

Worried about speeding cars

I recently moved back to Belton as I have just retired from the Armed Forces. There is not much really that shocks me, but I must admit I am horrified at the speed of the cars that use Mill Road, Burgh Castle.

I am temporarily renting a property on this road and I cannot believe the people driving on Mill Road are doing at least 50 or 60 mph. It’s not hard to tell they are driving over 30mph as you know this speed when sat in your own car. I have a dog that I walk three times a day, this road has no pathway on most of the road so you’re walking head-on to speeding cars that don’t give a thought to you or your dog. Where are the police that we are paying for? No speed cameras are about at all and they definitely don’t stop the racers at night. Shocking!

DEBBIE GRAY

via email

Thank you to all who donated

On behalf of the Normandy Veterans association Norwich branch I would like to say thank you to the manager and his staff and their customers at the Asda supermarket in Great Yarmouth for generously contributing to our collection on Friday. Once again a heartfelt thank you.

GEORGE HOLMES

NVA Associate Member

Super venue all should enjoy

We went to Stars on Regent Road, (the Old Regent Theatre) on Saturday evening.

We recommend this lovely place to locals and holidaymakers alike. The new owners have brought new life to this building.

You can book a show, as we did, and had a lovely evening. It was worth the show price of £15 just to see the “Regent” again.

If enough people visit, maybe this grand place can be saved for the future. There is nowhere else like it in town.

The “Regal” was lost, due to ignorance and shortsightedness, don’t let it happen again!

SANDRA WEST

Garnham Road

Gorleston

At last sense has prevailed again

This morning I received through my door the latest copy of ‘Your Norfolk’, Norfolk County Council’s magazine for all residents.

In it was an article headed ‘Major council changes show democracy in action’. What was it all about? The council is changing from a cabinet system to a committee system.

Many years ago in the days of Blofield and Flegg Rural District Council, I was one of the councillors representing Caister. When Caister was taken into Great Yarmouth Borough and independent councillors held little sway I no longer stood for election. At that time all the councils, borough and county had a committee system. Why on earth they changed to a cabinet system and the putting of greater power into the hands of less people I have no idea. Thank goodness sense has at last prevailed. I find it strange that the return to a more democratic, sensible system which had worked very well and should never have been overturned is now heralded as some sort of new, wonderful idea.

Two others which should be thrown out and a return to the ‘old ways’ brought about are academy schools and Police Commissioners.

I had the pleasure of teaching (yes I did actually enjoy teaching in those days) at Yarmouth Grammar and later High School for some forty years. All the schools at that time were under the control of the local authority. We did not always agree with their decisions but there was a higher authority to control any of the excesses which some head teachers might have introduced.

The idea of placing powers in the hands of a board of governors answerable, it seems, to no higher authority is a recipe for total anarchy. No doubt the various governments introducing such measures have their eyes on only one objective - saving money. In education, as with many other things, you get what you pay for.

Finally, Police Commissioners. Whose brilliant idea was it to give the power to hire and fire Chief Constables to one individual elected by a tiny minority of voters rather than a committee of individuals who can look at and consider both sides of any matter? There are certainly problems within the police service but giving the power to dismiss top officers to one individual seems ludicrous. One must think about the intelligence of those in ultimate power, ie members of parliament, who can come up with these barmy ideas.

JOHN LAITY

Croft Road

Caister

Health service is the best in world

All I seem to hear about the NHS is negative bad press, the idea of no news is good news seem to be widespread. This just seems to encourage everyone to take a swipe at what must be the best health service in the world, poor or very well off we are all covered by this safety net 24-7 every day of the year. So I would like to share with you my wife’s and my own NHS experience.

In March 2008 I was diagnosed with bowel cancer, after tests CT, MRI etc, it was discovered the cancer was a bit of a tourist and was also in my liver and the lungs. Approximately six months after this my wife was diagnosed with breast cancer. My wife was treated at the JPH where she had a mastectomy and chemotherapy. It’s been five years and she’s doing really well.

I received all my treatment at the Norfolk and Norwich hospital for the liver re-section and lung operation, and the bowel was sorted out at the JPH when I was fitted up with an ileostemy bag.

At this point I have to say the technology and expertise that was showered upon us was almost unbelievable. Every member of staff connected or involved with our treatment was very polite and approachable, always ready to explain any queries we may have.

Unfortunately for me the lung cancer is still growing and is now inoperable. However I am still having chemo sessions, and my quality of life is very good.

Without the NHS I feel my wife and I would not be here now to write this letter. We thank everyone concerned very much.

BARRY AND LILLIAN HAZELL

Framlingham Close

Great Yarmouth

All councillors are there to serve

I note in the Graham Plant (Conservative leader) letter of appreciation in last week’s Mercury he stated he was prepared to help anyone who asked him for help. Isn’t that what councillors are for? Remember that ward residents, I have!

UKIP brought almost a third more voters out at the last election than is normal. Why, because local politics had suddenly become more interesting?

Our major political problem is that we are only able to get around 30pc of voters sufficiently interested to vote. Politicians themselves could do more to change this by participating much more pre election time. To most of the electorate many candidates are anonymous.

Just a few pamphlets and maybe a doorstep call all of which means very little and you don’t see them again till the next election. Our democracy is turning into a farce with the majority opting out.

Pre elections why don’t candidates have public meetings in their wards to introduce their views and policies and answer questions? Have ward meetings where all candidates gather on the the same platform. It would be more effective than that trudge from door to door. Get voters included in ward affairs by newsletters via email if need be and I am sure they would take more interest in choosing councillors. The Labour council when it gained control began periodic meetings at Gorleston with all councillors present, I believe Yarmouth as well which is a great improvement over the previous Conservative administrations idea of a forum.

So I am asking Mr Plant now as the leader of the Conservative group to carry out the promise he gave last week in the Mercury.

DENNIS DURRANT

Brett Avenue

Gorleston

Thanks to store for donations

Thank you to Sainsburys and the people of Great Yarmouth for their generous donations on our collection held at the store which raised £150.43. All the money goes to our local group which meets weekly at Cobholm Community Centre on Thursdays 2-4pm.

SUE CASEY

Great Yarmouth Stroke Group

Last Post was major oversight

Following the letter entitled ‘What happened to Last Post’ in last week’s Mercury, name and address withheld, I would like to reaffirm and agree with many of the comments made by the writer.

I can confirm that the 901 Troop Marine Cadet Band has been asked on many occasions to lead civic parades in Great Yarmouth and were delighted to participate once again to mark the anniversary of the D-Day landings, as we did in Arromanche, Normandy in 2012, but we were not asked either during the planning of the event or on the day to provide the Last Post.

In fact, the ceremony was run in such a similar way to that which takes place on Remembrance Sunday, and for which 901 Troop Marine Cadet Band do not play the Last Post and Reveille, that it was assumed the organisers, namely Great Yarmouth Borough Council in partnership with the Royal British Legion, had made arrangements for this.

Ceremonies do not always go to plan and, as a band, we try to anticipate and remedy any unforeseen events quickly. However, on this occasion we were placed behind an ice cream van that continued to trade throughout the service and we could not hear what was going on. Furthermore, once we had marched into the next phase for wreath laying, again we were unable to see or hear what was happening and only when we saw the standards lower did we realise the playing of the last post was missing from the ceremony. It was clearly an important element of this service and a major oversight by the organisers.

C/SGT JOHN HARRIS

Band and Drum Corps Instructor

901 Troop Marine Cadets

Stay in ward 7 was wonderful

I felt I must tell you about a happy and satisfying stay I have enjoyed in the James Paget Hospital in Ward 7 for the past nine weeks.

The care was wonderful, the food excellent and the attitude of the staff could not be faulted.

I would be happy for any member of my family to receive this care in the future.

FREDA HIGH

St Christopher Close

Belton

Supermarkets not rents to blame

With reference to ‘Empty shops due to high rents.’

I think this is incorrect. I, like most people up and down the country, am depressed at our dying and neglected high streets, but I don’t believe high rents to be the sole cause. I think the death of the many independent petrol stations, green grocers, butchers, milk deliveries, etc. are caused primarily by supermarkets, where everything can be bought under the one roof at the same time.

I also notice the trap we have fallen into; their low prices have backfired on us, now that they have the monopoly their prices are rising. Unfortunately I feel it’s too late to undo the damage we have done.

A T DENTON

Nuffield Crescent,

Gorleston

Wrong to call us residents nimbys

It appears that councillor Mick Castle is trying to discredit the people who are against his plan to infill the town with houses on every bit of land he deems available.

We are not nimbys, we are hard working house owners. The local residents don’t want the two storey houses and bungalows that he would like to see squeezed on our car park that has been used as such, for as long as I have lived in Great Yarmouth, some 40 years.

This car park is used by customers to the post office and store, also the overspill from the teachers’ parking area at the high school.

They also park in the roads surrounding the school, causing a danger to vehicles accessing Salisbury Road.

Our high school is due to receive another five or six hundred pupils in the next few years. Where will the staff park then?

Mr Castle should come to one of our regular meetings and hear what we have to say, instead of disappearing as soon as he thinks that someone might disagree with him. He may have rested his case but the residents haven’t.

DAVID CANSICK

Blake Road

Great Yarmouth

Bold statments, spin, little fact

I was saddened to read Mr Castle’s letter in the Mercury having another dig at GYNAD (Great Yarmouth North Against Development), who have recently won their battle against the council’s proposed development in Salisbury Road. Having read his letter I feel the views of GYNAD have again been misrepresented by Mr Castle and therefore it is important to set the record straight. Mr Castle’s letter is full of bold statements, a bit of spin, but has little on facts. He goes on to state that it is his belief that the building of these proposed bungalows at Salisbury Road would enhance the value of the houses on Blake Road, North Denes Road and on Sandringham Avenue and would improve the pedestrian access.

The council voted against the development at Salisbury Road for the following reasons contrary to Mr Castles comments;

• The proposed development is considered by the Local Planning Authority to represent an unneighbourly form of development. Contrary to Policy HOU7 and Great Yarmouth Borough Plan 2001.

• The proposal is considered by the Local Planning Authority to result in a development that will be detrimental to the safe movement of pedestrians and highway users. Contrary to policy HOU7.

It was for these reasons alone that the council rejected this proposed development and it was not based on any ‘shameful nimbyism’ campaign as claimed by Mr Castle. However, what did concern me was the provocative language Mr Castle used in his letter which I found disappointing for local residents - his inference that ‘travellers will invade the site’, is designed to cause concern to local residents and paints a negative picture of the travelling community. This certainly sounds like nimbyism to me. To my information no travellers have never settled on this land.

GYNAD is supporting the local community in organising and mobilising a desire to get things done. We have put in a tentative proposal to the council to bring this piece of land back into the community and are hoping to regenerate it, to landscape it and to create a safe track way for the students and families between the two schools and to support the diverse nature of that area (which includes a bat colony). This natural resource can also be used as an educational environment for the students and certainly be utilised as an amenity.

RUSSELL BYER

Chairman of GYNAD

No means no in a democracy

Mick Castle and his associates sent a reply slip to each house in Zone A to five roads asking us to fill the form in for their voucher scheme. But it came to our attention that the reply slips were designed to be misleading for the Yarmouth people. So it was decided to collect signatures of those who were against the proposed parking scheme and this was done with a 99pc ‘no’ against the plan, and these slips were sent back to the councils with a letter explaining why the permit holders did not want the scheme to go ahead. Now Mr Castle said in the Mercury he wants a two year trial in Zone A and if it’s successgul he wants it rolled out to other areas. Why can’t Mr Castle understand the residents holding car permits have voted no, and no means no in a democracy. So why is he trying to railroad his plan through with a so-called two year trial, which is against the wishes of the Yarmouth people. This is outrageous when a vote has already been cast against the £3 parking plans. If Mr Castle and council go ahead with their scheme the people will not tolerate it.

CARL BARRON

Rodney Road

Great Yarmouth