Readers’ Letters: Parking charges will put people off

As a local resident (Caister) going to town in the off season is a pleasure that we are able to enjoy, without having to worry about finding a parking space.

More charges will mean less visitors, and more of those that do arrive, parking in inappropriate places causing problems for residents.

Some of those include people with blue badges that park on double yellow lines near the bus station and McDonald’s causing obstruction.

Parking should be free for blue badges in car parks to encourage them to park responsibly.

Keeping costs affordable should be a priority to encourage more visitors. There is only so much you can wring out of the public before deterring them completely.

As you will see from the above I for one am totally opposed to further restrictions and charges.

LINDA RUMBLE

email

Disappointment at festival funding

As the committee of Gorleston Clifftop Festival, we are writing to express our disappointment at the apparent shortage of support from the Great Yarmouth Tourism Business Improvement Area for our event.

To provide some context, we are a committee made up completely of volunteers, we self-fund the event by charging for pitches (including the funfair) and raising sponsorship from local organisations, with the exception of our fireworks which are funded by GYTBIA to the amount of £2,000.

The event is free to attend, attracts tens of thousands of visitors and this year we are celebrating 20 years. We submitted an application and requested £3,500, the additional £1,500 to help fund the shortfall in our running costs for things such as security, portable toilets and generators etc due to the fact the event has grown so much in recent years.

As a successful, large, community event which attracts visitors to the area, we were mistakenly confident we would receive the modest additional amount requested, or at least some of it. To our disappointment, this was not the case, we have been awarded £2,000 again, for which we are grateful but at the same time dismayed that further funding for a successful event could not be granted.

We completed an application form, we believe we fulfil the criteria and we sent our income and expenditure statement to show the deficit. We appreciate there are other events in the borough, and we appreciate not all will receive funding they request but what we struggle to accept is that the spend for the Yarmouth Summer Fireworks has increased from £25,755 in 2016 to £32,000 in 2017 and Hemsby Fireworks has increased from £12,200 to £13,000.

Perhaps if our application detailed the extra £1,500 was to be spent on fireworks rather than extra security to ensure the safety of our visitors, it may have been successful. We have also been led to believe that had the 2017 Airshow still been going ahead, we would have received nothing at all. We are bracing ourselves for next year when the Airshow does take place and events like ours will have to be completely self-sufficient as no funding will be available from the GYTBIA.

COMMITTEE

Gorleston Clifftop Festival

Council must admit parking errors

I read with interest your article of March 24 on war over car parking fees. It is good to see political leaders recognising that the introduction of year round parking charges would be detrimental to the resort.

However GYBC should really therefore admit the failure of its own parking policy.

Successive governments have tended to treat parking as a cash cow with little regard to the long term effect on visitors and businesses.

The town centre was the first victim of overcharging and we now have row upon row of empty shops.

Unfortunately the same policy is now being applied on the seafront.

In fact the parking charges on the seafront are considerably more expensive.

It is £7.20 to park for the day in the short stay car parks in the town centre but the same length stay in the short stay car parks on the seafront is £22.20.

A day in the long stay car parks would cost a town centre visitor £4.30 but a seafront visitor £7.50. The worst example is the Marina car parks.

Charges are £1 for 3 hours for anyone using the Marina Centre and Retroskate.

This must surely be an admission that GYBC is overcharging in their other car parks.

Non Marina/Retroskate customers wishing to use the same car park have to pay a minimum of £10 for 4 hours parking.

Anyone wishing to stay the day faces a parking charge of £25 for 9 hours then £3 per hour after.

This policy is designed to benefit GYBC’s own facility at the expense of all other local businesses and visitors.

Parking policy should be a tool to facilitate tourism and encourage investment rather than as a short term fix to a budget shortfall.

SARAH FLETCHER

email

Which party for councillor?

I read with interest the letter from Pat Philpot, Gorleston, regarding some help that they had received from Cllr Grey. It is always good to hear that councillors are doing their job.

The writer states at the end that we should forget the politics and vote for the person, however Kay Grey is a member of a political party, it funds and supports her campaign for election and she is the leader of that political party in the council.

With UKIP falling apart at a national level and at county with the leader of UKIP resigning, this year and the deputy last, I could understand why someone would wish to distance themselves from such a party. The question is this though, is Kay Grey standing as a UKIP councillor or an independent?

It is important I feel that those seeking election are very clear as to their political ideals and allegiances. So are you UKIP or not?

CLLR ADRIAN MYERS

Leader,

Tribune Party

I know who supports town’s economy

I was dismayed to see the front page story “War over Car Parking fees (March 24) as it seems that borough councillors on the policy and resources committee were unaware they were already charging throughout 24 hours per day on their own seafront car parks at Euston Road, Anchor Gardens, Jetty North and Jetty South.

I heard the council leader on Nick Conrad’s Radio Norfolk breakfast show speaking about this and he was obviously unaware this is the case.

GYBC charge visitors 90p per hour currently (£1 from next winter) from 8am until 9pm with an overnight charge of £1.

In addition the 115 spaces by the Marina Centre are considerably more expensive - except for sports centre and Retroskate customers.

The modest winter on-street charges being introduced next winter by the county council will only apply on the busiest stretch of the seafront between Sandown Road and Kings Road and will only be in force during the day-time.

This means that on-street parking from the Waterways to Seashore Camp at the northern end and from Kings Road to the Pleasure Beach at the southern end will remain free during the winter period.

I am also proud to say that with the county council’s arrangements, on-street parking remains free in the evening and overnight - both summer and winter. The only exception is arrangements to discourage “boy racers” in South Beach Parade which were specifically requested by the local police and the borough council.

I think when it comes to supporting Yarmouth’s attractions and night-time economy it is quite clear who is (and who isn’t) providing support for our town’s tourism industry.

The facts speak for themselves.

MICK CASTLE

County Councillor for Yarmouth North & Central

Crocuses are wonderful for town

I read with interest the article from Gordon Craig of the Rotary Club Great Yarmouth and applaud the use of purple crocus to represent the vaccination of children against the disease poliomyelitis in third world countries.

One thousand bulbs were indeed planted on behalf of Rotary in Pasteur Road at the same time as over £3000 worth of crocus were planted by Lubbe and Son organised by GYBS on behalf of Great Yarmouth in Bloom.

We have, for many years, undertaken this project as can be seen along Caister Road, Fullers Hill, Fullers Hill roundabout and Staples side of Fullers Hill, they always look magnificent and brighten the entrances to our town.

Unfortunately the section of Pasteur Road near Pasta Foods has suffered from contamination from when the railway line was there. It will be in our programme for autumn 2017 to replant.

So please residents, workers and visitors to our town please enjoy the crocus and know they were put there by Great Yarmouth in Bloom. Anyone wishing to know about In Bloom please contact me by email at sue_hacon@hotmail.co.uk

SUE HACON

email

Political leaflet printed in Bolton!

Today I picked up two political leaflets from my front door mat, a welcome relief from the usual kebab ones. One was from UKIP and the other from Labour, both telling me the virtues of their candidate for the forthcoming election on May 4.

I found the most interesting subject in the small print. The leaflet for the UKIP candidate was designed and printed in Great Yarmouth, using two local businesses while the Labour candidate spends ages telling us how he is supporting Great Yarmouth and its residents including creating jobs at Beacon Park and then gets his leaflets printed and delivered from Bolton!

RICHARD ROBERTS

Ormond Road,

Great Yarmouth

Home-Start will stay in library

We would like to assure everyone that there will continue to be a Home-Start service in Great Yarmouth. The change of name to Home-Start Norfolk is due to the merger of the five Home-Starts across Norfolk having merged into one Home-Start Norfolk scheme, for financial reasons.

We are very pleased to be able to announce that the office will remain open at Gorleston Library, all permanent staff will continue to work from that base and that volunteers will continue to be trained and supported from that base for the Great Yarmouth area.

The local Trustee Board will be stepping down as the charitable company is closing, however, some members will transfer to the Board of Home-Start Norfolk in order to ensure continuity to development within the new organisation.

We would like to thank all the staff for their continuous hard work and dedication, and also everyone who has supported Home-Start Great Yarmouth and District in any way over the last 22 years. We very much hope we can rely upon your continuing support for Home-Start Norfolk, in order that support can continue for families in the Great Yarmouth area.

I would also like to thank the Board of Trustees for their support during the time that I have been chair, and previously treasurer.

ANN KEABLE

Outgoing Chair of Trustees

Plea over Korean War servicemen

I am acting on behalf of the authorities at the United Nations Memorial Cemetery Busan South Korea, where over 800 British Servicemen are buried.

The authorities there, wish to obtain photographs of those servicemen interred there, and, also of those who died but have no known grave.

Copies of the photograph will be placed in the man’s records, and will also be displayed on the walls of the Cemetery Hall of Remembrance, for all time.

The following names are just some of the young men from the East Anglia area who gave their lives in Korea.

Capt David L Astley-Cooper, Pte George H Overy, Capt John L Lane, 2nd Lt Jonathan Wormald, L/Cpl Cecil Sharpe, Rfn Lawrence Bell, 2nd Lt John.R.K.Doig, Lt Richard J Overton(RN) and Fus John Dockerill.

Any family, or friend, who lost a loved one in the Korean War 1950-53, and wish to take part can send the photograph to me at Brian Hough 116 Fields Farm Rd. Hyde SK14 3NP. Cheshire, if more details are required you can phone me on 0161 368 5622 or, 07467037742, you can also email bhough116@gmail.com

BRIAN HOUGH

email

Air show organisers got it wrong

I am writing about the real reason why this year’s Great Yarmouth Air Show was cancelled and not the cost of terror bollards.

I have a few questions and a few personal opinions regarding the statements by Great Yarmouth Tourism.

Firstly why has it taken two months for the group’s chairman Gareth Brown to give their detailed reasons for the cancellation.

Here is a list of the reasons given by Gareth Brown, the group’s chairman, that led to the cancellation.

Great Yarmouth Tourism bosses clearly state: No one is available to make traffic management decisions regarding the bridges.

Public safety - potential threats and additional costs of installing bollards to stop terrorist atrocities similar to the horrific Nice attack. The medical cover budget was initially based on levels in place at other coastal air displays, but a quote from a medical provider came back five times higher.

The group was informed a safety contingency of no less than £50,000 had to be found.

When you read and digest the reasons given above to cancel the air show are mostly due to financial reasons. Nothing mentioned about the millions of pounds that would have benefited the local business and community. Instead of portioning additional cost the reason for cancellation is nothing but an excuse to hide the fact they got it wrong from day one.

The ridiculous statement no-one is available to make traffic management decisions. Are you having a laugh?

Did the board members truthfully follow the events safety policy and guidance drafted back in 2010. If the answer is yes then the safety policy and guidance Great Yarmouth Borough Council adopt is basically useless, and not fit for its purpose.

Once again my opinion with many others is if the safety policy and guidance was followed and finances were got in order from the very start, I’m convinced the airshow would not be cancelled.

In another statement the tourism body state £50,000 has already been spent on set-up costs, which is less than 10pc of the total costs. They also added: “Most of these set-up costs are transferable as part of staging a 2018 air show. Watch this space.”

We certainly will watch this space.

STEVEN GILDER

Clarence Road

Gorleston

Rise in council tax for chalet is wrong

I have a detached small chalet, well, more like a large wooden shed.

My council tax has gone up £525.45 last year to £976.53 this year, that is another £450 per year.

I think this is disgusting considering we are not allowed in them for four months of the year. I agree a lot of people will be selling if they can.

And with the site putting up their charges I don’t think I might not be able to afford it as I don’t ever rent it out.

If it was a brick built second home that you could use all year I would see the council’s point.

ANN HARNIMAN

email