12/04 Hospital Parking in Leighton

Dear Sir/Madam,

I agree that it seems a lot of money as been extracted from car travellers for parking at Leighton Hospital and yet again another stealth tax has been imposed on the British public. There is also the underhand way that people are misled into paying these charges which must be addressed. Let me explain, recently my mother had a stroke and was admitted to Leighton Hospital for several weeks for care and as you can imagine this was a very stressful time, add to that the cost of getting to the Hospital from Sandbach (fuel costs) and the minimum of the two pound parking fee this added up to no small cost especially for some one with a family. But this is where it gets really devious if having bought your ticket, like myself you have other things on your mind and fail to read the very small print you will miss the part that states “ get a form signed by the ward supervisor and take it to the security office you can purchase a weekly ticket for £5.00”. The only reason I spotted this was while waiting to join my sister for news of my mother’s condition I tried to find some distraction for my anxious state and read the ticket to take my mind off the situation. If the Hospital Authorities had any intention of being honest and fair this information would be in large print and highlighted to give people the chance to purchase these cheaper tickets and the information could be placed on notice boards in the wards. I have no objections to paying a reasonable amount for parking if I thought that the money was going to help patient support but I do not consider £2.00 minimum to be reasonable. There is also the subject of patient phone calls but that’s another subject.

Dave.

20/02 Letters to the Editor-Rave at Warehouse in Biggleswade

I would just like to make it known to the public that
after the rave on saturday night in the warehouse in biggleswade where
3 people were hospitalised that the local police force were forcing
people to drive home, some many miles while under the influence of alcohol
and other drugs.

My friend who's car I was travelling in from norwich notified to the
police at arouynd 12.30pm that he had been drinking throughout the night
and would like to have taken a breathalyser test before starting the
2-3 hour trip home on sunday afternoon but was refused by the sergent in
"control" of the situation and ordered to get in his car and leave
imediatly.
After much protest from the driver himself and the passengers be was
carrying the officer would not listen to reason and seemed not to care
about the health and safety of the people leaving the party or the well
being of the local residents who were put at serious risk due directly
to poor policework.

I find it outrageous that this occurred and the local police force
should be seriously addressed over this serious neglect of duty.

In total I would estimate that betweem 100 and 200 cars were ordered to
drive home when the drivers of these cars may or may not be in any
state to drive.
The driver I had to rely on was clearly not fit to drive and this was
apparently obvious to the policemen who ordered us to leave.

Thankfully we arrived home safely after a terrifying drive home, I am
not sure wether or not other revellers of the weekend made it home as
safely as us.

06/11 10 new parish plans funded in Bedfordshire

10 new parish plans funded in Bedfordshire

Rural communities across Bedfordshire have received grants to help
create parish plans thanks to Defra funding.

In 2005-06 Defra made £1 million available for parish plans nationally,
a tool which can help local voices be heard by decision makers and give
local communities more control over their own affairs. Now 10 new
parish plans have been funded in Bedfordshire.

Parish plans involve a whole village in identifying their priorities
and setting out an action plan to tackle them. This process has already
led to direct action by rural residents in Bedfordshire that has
improved the way their local area and services are managed.

Parish plans are tangible evidence of local priorities for local
planners, service providers, grant-giving organisations, and local
authorities. A parish plan is not just a wish list: it sets out specific action
points, and identifies who is responsible for acting on them.

The potential benefits can include:
* highway safety improvements;
* village hall refurbishment;
* good neighbour schemes
* installation of IT facilities

These plans can generate new community spirit, with everybody pulling
together as volunteers, all trying to create a better life for local
people. Unexpected local talents are discovered and parish councils can be
revitalised.

In 2006-07 support for rural communities continues to be available
through Defra's new Rural Social and Community programme, which supports a
range of activities including parish planning. The programme is
coordinated by Bedfordshire Rural Affairs Forum

Decisions on activities are made by those best placed to decide: local
people. Each Rural Community Council played a key role in defining the
Rural Social and Community programme, and can be contacted for
information about funding for parish plans.