DCSIMG

April 25: Don't blame rugby fans for parking


Published on Tuesday 28 April 2009 12:29

After reading the letter concerning the parking in the St James area of Northampton on the days when the Saints have a home match, I feel that on behalf of all Saints supporters I must write this reply.

Parking has always been an issue but most Saints supporters do park sensibly. The majority of the double parking and the blocking of access routes is done by the residents.

I have noticed on many occasions the double parking where residents have blocked in other cars parked outside their houses (be they Saints supporters or not).

This has been drastically reduced over the last couple of years as the permit parking was introduced in the streets located opposite the Saints ground and I for one never park in a permit parking area.

I do feel compassion for the people who live around the ground but nevertheless if they choose to buy a house near a sports stadium then they should expect an increase in the traffic on match days. The Saints has been located at the same place for over 100 years, it is not a new development which has been placed there.

The infrastructure around St James is only impacted in a small way by the Saints ground, it is worse now due to the introduction of the bus lanes which make entering and exiting the Saints ground more difficult. Also, if the prices of using the parking areas were reduced then more people might use them.

The promises of all the new housing in Upton and the surrounding areas will have a further detrimental effect on the traffic situation and possibly the parking situation, so surely the council must take some blame for this.

It is all very well to keep building new housing but the road infrastructure also needs to expand to accommodate the extra traffic.

Blaming the Saints for all the problems around the parking in St James is not correct; although I realise that the elevated levels of traffic on match days and people wishing to park in the vicinity of the grounds does cause some disruption, the bigger disruption is still caused by the lack of affordable parking facilities.

Mrs J Green,

Port Road, New Duston, Northampton.

Council funding needs sorting

The heated response from Heather Biggs (Viewpoint, April 17) in reply to my original letter was interesting, but not surprising.

Firstly, she should ask herself why our local governing Lib Dems have been forced into abandoning certain local events, such as the balloon festival and Christmas lights.

The answer is a lack of adequate cash because, over the last decade, central Government, New Labour, has gradually eroded the amount in grants to local authorities for the purpose of council tax.

To add fuel to the fire, only about one in three adults with an income contributes to this fund, based on property values, not ability to pay.

Those who don't pay a contribution directly, or anything at all, many with good salaries, live in multiples of two, three, four or more, to share the burden.

If a full entertainment programme is to be reinstated in Northampton, a completely new way of paying for it needs to be found.

The Lib Dems, I know, favour a local income tax, but I would go further, a national income tax would be far less bureaucratic, with regards to staffing, rebates, etc. New Labour controls 80 per cent of the charge, so why not all of it?

With regards to her rant about my opinion on tenants from a former housing officer's perspective, I speak in practical terms.

I was raised in a council house, in those days my parents, as most others did in that era, made sure the rent was paid as first priority. Many tenants I dealt with in the '80s and '90s didn't!

I am now a slightly disabled, elderly person myself, but the logical, common sense way of paying all bills, my dreaded council tax included, is by Direct Debit.

I was recently in the queue at my local Post Office, the person before me paid both this and their rent over the counter, so there is no need for frail people to "trail all around Northampton".

Keith Jackson,

Tavistock Close, Northampton.

Not sad to see top cop leave

So, our beleaguered chief constable has decided that enough is enough and has quit his post. Not before time I say.

He has presided over a force that has continuously languished in the bottom three out of all the UK forces, according to HMI reports. And the Police Authority has the audacity to say that Northampton is a safer place to live in now than before his reign!

Indeed, it would be a sad comment if that wasn't the case. When you're at the bottom, surely the only way is up and it would take only the smallest changes to achieve that.

At least if he fails in his new Olympics role, we can be sure that he will be out of it after the event.

The eyes of the world will be on us and, rest assured, any failings will be there for all around the world to see.

Geoff Bultitude,

Bridgewater Drive, Abington Vale, Northampton.

Wearing red to support troops

Very soon, you will see a great many people wearing something red every Friday. The reason? Englishmen and women who support our troops used to be called the "silent majority". We are no longer silent and are voicing our love for country and home in record-breaking numbers.

We are not organised, boisterous or over-bearing.

We get no liberal media coverage on TV or in the papers to reflect our message or our opinions.

The majority of English people, like us, simply want to let our troops know that we support them.

Our idea of showing solidarity and support for our troops with dignity and respect continues each and every Friday until the troops all come home.

By word of mouth, in the press or on TV, let's make Great Britain on every Friday a sea of red, much like a homecoming football team.

If every one of us who loves this country will ask acquaintances, co-workers, friends, and family to join in, it will not be long before Britain is covered in red and it will let our troops know the once-silent majority is on their side more than ever, certainly more than the media tells us.

Let's get the word out and lead with class and dignity, by example, and wear something red every Friday.

Those of us who have fought in other conflicts will remember the support we had before it became politically incorrect to show how proud you were to be British and not to be afraid of upsetting other cultures. Let us show everyone we are British and are proud of our troops and our country.

Dr Kevin Corcoran,

West Cotton Close, Northampton.

Market Square lacks purpose

I ould like to thank Eamonn Fitzpatrick and all the people who have helped him to support the Market Square. I think it looks terrible now, it does not seem to have any purpose.

Hasn't anybody on the council got any feeling for the market or the town?

The town is getting to look terrible and it will lose so many people.

It will be like a ghost town in years to come with all the shops closing.

M Houghton,

Exeter Place, Northampton.


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