Tuesday, July 24, 2007
Leslie Turner's Letter to the KM.
As part of the West Branchs continuing campaign on housing Leslie Turner sent the following letter to the KM:
Paul Francis (July 20th KM) comments on the proposal by Government for 3
million houses, with a share to be built in Kent, over the next 13
years, and alludes to fears of urban sprawl; in my opinion the first
consideration is that those houses are sorely needed, and above all
social houses to-rent are the greatest shortage. Previous governments
have had very much larger programmes, half as big again, and today not
only shortage driven high prices but also backlog and waiting lists make
such a programme imperative, particularly for young families and for
those on the average wage let alone the minimum wage, even with state
help. And its not just a political argument, between competing
politicians eager to be most forward-looking in providing essential
infrastructure, for, with skilled land planning as to numbers and
locations in the new Local Development Framework, with the experienced
and innovative architecture and building techniques now available, with
skilled landscape and tree-planting, our specialist firms and local
government are more than capable of producing townships we can not only
use conveniently but also be desirable and worthy living spaces. So
your readers should support all those who would undertake this task for
your children.
Yours sincerely, Leslie Turner, nearly 50 years in Maidstone
Paul Francis (July 20th KM) comments on the proposal by Government for 3
million houses, with a share to be built in Kent, over the next 13
years, and alludes to fears of urban sprawl; in my opinion the first
consideration is that those houses are sorely needed, and above all
social houses to-rent are the greatest shortage. Previous governments
have had very much larger programmes, half as big again, and today not
only shortage driven high prices but also backlog and waiting lists make
such a programme imperative, particularly for young families and for
those on the average wage let alone the minimum wage, even with state
help. And its not just a political argument, between competing
politicians eager to be most forward-looking in providing essential
infrastructure, for, with skilled land planning as to numbers and
locations in the new Local Development Framework, with the experienced
and innovative architecture and building techniques now available, with
skilled landscape and tree-planting, our specialist firms and local
government are more than capable of producing townships we can not only
use conveniently but also be desirable and worthy living spaces. So
your readers should support all those who would undertake this task for
your children.
Yours sincerely, Leslie Turner, nearly 50 years in Maidstone
Maidstone Labour ask you to sign this online petion
As you may have seen before Maidstone Labour Party has asked the Secretary of State for Health to reconsider the immenent changes to Maidstone hospital. As part of this we agree with the following online petition and would encourage people to sign this to help in the campaign. This is from the petition:
Maidstone Hospital is to lose its blue-light service, the A&E
department is to be downgraded, and services switched to Pembury.
Pembury Hospital is old, inaccessible and in the centre of the
town. Parking is difficult, transport to and from it is nigh
impossible for those without cars, and there is no helicopter-pad
for the air ambulance. Maidstone Hospital is only 20 years old, it
has also been modernised and updated during that time, it is only a
couple of years ago that the A&E department had an extensive
update. The people of Maidstone don’t want it, the Borough and
County Council asked for a reconsideration but Maidstone Hospital, which is part of the Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust have decided that it will go ahead. We ask that this decision be
seriously reconsidered.
Please click on the link below, or cut and paste it, thanks.
http://petitions.pm.gov.uk/MaidstoneAandE/
Maidstone Hospital is to lose its blue-light service, the A&E
department is to be downgraded, and services switched to Pembury.
Pembury Hospital is old, inaccessible and in the centre of the
town. Parking is difficult, transport to and from it is nigh
impossible for those without cars, and there is no helicopter-pad
for the air ambulance. Maidstone Hospital is only 20 years old, it
has also been modernised and updated during that time, it is only a
couple of years ago that the A&E department had an extensive
update. The people of Maidstone don’t want it, the Borough and
County Council asked for a reconsideration but Maidstone Hospital, which is part of the Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust have decided that it will go ahead. We ask that this decision be
seriously reconsidered.
Please click on the link below, or cut and paste it, thanks.
http://petitions.pm.gov.uk/MaidstoneAandE/
