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Readers' letters July 15
THE latest letters from our readers.
REGIONAL Strategies, including The South East Plan, have been revoked. Eric Pickles MP, Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, announced on July 6 that:
"The abolition of Regional Strategies will require legislation in the 'Localism Bill' which we are introducing this session. However, given the clear coalition commitment, it is important to avoid a period of uncertainty over planning policy, until the legislation is enacted. So I am revoking Regional Strategies today in order to give clarity to builders, developers and planners."
The current Horsham District Core Strategy Review should be terminated immediately because the stated purpose of the Review is to enable Horsham District Council (HDC) to accommodate the 13,000 new houses allocated to the district by the now redundant South East Plan.
Hitherto, HDC has led residents to believe that but for the New Labour Government and its South East Plan, fewer new houses would be required in the district and that the monstrous housing developments proposed in their Core Strategy, on countryside west of Southwater, east of Billingshurst, north of Horsham and west of Ifield, would not be needed.
Our councillors now have the opportunity to reconsider the district's need for new houses and consult with and take in to account the justified concerns of local people.
Significantly, Mid Sussex District Council and other local authorities have abandoned their Core Strategies. HDC should do likewise.
The Core Strategy Review in its present form should be abandoned.
Dr R.F. SMITH
Council for the Protection of Rural England, vice-chair, West Sussex, for CPRE Horsham and Crawley
Bashurst Copse, Itchingfield
I WRITE in response to the article in your newspaper on July 1 regarding the possible closure of Iris Ward, Horsham Hospital, which is for patients with dementia.
I believe I am right in saying that some years ago the old mental health institutions within this area, including Roffey institution, were closed.
Some of the former patients were able to live in the community, whilst others needed more intensive care for the rest of their lives.
Money from these closed institutions was redirected to build the Mental Health Wing at Horsham Hospital, which also provided workshops for rehabilitation purposes, and a complete floor of the, then new, Crawley Hospital for mental health patients.
Within a very few years the entire mental health floor at Crawley Hospital was filched for other uses with mental health being condensed into very much reduced accommodation.
After about 12 years' service, Lilac Ward, at Horsham Hospital, the new ward for dementia patients, was deemed 'not fit for purpose', in a rather devious political move.
This resulted in Iris Ward being 'shoe-horned' into its present situation. Now, after around five years' service, this ward is threatened with closure.
All this adds up to the terrible fact that mental health services have always been severely underfunded, and used as a means of getting something then filching it away gain after a few years for something else.
Add to this the very confusing manner in which mental health services are placed under a single heading. Mental health does in fact contain many different types of illness and so contains many different specialities.
These include Asperger's syndrome, depression, learning difficulties, drug and alcohol misuse, functional illnesses and many more, as well as possibly over 200 types of dementia.
Dementia can again be sub-divided into older persons and those with young onset dementia, as the latter's needs are very specialised indeed. It is, therefore, very important that health trust personnel refer to the specific service.
In conclusion, neither of the present two options for ward closures from the health trust is acceptable. We need clear, accurate and concise structures going forward that cover all specialities of mental health and how these will be delivered.
At present, young onset dementia patients are generally under older persons' mental health teams as there are no services for this group of people. It is also imperative that all necessary services in the community are fully up and running before a single bed in the area is relinquished.
My understanding is that Iris Ward is mostly at maximum capacity, which rather indicates the important function it has in keeping services local.
NICK ZAMBUNI
Parsonage Road Horsham
MY MOTHER has dementia and I am all in favour of improving community services for people with dementia - so long as it happens.
There are so many great initiatives for people with dementia whose carers need short breaks and joint activities that they can enjoy together.
I'm sure you are aware of CST, the activity programme developed by University College London and the Chat initiative at Age Concern Horsham, that I helped to set up - NICE recommend CST for all people with mild-moderate dementia.
It is effective, evidence based, simple and fun and my mother benefited from attending the programme for over two years. But, although I am no longer directly involved in the project, I understand funding has not been forthcoming.
Singing for the brain, a joint activity, walking groups for people with dementia, art groups, concerts and tea dances - carers need supporting and one of the most effective models is Admiral Nurses.
If you were to support carers with an Admiral Nurse they would ensure that carers knew about the activities available, help set up more programmes, ensure that services matched needs and were efficiently used - you would be able to support carers to enable people to live well, at home for longer simply by employing an Admiral Nurse.
Pilot the scheme in Horsham, an area that has been much neglected as far as service provision goes. I would certainly fund raise, if required, to help with a pilot.
JOANNE KNOWLES
Burnt House Lane Cowfold
I RANG West Sussex County Council highways as I noticed Warnham Road was going to be resurfaced, when there are so many roads around Horsham which have deap potholes.
I have had a telephone message to tell me that they cannot do Merryfield Drive or Lambs Farm Road, to name a few, because to fill potholes comes out of a different budget. These road are down to be resurfaced next year, but the potholes may be filled later this year.
It is all about the types of surface which are used, but I would have thought with the dangers attached to the deep potholes these should come first, not to resurface a perfectly good road which has no potholes.
With the shortage of money at a country or county level, I would have thought that more thought should be spent on thinking how the money is spent, not just say that there is money in one budget which needs spending.
More thought needs to be made on how that money can be spent wisely. I thought this needed to be aired as I am sure there are a number of people who think the same.
J.S. DE FRAINE
Rough Way, Horsham
YES, OK, I admit it – I am a grumpy old woman – but not without cause.
On my recent 75th birthday, my daughter and granddaughter invited me to lunch in Horsham. Lovely.
We parked the car and I went to the machine and purchased the ticket for two hours, ample time for a leisurely lunch.
We arrived back at the car, with time to spare, to find, to our surprise, we had a parking ticket. We went immediately to the council office to explain that we had put in the correct amount of money but that I hadn't checked the ticket.
It would seem that a 50p had not registered, thus only permitting us to stay for one hour. They said they would look into it. Needless to say, my daughter received the penalty fine of 50 regardless of our explanation.
Had I only needed one hour, why would I have paid over the odds for that hour?
Surely as a resident of Horsham for over 50 years, gone to school there, married there, brought up my children there, had a business there – indeed my daughter still has a business in the town – am I likely to attempt to defraud Horsham District Council of a parking fee?
Obviously I'll pay the fine, but how much more public spirited of the council to accept my oversight and come to the conclusion that I had neglected to check my ticket rather than overstayed my time.
JANE GROVES
Chichester Road
West Wittering
I HAVE sent the following message to the waste management and recycling team at Horsham.
Sirs,
Thank you for delivering a new blue topped recycling bin to our home. Does this mean that you will collect recycled waste from our house for the first time ever? We hope so.
Seven years ago you told us that your recycling lorries could not get to our house because the approach road was too narrow so we have not been able to do any recycling. Do you now have a smaller recycling lorry?
ROGER STAMP
Christ's Hospital, near Horsham
I REALISE this is rather short notice, but I wonder if I could appeal to anyone who left Horshan High School 50 years ago to join us for a reunion lunch?
Our target group is anyone who left HHS in 1960, or was at school with Susan Mathers, Angela Duncanson and Beryl Gray. The date of our reunion is July 20 at Filippo's Italian restaurant, 5a Park place, Horsham, next to Piries Place car park.
We will be meeting at 1pm and if anyone would like any further details please contact Angela on 01322 663691.
ANGELA NORTON,
Crockenhill, Swanley, Kent
WHEN my daughter Debby Bolden told me she would be taking part in the St Catherine's Hospice midnight walk, I said 'Midnight? Oh do be careful of vehicles'. Debby replied, 'Mum, I think that drivers will tend to notice 1,100 of us crossing the road'.
I haven't stopped laughing – well, I didn't realise how many lovely people there would be!
Best wishes to all.
NORMA HUNT (Mrs)
College Road, Southwater
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Thursday 09 February 2012
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