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Readers' letters - July 29
LETTERS from our readers this week.
I WRITE with reference to an article about Storrington that appeared in your paper on July 1.
I am the manager of Bunces Home Hardware in West Street and whilst I agree with some of the content of the above mentioned article it was a shame that not ALL the shops in the village were approached for a comment, as we weren't!
Trade certainly has declined over the last few years but I have to give a slightly more positive angle on what was a rather depressing article.
We at Bunces would like to thank ALL our customers for their loyal support and for helping us to continue to offer the village a local store for all their houseware, hardware, decorating and gardening needs. We have just revamped our housewares department, had our exterior decorated and had new signs put up.
In these hard times we all have to work hard, try to remain positive and do all we can to counteract any problems and obstacles that are put in front of us. There are some fantastic shops, eateries and salons in Storrington. There's even a post office and four banks! To help the local community to thrive people should be encouraged to visit Storrington - in my mind your article did the exact opposite.
Before I get off my soapbox I'd like to take this oppurtunity to let people know about our plans for early September. On the 3rd and 4th of that month we are having a double whammy weekend! For those two days, there is a ten per cent discount off everything in store. Not only that but ten per cent of each sale is going to be donated to St Barnabas' Hospice.
As the saying goes, 'the cup can either be half empty or half full' and as someone once said to me 'keep on keeping on' - it's either that or give up! Something I'm certainly not going to do!
PETER HEFFER
Manager, Bunces Home Hardware
West Street, Storrington
REGARDING your article last week about the closure Arundale - with respect it is rather more than a 'shame' and 'sad' - it is a serious tragedy that might well have been avoided if matters had taken a different course some years ago.
Afterwards it proved too late to deal with the causes of the slow decline in numbers.
It is particularly traumatic for the wonderful body of staff, governors, parents, pupils (past and present) and the community of Pulborough. Many local businesses and people have lost a close friend in Arundale.
For those who genuinely cared about the school it will take a long time to come to terms with what has happened.
MICHAEL COMYN
Rectory Lane, Pulborough
HORSHAM District Council has recently commenced its 'Acorn Plus' waste collection and recycling scheme in our area.
According to its website, one of the 'key advantages of Acorn Plus' is that the 'new vehicles will mean that there are less transport movements on our roads and therefore less CO2 emissions'.
The old vehicles travelled down each road once, collecting from both sides of the road: the new side-loading vehicles have to travel down each road once in each direction, collecting from one side of the road at a time.
This would suggest that they travel twice as far while collecting. How does this equate to 'less transport movements on our roads'?
When delivered, the new bins were accompanied by leaflets in a large sealed bag. Not only was the bag twice the size (A3 size) needed to accommodate its contents, it was also made of plastic film, which, according to the literature it contained, cannot be recycled.
Why is the district council using non-recyclable material to promote recycling?
The Acorn Plus literature suggests that certain items can be taken to a 'Bring Bank' and states 'Find your nearest at www.horsham.gov.uk'.
But there is no entry for 'Bring Bank' in the index on its new website, and a search for that term does not immediately show anything useful!
Finally, the literature also stated that 'plastic food trays, yoghurt pots' and other plastics items cannot be recycled because 'there are very limited markets for this plastic available at the present time'.
Yet, two years ago, WRAP (Waste & Resources Action Programme, also referred to as the 'government's waste watchdog') stated that 'local authorities have so far been loath to collect these types of items because there are no recycling facilities currently available', but that 'this has led to a vicious circle with companies not investing in the right facilities because there wasn't enough material to recycle'.
It also stated that 'mixed plastic items such as salad bags and yoghurt pots can be recycled cost effectively'; 'recycling these types of materials would save 200m every year in landfill taxes and manufacturing'; and 'increased recycling of mixed-plastic packaging could reduce the amount of waste sent to landfill by nearly 1.5m tonnes (all quotes from myzerowaste.com/2008/06/call-to-extend-plastics-recycling/).
As Horsham District Council is always keen to boast about its recycling efforts, why is it not making the effort to collect and recycle mixed plastics?
TREVOR DAYNESWOOD
The Street, Slinfold
I HAVE every sympathy with Steve Porter ('Small gripe over bins', July 22). However, where we leave the bins before we go to work is not as important as where the refuse collectors leave them after emptying them.
We leave our bins out of the way on the verge and return from work to find them left on the pavement access to our driveways.
This means that neither we, nor our neighbours, can access our drives until we move the bins. To do this we have to leave our car in the road (blocking the traffic).
Of course once the bins are empty it is easy for them to be blown around the pavement, or to get blown over causing a hazard to other pavement users.
When the new collection first started a member of the team used to follow the vehicle and return the bins to the grass verge out of the way.
This doesn't seem to happen any more. So please Mr Porter do not blame me if my bin is blocking the pavement, it's not me who has left it there.
LIZ DE CRUZ
Redford Avenue, Horsham
I WISH to highlight a huge problem that the residents of Horsham are experiencing with the refuse collection service.
The new vehicles that are now in service have a fundamental problem with them which is that they occasionally 'eat' the entire wheelie bin itself!
On Wednesday July 14, the lorry arrived to collect our refuse, lifted up our wheelie bin which then fell straight into the belly of the lorry!
The operator of the vehicle did not inform us that this had happened, but just drove off.
When we telephoned the refuse department to ask for a replacement bin, we were told that this would take approximately 28 days to replace.
We explained that we cannot leave unprotected bin bags outside as the local foxes and cats will rip them open and then the stinking contents will be all down the street (especially in the winds that we have had).
So we are expected to keep a build-up of stinking bags of kitchen waste etc in our home for the next month!
In addition to this, we are not the only ones to have had our wheelie bin consumed by this expensive new vehicle, and we assume that these wheelie bins end up going to landfill - along with all the other rubbish, when there was NOTHING wrong with them - and also, they will NEVER biodegrade!
I hope very much that your paper will print this story as Horsham people have literally nowhere to turn with this problem.
L. WRIGHT (Mrs)
Deer Way, Horsham
A spokesperson for Horsham District Council said: "There have been some very rare occasions where bins have fallen into the lorry when they are being emptied.
"The drivers are under instructions to inform or leave details with the resident where they can be identified (as it is not always apparent where the bin has come from) so that they are aware of the problem and then a replacement is sent within three days.
"Where possible the bins are retrieved and repaired.
"We will investigate this particular incident at Deer Way.''
On Wednesday July 21, HDC said that a new bin had been delivered to the resident in Deer Way.
I AM RESEARCHING the history of the Allcard family, who lived in Wimblehurst House, Horsham, from 1883 to 1953.
I would be interested in hearing from anyone who visited the house (which was demolished in the 1960s) or who knew Ethel Allcard, the last surviving daughter of Edward Allcard.
Please contact me on 01403 268121.
MARTIN WHITE
Allcard Close, Horsham
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