READERS' VIEWS 5/2

05 February 2009

Putting up prices will not help

HERE we go again, Rugby Borough Council is planning on increasing the cost of parking in the town because they aren’t making enough money - Observer last week.
According to Coun Campbell they want to "encourage more people to come to Rugby town centre…"
Perhaps this total contradiction explains why the council's finances are in such a mess. At least be honest. This is nothing to do with helping Rugby shoppers - it’s all about money, our money, being badly managed.
Sadly shops are closing every month in the town centre, increasing parking prices will only encourage more shoppers to travel out of town or to shop online, more shops will close. It's not rocket science.
Maybe our parking prices are cheaper than some other towns and cities, but there is a reason  - we don’t have so much to offer!
It would appear that the council doesn’t want our car parks to be "dominated by people who want to stay for longer", heaven forbid, they might be spending money in our shops, but would prefer to make the spaces available for "shoppers wanting to make a short trip into town". Need I say more?
Besides, I thought the rather unpopular parking meters were aimed at the short stay shoppers - or perhaps that was just another way of screwing up the town for shoppers and retailers alike.
Ultimately, increasing parking charges is just another nail in the coffin for our town centre. As always, we end up paying for council inefficiency.
Perhaps it’s about time the council became accountable to the population of it’s town.
Andy Smith, Sounds Music Shop, Rugby

Residents will be worst effected

WITH reference to the artice in the Observer last week regarding the increase of car parking, people do not want to pay charges as they can park for free in Lancaster Road and off the Groves.
I know as I live in the Grove area and I cannot get parked half the time during the day for Townies as we call them parking and then going to work in the town.
So you can't blame them for not using the car parks when all they have to do is park in our area.
The increase in charges will bring more people to park in the Groves and the residents will not be able to park at all.
Name and address supplied

Our money could have been better spent

AS OUR great nation lurches helplessly towards what might become an ever more severe economic crisis than the Great Depression, the public authorities, insulated from plummeting economic conditions by our taxes, seem oblivious to the necessity to conserve our remaining national wealth.
The recently announced intention to proceed with the demolition of the Rugby College and replace it with the grandiose waste of £35million for a new development in Warwickshire College's Rugby campus on the old GEC site defies all reason. Where will the products o this grand delusion find work when our factories are closing down?
To all the tax paying folk in Rugby the present building would seem adequate, so some people must be privately expecting a lavish return on the taxpayers' investment.
All the Rugbeians trying to sell their houses (and how many estate and letting agents have closed recently?) will not relish our extra 540 new homes on the market.
Rugby was once home to one of the most important industries on earth due to the power generation and is now witnessing the demolition of its huge machine shops which brought to this town fine engineers from all over Great Britain, and beyond. They and their children are seeing the vanishing skills of a once productive workforce as we head recklessly towards third-world status and production.
And what is the little extra this great £35million scheme is to offer? A hair and beauty salon. We must be mad.
Kay Pechal, Bell Lane, Monks Kirby

Solve some real problems

LIKE so many other responsible dog owners I am amazed at how out of touch with reality this council is!
With all the real challenges facing the residents of Rugby and the council I find it sickening that they are wasting the taxpayers money on the issue of dogs on leads.
Not allowing dogs to have a free run will create all manner of other problems. The council's own  website states "Owning a dog is long-term responsibility. They require regular attention, exercise and stimulation and veterinary treatment." How does the council imagine owners are going to give a healthy dog sufficient exercise on a lead?
If the council intends to pursue dog owners on this issue then I hope they will expend a similar amount of money and resources on apprehending the many cyclists and vehicle owners who use the pavements as an extension of the road, expecting pedestrians to move onto the road or up a grass verge to avoid being run over or to enable them to pass.
I understand why cyclists prefer to ride on the pavement, but they should have a little respect for those who are walking lawfully on said pavement. They are, when all is said and done, breaking the law. 
Another very dangerous practice which seems to go totally unnoticed by the authorities is the number of cyclists riding around in the dark with no lights. As a motorist I find this a frightening trend as the risk to life is immense. Cyclists just don't seem to consider the consequences of this very dangerous behaviour.
Wake up Rugby council, spend you time and our money on the real issues in these very difficult times and stop promoting cruelty to dogs by restricting one of the things nature intended them to do - run free.
G Zuczkowska, Clifton upon Dunsmore

Think again on toilet closures

AS AN exiled Scot living in Rugby for nearly 50 years and who has grown to love this town, I have never been so embarrassed and ashamed at this moment as I have of this town's council.
Ashamed as I pass the Church Street toilet. It is a complete eyesore to the town, it seems this council neither look, listen or watch the general public. There has been 17 letters of protest at the closing of the Church Street and recreation ground toilets, they have seen a doctor and his wife being embarrassed at the closing of the recreation ground toilets, they have seen visitors from Surrey trying to pull locks off the Church Street toilet, they have seen a lady from Bilton complaining at the lack of toilet paper (due to overcrowding) at the North Street toilet, they have seen the report that Help the Aged are calling for the toilets to be re-opened, they have seen Members of Parliament (from both sides) that councils must open more toilets and open ones they have already closed.
On Saturday, January 30 with all the half price sales in town, what a shock to see a queue of ladies standing outside the North Street toilet. I was too embarrassed to pass them to go into the toilet.
Bill Forrester, Howkins Road, Brownsover

Praise is more productive

WE are very pleased to read that some of the letters in your newspaper give praise and encouragement to groups and individuals.
It comes like a breath of fresh air. People and institutions feel they are appreciated and thus give a better service.
Often when we don't get that which we expect, we rant and rave. This only upsets the person who is the recipient and nothing is achieved.
There are many people who come into our homes to provide a service. We had one such example the other day, we needed as light fitting, we rang Marvyn King (electrician), he carried out the replacement quickly and efficiently and at a reasonable charge, the desired illumination was attained.
Thank you to all those who give us good service.
David and Hazel Clark, Oswald Way, New Bilton