OPINION: Letters to the editor of the Newbury Weekly News
Why is Winterbourne being polluted?
At the time of writing (Monday, March 31), Thames Water have been discharging sewage into the chalk stream at Winterbourne for over 1,603 hours.
The below is taken from their Storm Discharge map clearly showing this has been ongoing since the 23rd of January – https://www.thameswater.co.uk/edm-map
The stream in Winterbourne is a chalk stream, a unique and rare habitat that should be protected and not used as an overflow for our sewage. How is this allowed to happen?
Our bills have increased yet again, and still the pollution continues – why are they not being held to account?
According to Thames Water’s own website, these discharge points are only used during times of heavy rainfall to prevent the sewage system being overwhelmed.
They state that the effluent that is discharged into the waterways will be heavily diluted with rainwater.
This can’t be the case here if this particular discharge point has been discharging continuously for nearly 10 weeks.
I’ve written to Thames Water but I doubt I’ll get a response.
Chris Thompson
Newbury
Could we display Gaza poems in larger space?
I attended a gathering in the Market Place in meeting the Pilgrimage Peace march from Bristol to London, being welcomed by the mayor before proceeding to ACE Space, where much preparation had taken place.
An array of poems by the children of Gaza and the West Bank was displayed, depicting their experiences.
Talks were given by the leaders of the pilgrimage and Newbury leaders on the loss of life and traumatic experiences of families.
The importance of communities working together in many groups around different countries was emphasised.
An interesting insight was given on the contribution of many different sewing groups.
There was a call for the poems and illustrations to be being displayed in a bigger setting.
Graeme Panting
Thatcham
Privilege to meet poet on walk for Palestine
It was such a privilege to welcome the poet Peter Oswald and his group to Newbury on a 13-day ‘Pilgrimage for Palestine’ from Bristol to London along the Kennet and Thames towpath on Sunday, March 23.
After joining a group of Newbury welcomers he went on to meet the mayor who also received the entire group in the mayoral chambers.
This was followed by a poetry evening at ACE Space, in Newbury, where we heard the poignant poetry of children caught up in the war in Gaza.
The walk continued to end in London.
The weekly vigil continues in the Market Square on a Thursday evening.
I am not sure that it will stop the war. with so much international indifference to the plight of the people of Gaza, but at least it shows that the people of Newbury care.
Lynette Edwell
Priory Road, Newbury
Footpaths flooded since development
A third of new houses on Lambourne Meadows are now built.
Some of the houses have flooded gardens.
The nature reserve footpaths have also been flooded for three months.
The flood plain has risen (water markers on the SSSI site).
On the report it stated no adverse effects to the flood plain.
The planning permission also stated that there would be no affect to ecosystems.
The local muntjacs are now seen daily on Lower Way, the main road.
This because the field they use to graze is gone for development.
In the summer, the new residents will be biten by mosquitos.
This is due to the Blandford fly hatching from the SSSI reedbed this summer.
You published my letter last year predicting all these problems, and these issues are now happening .
I trust your readers will find this interesting, as it affects thousands of walkers at the BBOWT nature reserve.
They haven’t been able to walk to the canal for three months.
In fact the footpath is still flooded by the reed bed, and with more rain coming the flood plain will rise again.
This is likey to increase the flood plain back to the winter flood plain again.
The path was well above Wellington boot height for over three months.
Last Saturday was the first time you been able to walk to the canal, this is the first time for over three months!
I trust thousands of your readers who walk on this path will be interested in this article.
Alex Solaja
Thatcham
It was our money, so exactly where did it go?
If you order a book from Waterstones, pay for it – you expect to be able to read it.
Sadly this is not a view that applies to the report on the debacle/fiasco (other less complimentary descriptions are available) on the Faraday Road/Monks Lane debacle.
The full cost will never be known as officers did not keep logs of the time spent on it .
Between the two the cost of cancelling and the basic reconstruction at Faraday Road amounts to about £750,000 and the reports says “project management good practice was not followed”.
Mr Brooks and the Lib Dems are to be congratulated on realising the folly of the Monks Lane project and starting to repair the damage caused to an Asset Of Community Value, but I cannot agree with their desire to cancel or redact the report.
That £0.75m was paid from taxpayer funds and I think taxpayers have a right to read the unexpurgated report.
After all it was their council tax payments that paid for this debacle.
Ian Hall
Ashampstead
Fruit and veg are just totally tasteless now
Reference 5-a-day. I read in The Sun that someone stated that there isn’t enough people taking these things.
They have no right to tell us what we should and should not eat.
It has nothing to do with whoever it is.
As for the nourishing fruit, there is no such thing.
Nearly everything is tasteless now as fertilisers have been stopped by a person who talks to his flowers – but they don’t talk back.
When we were young we had to spend time, like everyone else, planting our gardens – and there was plenty of them as we didn’t have to buy veg at all.
Today’s generation are too lazy to do that.
Apart from allotments, you don’t see anyone doing that now.
Keith Haines
Poplar Place, Newbury
