No pavement

I WRITE regarding the letter of K B Parsons who lives in Moorfields Road. I think his suggestions would be disastrous for the residents of Silver Street.

Firstly, widening the road would entail many properties being completely demolished and many others would have no pavement in front at all. I believe the council has no intention of widening the road nor indeed has it any money to do so.

The traffic at present travels so fast that many people over the years have been hit by wing mirrors because the drivers have misjudged and passed at too great a speed, but these accidents have never been reported to the police hence no statistics. In wet weather pedestrians get soaked by speeding passing vehicles.

Parked vehicles along the length of the road do slow down the traffic somewhat and to put double yellow lines, even along one side, would exacerbate the problem and encourage traffic to speed even more so along what was originally a cart track, as he states, and a drove road for cattle to be driven up Silver Street to the slaughter house in the High Street.

What I believe is required is a 20mph speed limit for which I have been asking the council to put in place for the last three years.

So come on residents of Silver Street and others who drive and walk up Silver Street please support my campaign and write to the council asking for a 20mph speed limit and our quality of life would be enormously improved.

M HARRISON

Silver Street, Nailsea

Congestion

A CORRESPONDENT on April 17 raises the question of congestion on Nailsea’s Silver Street and wonders whether yellow lines would solve the problem.

The main problem is a temporary one - caused by the building of Argentum Lodge, the new nursing home adjacent to Pegasus Court. This is to be completed in the near future, so the builder’s vehicles will soon disappear.

We all have tradesmen in at times, and we need to be accepting of some inconveniences caused by their vehicles and deliveries in a spirit of good neighbourliness.

Yellow lines in Silver Street would probably put the green grocer out of business - and would leave the road so open that higher speeds would prove even more dangerous. As it is, parked cars slow traffic down.

Silver Street is a good illustration of what a pleasant town Nailsea is! When there is a bit of congestion (nothing like London’s) drivers on the whole are remarkedly polite and sensible - and most will give an acknowledging wave of thanks.

Let us keep Nailsea a courteous and pleasant place in which to live and drive, without adding ever more regulation and bureaucracy. Live and drive considerately and courteously!

BRIAN M CAVE

Westway, Nailsea

Good things

MANY very good things are happening in Portishead at the moment.

Firstly, I always see a member of Pride in Portishead picking up litter in High Street or Wyndham Way at weekends. If people put their drink cartons and kebab boxes in the bins he wouldn’t have so much to do.

Secondly, Portishead in Bloom not only decorates our High Street with floral displays but has tidied up ugly corners like the Waitrose concourse

Thirdly, full marks to Glendale of Clevedon, contracted to manage grass and borders on the Lake Grounds.

And do we really want to charge cars to park here? They behave like that in Bristol.

NIGEL COOMBES

High Street, Portishead

Informed

WE HAD not forgotten the visit that Mrs Marilyn Koops and Councillor Baker made to us some time ago.

Had we been kept informed of the result of the application we would have been happier.

At that visit, Councillor Koops gave us the impression she was more interested in the residents of Waterside Park and had given up on Charlcombe Park. We have lost our case and must abide by it unfortunately.

R H SALTER

Down Road, Portishead

Standard

TO PEE or not to pee? That is the question the older section of the population has to ask itself before shopping in Portishead High Street.

With the toilets being closed and the nearest loo being the health centre, you now have to think carefully what to do if you are taken short. The blame for this situation lies squarely at the door of our own councillors. It’s all talk and no do.

Can we do what was done with the open air swimming pool? Refurbish the toilets and let the local people run them. I’m sure some large firm would be willing to donate the materials and local plumbers willing to use their skills and work free of charge to bring the toilets back to the standard required?

CHARLIE CHIVERS

South Road, Portishead

Awareness

ON BEHALF of the North West Somerset Branch of Parkinson’s UK, I should like to say a huge thank you to all those who have helped us during Parkinson’s Awareness Week (April 15-21).

Portishead Library and Waitrose Nailsea both had information boards in their foyers, and Waitrose allowed us to take bucket collections. Yatton Methodist Church hosted its annual fundraising coffee morning for us on the Saturday, always a convivial occasion.

Parkinson’s Disease is debilitating and unpredictable and we never know from one day to the next whether members who have volunteered will be able to help us on the day. So we are extremely grateful to all those others who came forward to help with our three-day bucket collection at Waitrose, including the men of Moose International and ladies from the WI, as well as other supporters and friends.

Our branch meets monthly for a coffee morning, usually with a speaker/entertainment, at St Francis Church, Nailsea, and we arrange therapy days and social outings for members from time to time throughout the year. Transport is free or subsidised for those members who would not otherwise be able to get to meetings, and we very much appreciate the generosity of all those Waitrose customers who so kindly contributed to our collections.

JILL GILBERT

Chairman, North West Somerset Branch, Parkinson’s UK, Church Lane, Nailsea

Black sacks

IT WOULD appear that North Somerset Council has finally lost the plot.

For several years I have placed my non-recyclable rubbish in black sacks and experienced no problem with collections. However, this week the refuse collectors slapped red labels on the sacks deeming that they were unable to remove the rubbish as it was not in a wheelie bin.

I contacted the council offices for clarification and was informed that if I placed the sacks into a wheelie bin the men would collect them. I could not believe their logic.

I have watched these bin men walk down my road, remove the black sacks from the wheelie bin, pile them up on the pavement in readiness for the lorry and manually throw them into the vehicle. And the logic is?

On another occasion I watched a man lift a bag of rubbish from a wheelie bin because the lid was slightly raised and drop the said sack onto the pavement. He then proceeded to empty the wheelie bin, leaving the offending sack on the pavement. His reason? Wait for it, because the sack wasn’t in a wheelie bin. It beggars belief.

The recycling men are not much better. They leave a trail of rubbish behind them, making it necessary for the public to clear up behind them.

Come on North Somerset Council, instead of sitting in your warm offices making these mind-blowing rules it’s time to get out into the community to see what really goes on. After all, it is the public who pay your wages.

ROY HARRISON

The Deans, Portishead