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It's Your Shout

IT'S PLEASING that Cllr Mackiewicz is keen for Solihull to have a low impact on the environment but claims our carbon footprint is already among the best.  I would be interested to read any evidence of Solihull having a low carbon footprint as I was recently alarmed that the recent WWF report comparing the ecological footprint (includes resource use as well as CO2 emissions) of West Midlands local authorities shows that Solihull has the sixth worst footprint of 34 areas in the study.  Can any Councillor confirm what we are doing to improve our footprint?  I very much look forward to seeing what the Council's Leadership will be proposing to meet its commitment to the Nottingham Declaration on Climate Change.
Phil Burrows
Cheswick Green

BY THEIR regular standing ovations last week, I'm confident the sell-out audiences for Phantom and the Musical at Solihull Arts Complex - shared the delight of my wife and I.
This colourful show comprised highly professional, talented and popular rendering of film and stage musicals over a 40 year period by six super stars.
Next time they come - which we hope will be soon - I recommend theatregoers book their tickets.
Don Bargery
Alston Road

I'M AFRAID it’s N.T. Monkspath who is confused (letters, ‘Veggies in a Muddle’), when responding to Ursula Bates letter in support of Viva!’s campaign to persuade Tesco’s to end their unethical selling of live turtle’s in their stores in China. Firstly, Viva! and other welfare groups have contacted Tesco on numerous occasions and – with noted turtle experts – appealed to their better sense on both cruelty and conservation points. Tesco’s response was to stop selling all but one type of turtle, because they agreed that humane slaughter could not be achieved. However, they continue to sell the Chinese soft-shell turtle, despite similar problems with slaughter by decapitation. Because a turtle’s severed head can live for up to an hour after being separated from their body, Tesco’s response is now to hit the severed head with a hammer until it is dead. This method is quite literally hit-or-miss, and does little to minimise their suffering.
In China turtles are farmed, but because their fertility drops they have to supplemented by wild caught turtles, which puts a huge pressure on wild populations. Also, it is a myth that turtles are hugely popular to eat in China, as less than 2 per cent of the population will buy a single turtle each year.
As we have seen in the UK, supermarkets operate a ‘pile them high – sell them cheap’ policy. By Tesco selling live turtles in China it is not responding to a demand, rather it is creating one. It is this promoting the ‘popularity’ of turtles that may drive them further into a crisis that they cannot recover from. It is not something any ethical business should be involved in.
As for that hoary old anti-vegetarian chestnut about vegetables feeling pain – show me a carrot with a central nervous system and then I might just take N.T. Monkspath seriously.
Justin Kerswell   
Campaigns Manager
Viva!

IN RECENT letters ( July 12/19 and August 02 ) N.T. Monkspath has also fallen into a bit of a muddle. The word “turtle” is an Americanism for the description of land tortoises, terrapins and sea turtles, unlike in the U.K. where we differentiate between different types of chelonia.
Hence the “turtles” are not taken freshly from the sea in most instances, but are more usually fresh water terrapins and/or land tortoises. Although referring to live oysters, mussels, lobsters etc. does make a valid point, the sale of 'turtles' does not refer to marine animals.
The only concern of great significance in the sale of live 'turtles' in China is that the wild native chelonians are being decimated to the point that many are severely endangered as highlighted in the “Turtle Crisis in China” a short while ago. The situation in China has arisen because 'turtle' meat was considered a delicacy and therefore expensive. With the economic advances in China the 'new rich' now aspire to the lifestyle of the traditional rich. The traditional rich being relatively low in numbers did not impact to any great extent on these wild populations. However the multiplier effect of large numbers of people wanting to experience and pursue this enhanced lifestyle, the chelonians of China are now in crisis.
However if you visit a third world country/countries, (admittedly China is not such) as I have, the luxury of good animal welfare is almost an impossibility, as the situation of being able to actually find anything to eat is the major priority.
As a finale vegetarianism is also a luxury of rich if not overly nourished countries. Just the ability to make a choice of how and what to eat should be cherished. I would be intrigued to observe vegetarians in a situation where food of any description is scarce and how they would react to the situation where after days of having nothing to eat the only source of food was an animal. I am sure it would be “Ethics? What ethics?” at the thought of putting food in your stomach.
Nature has designed us to be omnivores and in my view to deny this fact, by making a conscious decision to not eat meat, you must be in a state of denial of whom and what you actually are. In other words you cannot accept the other half of yourself.
A bit too much like Jekyll and Hyde for me.
Roger Hugh Butler
Address supplied

IT'S VERY disturbing to see that the post office is using strong arm tactics on post masters to gag them from talking, and even more worrying is
the governments hand in this policy of closures, post offices have been deliberately starved of business by changing methods of payments and contracts being moved into shops, this has never been about business viability but about redundancies and closures, small communities have been devastated by closures and with even more closures in the pipeline many people are being forced into expensive banking, travelling time, and security risk, and the government couldn't care less, and their lackeys, our representatives, the MPs just don't want to know.
ST Vaughan,

I'VE JUST read this week's Observer and note that you are not tied to any political party, so I wondered whether my little story and pictures would interest you and your readers.
Two weeks ago I reached  the ripe old age of eighty, and like a good many other of my age I can't believe what's happening, however it is, and I have been reminded of the fact by none other than the state pension payments authority, who have informed me that I will receive an additional '25p PER WEEK' from my eightieth birthday, and presumably for the rest of my days.
Now I suppose this is something you already know about, but I wonder just how many of your ageing readers realise that this magnanimous gesture awaits them when  they reach this tremendous milestone in their life.
So I have tried to stay positive about this derisory sum, by buying something with it instead of just flittering away, as you will see by the attached photograph, that, being a partial of a drop of Scotch, I found a bottle of Famous Grouse which was more or less the price of the princely sum that  I am about to receive each year, this I have segmented off into twelve tots, and on the July 23, my birthday, and on the 23rd of every month thereafter, I will raise a glass and toast our beloved chancellor's health for his contribution to' Help the Aged' because my God the administration cost of such a stupid amount of money must far outweigh the benefit anyone will get from it, I mean it won't even by me half  a pint of beer, a custard tart, or even a daily paper, it only just manages a second class postage stamp.
Now I have to admit that I am a very active man, in quite good health, so I continue to work in my business administratively of course, because it keeps the grey matter working, helps pay the bills, and allows us, (my wife and I) to afford holidays in the sunshine, but if I couldn't, or chose not to, then my article above would be heavily tinged with irony, and much bitterness, as is the case with many elderly people who are finding that their pensions have been brutally depleted by the late chancellor, now our new illustrious Prime Minister.
Yours Sincerely
Ted Bluck.
Name and Address Supplied

I CANNOT be the only Solihull resident who is regularly woken during the night to the sound of emergency service sirens (dare I suggest, the police?) as they race along Streetsbrook Road. This occurs at frequent intervals and my sleep is severely disrupted as a result. This morning (Saturday, August 4) it was 2.30am, and again at 6.45 am. Having lived in Solihull for many years, I know that traffic at that time of the morning is minimal, hence no reason for the use of sirens at all. Flashing blue lights would surely suffice to warn any other road users of their approach - and they are silent! I have previously phoned Solihull Police to ask if this use of their sirens is necessary only to be told that sirens are used to alert a 'victim' that help is on the way. Very thoughtful, but perhaps not so thoughtful to the many sleeping residents of Solihull. Car horns are banned from use between certain hours of the night. Could this not be extended to our emergency services?
Your thoughts please.
Yours faithfully,
Sick and (very) TIRED!
Beechwood Park Road

A RECENT review article in the Sunday Times has highlighted 'The Insider', a Channel 4 TV film due to be shown on Friday, August 10 at 7.30pm. The film is presented by Matt James, Channel 4's City Gardener - who is furious about the loss of green urban space to developers.
The last paragraph of the review reads: "In the most telling scene, James meets a Midlands Councillor who tries to justify a decision to destroy a rare Oak ring in order to build an Asda, claiming the trees are poor specimens, damaged, uninteresting. James leaves you in no doubt as to who will be left poorer if cement is allowed to triumph over nature....."
Incidentally, have readers noticed that letters praising 'Parkgate' (the new name for the Heart of Shirley development) or attacking the value of our green space, rarely come from anyone who actually lives in Shirley?
Richard Wise
On behalf of Keep Shirley Alive

I DO WISH N.T. of Monkspath would get his facts right before criticising both myself and my fellow Viva! campaigners for (a) peacefully protesting at Tesco Solihull stores re their Chinese outlets selling live turtles and (b) our promotion of a cruelty-free vegetarian life-style.
Viva!, WSPA (World Society for the Protection of Animals), World Wildlife Fund, Care for the Wild, Turtlesco, Wildlife Conservation Union, World Conservation Union, Traffic International and the Tortoise Trust have all been engaged in lengthy dialogues with Tesco/Hymall in China which have resulted in red-eared turtles being removed from sale because it is impossible to kill them humanely.  Turtle experts say there is no humane way to kill turtles - most of which, although originally wild-caught, are now farmed.  Previously, providing Tesco staff could persuade  turtles to pop their heads out of their shells, they would decapitate them with no pre-stunning ~ tossing their heads into a bucket where they could take up to an hour to die in agony.  Now they just smash them over the head with a hammer....alternatively, they sell them live to customers who can kill them in whatever manner they choose ~ often they're  boiled alive.
I'm sorry to disappoint N.T. but we will carry on our campaign against Tesco until they stop their involvement in this disgusting cruelty.  Since only 2% of the Chinese population will buy a single turtle in a year, Tesco are not responding to a 'demand', rather they are attempting to create one by operating their...'pile them high - sell them cheap' policy.
If N.T. or any other Observer reader would like more information/free literature on any of the above they can contact Viva! by tel. 0117 944 1000, e-mail: info@viva.org.uk. web.:  www.viva.org.uk  or write to Viva!, 8 York Court, Wilder Street, Bristol BS2 8QH.
Ursula Bates
Viva! Midlands Campaigner

NOT ONLY are the hardworking families of Solihull and Birmingham expected to face a relentless rise in council tax bills, fuel and water bills, we now have the talk of us being charged on the weight of our fortnightly rubbish collections to encourage recycling? What if you don't have transport to visit a recycling centre? We are even hearing threats of charges when we visit our local disposal sites! Where will it all end?
That most prestigious thorn in our site, Birmingham International Airport, with its continuous rising passenger levels is to cost us even more. Consider the pollution, the ever growing threat of expansion and additional runway and now they are going to charge us to drop off and collect! When are we going to say enough is enough?
Disgusted resident,
C. Humphries
Name and Address Supplied.

IN REGARDS to the article entitled 'Open Air Concert must have been illegal' (14.06.07), it has taken me some time to write to the paper as I have been on holiday for the past month. I refer to the above letter to the editor, submitted by an apparently anonymous neighbour. I have owned and lived in my house for 14 years. Every year on the Saturday nearest my birthday, I have a garden party for family and friends which starts mid-afternoon and ends around midnight. For the past six years I have also arranged live music. The bands play until 10.30 pm and all music is over before midnight. Every year I ask the neighbours in the vicinity to come along. There has never been any trouble, the police have never been called and your reader is the first to complain.
It seems such a shame that, as we increasingly live under the ever watchful eye of Big Brother, people are rapidly losing the live and let live attitude to their neighbours. There is little enough live music left in Birmingham as it is and one day a year is hardly excessive. Of course it does bring extra traffic to the road and some people will be inebriated when they leave but it's a party!
Perhaps Mr Anonymous would like to book his his hotel room for next year or, better still come along and meet some of his neighbours and enjoy some music with them.
Mrs Symoore
Acocks Green

I READ with interest your article (“Birmingham Business Park Extension Rejected”, 1 August 2007), and believe it is important to add some context to the comments in the report.
Our proposal to bring into use the land adjoining Birmingham Business Park was a result of four years’ very close collaboration with Solihull Council.  Indeed the Chief Planning Officer actually recommended our proposal for approval, accepting projections showing it will create 1,800 jobs for people in the local regeneration zone, which covers Chelmsley Wood.
In your article, Councillor Morgan suggests Birmingham Business Park employs ten people from Chelmsley Wood and claimed we have an “appalling record at creating jobs for local people”.  In fact, Birmingham Business Park has had a hugely positive economic impact on the local area, attracting over 100 businesses and 5,000 jobs over the past 20 years.  Our research shows that 22 per cent of all the workers at Birmingham Business Park are residents from the Regeneration Zone.
Chelmsley Wood in particular has been the focus of much consideration in our proposals.  Chelmsley Wood Town Council responded to our plans by recognising the “strong economic dimension” to the proposal, bringing not only jobs and amenities, but “an improvement to the physical appearance and tidiness of the site”.  The Town Council raised no objections to the proposal.
We have also taken into account in our plans the impact they will have on the environment.  Our proposal received no objections from Warwickshire Wildlife Trust, Natural England or the Environment Agency.  The proposals do not encroach on the open countryside.  Instead they seek to integrate our business park with the Regeneration Zone, creating a modern and highly sustainable mix of uses and opportunities.
Goodman invests in areas such as Solihull for the long-term, and we are proud that our business parks across the UK have without a single exception benefited the communities that live nearby. 
Yours sincerely
Richard Cutler
Director, Strategy and Planning, Goodman

WE WOULD like to take the opportunity to say a BIG thank you to all of our friends and family who attended our fund raising coffee morning on
Saturday 4th August. Thanks to their generosity we collectively managed to raise over £175-00 that will be donated to the British Heart Foundation and specifically toward funding for a Cardiac Nurse at the Birmingham Children’s Hospital.
Yours Sincerely
Paul and Nicola Bassett,
Solihull

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