Kentish Express Ashford & District
Sensible to re-open recycling centres
With many people at home clearing out their lofts, garages and garden sheds, not to mention those doing the jobs they have been putting off for so long, I should have thought it would be imperative to open the recycling/refuse centres at the earliest opportunity.
Social distancing has long been the norm at these centres anyway, as you have to give people space to remove items from their cars and wait your turn to put yours in the skips. The staff are also widely spaced, ensuring that the items discarded are put in the right receptacles. Regarding the extra journeys involved, I’m sure that many have always combined ‘trips to the dump’ with other necessary trips.
Rather than being inundated with refuse when restrictions are lifted, why not allow the refuse centres to open at least for a limited time? Mike Armstrong both doctors and nurses but over the last few weeks I noted that the chains were being placed six metres apart and on my last visit I was the only person in the waiting room.
It was obvious that all the staff were doing their best to keep both patients and themselves safe. Obviously they need to keep themselves safe to that they can help care for all of us. Well done to them.
It is also now up to us to keep the NHS staff safe by keeping to the guidelines. Just going out on the streets at 8pm on a Thursday evening it not enough. Please everyone, think before you go out – is it really necessary?
You could be endangering not only yourselves but also our vitally important NHS workers. Anita Walker
Boris Johnson promised that the NHS wouldn’t be for sale.
But it’s not too late to put in place strong protection for our NHS. I would like to call on MPs to commit to amending the Trade Bill so that our health service cannot be opened up to more privatisation through trade deals. Kathryn Reilly the state for support.
Actions have been taken which in the past have been ridiculed: the railways have been virtually nationalised, private bus companies have received state funding to keep going and more government money has enabled our council in Medway to work innovatively, finding homeless people accommodation by working with the hotel sector, delivering free food to thousands on the shielded list, getting money to businesses who need it and setting up a hardship fund for those who can’t pay council tax, while private landlords have been prevented from evicting those in rent arrears.
At national level we have seen how important it is to work with other countries, both in Europe and the wider world. The idea of Britain forging a future alone now looks fraught with danger because the Covid-19 crisis has shown that we need each other sharing resources, knowledge and science to recover.
Amid the sadness and loss for so many, the crisis is teaching us that we can be a better society where public services are funded instead of being starved of cash, in which we do whatever it takes to keep our workforce safe and secure and make the best of each other at home and in the wider community.
There will be work to do but I am hopeful that when restrictions are lifted we can retain the momentum towards a fairer, richer life for everyone. Cllr Teresa Murray (Lab)