LETS BUILD ON WHAT WE HAVE

AN Enhanced Local Service Delivery Committee is not a snappy title, but it would be the best way forward for local democracy in Macclesfield (under another title, please!).

The town is already represented on Cheshire East Council by 12 councillors, including all three main parties at the moment, and they are paid a good basic allowance to represent the interests of the town and its residents.

I am sure that they have those interests in mind at every meeting they attend and before every vote they cast.

For better or for worse a tier of local government in Cheshire was done away with five years ago by order of the Labour Government. That reorganisation put an end to planning decisions being taken in Macclesfield, and reintroducing another tier will not change that. Any of the options would result in the local body being consultees only on planning and highways matters, with decisions being made by Cheshire East councillors only.

For a town like Macclesfield, with 40,000 electors and a population in excess of 50,000, a part-time parish or town clerk would not be enough to achieve anything, so a local bureaucracy would develop with pensions to be paid for, assistants and offices to be paid for in addition to the experts in whatever services they build up and the legal, personnel and financial expertise. And for all that it would not be joined up with where the decisions are taken.

So let’s build on what we’ve got: the enthusiasm of the Make It Macclesfield organisation run by locals that has brought us the Treacle Market, Barnaby, and Business Breakfasts attended by anybody who wants to have a say on important local initiatives and issues.

And let’s stick with our single-tier Cheshire East Councillors so you know where to go when there is a problem or complaint to be made. David Freear Former County Councillor for Broken Cross

LEST WE FORGET OUR HEROES

AS we embark upon the anniversary of the First World War I would like to congratulate all the community groups, schools and individuals who are doing something to commemorate it.

It’s wonderful to see young children in particular getting involved. The First World War and the people who fought in it are so far removed from the children of today it is easy to understand why they may have difficulty recognising the importance of the event.

It is also nice to see the Macclesfield War Graves Project (Macclesfield Express, July 23) are taking responsibility for the state of the graves, although it is very sad that they have not been kept up.

Some of the graves are in a terrible state, to think that they are the final resting place of men who gave their lives is very sad.

Of course I understand that families move away and are no longer able to attend their relatives’ graves and to have a group of individuals who are prepared to take on that responsibility is wonderful, I just hope that this group will not fade away like so many other good will groups. Name and address supplied

SIZE MATTERS ON THE ROADS

PLEASE convey my apologies to the white van driver at the junction of Chester Road and Chestergate traffic lights on July 24 around 1pm for delaying his journey by almost two seconds.

I now realise he was probably on his way to work, which was more important than my life.

The reason I stopped in the middle of the junction when crossing on my cycle from King Edward Sreet towards Chester Road was, as he will have clearly observed, that two cars cutting across my path caused me to break hastily.

The first one was not too dangerous, just thoughtless. However, the following car, a miniCooper, forced me to come to a complete stop, almost throwing me into her car.

I appreciate I should have immediately remounted my bike and accelerated to safety, but instead I gesticulated to the driver concerned. Please forgive me! While I am also a vehicle licence holder, and was wearing a safety helmet and a bright orange top, crossing when on green, I now appreciate that even though I had right-of-way, I was only a cyclist. In the UK, unlike many other countries that encourage cycling, cyclists must always give way to cars regardless of their right-of-way…. a bit like India, where size takes priority, eg; elephants and lorries over cyclists and pedestrians.

Of course there are idiotic cyclists and I berate any of them cycling on pavements or skipping red lights, but there are also many more idiotic motorists (lorry and bus drivers excepted as they tend to give cyclists sufficient space ).

Of course, there can

only be one loser in the continuous ‘War on the Roads’ – the cyclist ! Malcolm Maginn Marigold Close Macclesfield