Thinly-veiled attack on homeless

THERE are now plans to introduce Public Space Protection Orders in Rochdale town centre.

While RMBC may claim that these measures are to make the town centre a more pleasant place to be it is important to consider more cynical motives behind this.

This is a thinly-veiled attempt to criminalise the homeless and to sweep the problem under the carpet.

This is because of the council’s abject failure to address this issue.

Rather than admit that they are out of their depth and have no ideas they wish to simply hide the problem.

Of course nobody wants to see people living on our streets. It is a sickening indictment of our times that there are so many people with nowhere to live.

Meanwhile there are empty, unused buildings everywhere. This is a town of boarded-up shops.

With a little more imagination solutions could be found that empower people rather than victimise them.

There is a deficit of humanity here. To remove homeless people from public spaces is to deny that they are part of the public.

It is a dehumanising act so grossly lacking in basic human decency that any councillor supporting the move ought to hang their heads in shame.

Simply saying that people will be referred to services such as Petrus is a copout as the council have moral and legal obligations as elected representatives to act on behalf of everyone.

It would also be interesting to know just how many of these people have been evicted by RBH.

We have to ask ourselves what kind of town we want to live in: a town that victimises its most vulnerable people through callous acts of unthinking cruelty or do we want to be a town that finds creative, empowering solutions to the problems we face.

I for one hope we choose the latter. Daniel Clayton Rochdale Green Party

LET WALTER SHOW GLORY

I AM very sorry to hear about the fire at Walter Kershaw’s studio on Todmorden Road last week. I hope that he makes a full and speedy recovery.

I am a big fan of Walter’s art, particularly his mural paintings.

His pioneering work continues to make an important contribution to the arts world and has added to the history and heritage of our town.

I hope that Rochdale Council and Link4Life will work with him now to ensure that he paints a mural in our town centre which celebrates all that’s great about Rochdale. Simon Danczuk MP for Rochdale

BELLS DON’T RING TRUE

I SEE that Anne Williams is at it again (Your Views, March 11).

She is still trying to defend the Labour councillors giving themselves a massive 34 per cent pay rise and granting their beloved leader Coun Farnell a whopping 51pc pay rise.

In this latest attempt to defend the indefensible she somehow equates the amount they get paid to the bell ringers at York Minster.

Yes I didn’t get it either, but that’s what happens when you ramble on because you have no coherent argument.

But to carry on with her silly analogy, I will tell her that when the Rochdale public get a chance to have their say on these ludicrous pay increases the only thing that will chime with them are the ringing out of the changes in councillor personel when they get booted out. Ding Dong.

Mrs Williams also owes Coun Andy Kelly an apology.

In a previous rant in the Observer she accuses Lib Dem councillors of voting against the increases ‘and then Coun Kelly will slink away and quietly pick up his increase.’

Well you got that wrong, Mrs Williams.

The Lib Dem councillors have written to the chief executive saying that they refuse to accept this disgraceful 34pc increase.

Now go on Mrs Williams - do us all a favour apologise and quietly slink away. David Clayton Deepdale Avenue Kingsway

MUST PAY FOR IMPROVEMENT

THE letter from Mr or Mrs ‘Angry’ illustrates rather well why it was not a very clever idea of Rochdale’s Labour and Tory councillors to vote to increase their allowances, (Letters 15 March).

Like the upcoming rise in Council Tax, every shortfall in service provision will somehow or other be linked to it even though the aggregated increase will not amount to much in comparison ●●This image, titled Brown hare, was submitted by Terry Angus. Email your pictures to us at rochdaleobserver@menmedia.co.uk or upload them to flickr.com/groups/rochdalepics with other council expenditure.

Council Tax is our only direct contribution to the public services we receive.

Services like policing, fire protection, street lighting, roads, schooling for our children, libraries, social services and social care, parks etc and as such the £30 a week or so each household pays represent extremely good value for money.

Governments and councils do not have their own money, they get it from us and if we want better services we have to be willing to pay for them.

It is time for our politicians to be honest with us, say exactly that and make the case for higher taxes.

A few minutes after reading what ‘Angry’ had to say I spotted an advertisement by BT in another paper offering a mobile phone on a two-year contract for £57 a month, total cost £1,368.

Clearly some people have strange priorities and they have learned them from politicians. Les May Crescent Road

WRONG MESSAGE

WHY are the council folk having a go at ice cream sellers, like Christina Greenwood, telling them to move their ice cream carts from outside schools?

Please stop it, children enjoy ice lollies and ice water etc.

You will be skating on thin ice and it’s a frosty reception - you are sending out the wrong message.

Don’t let The College Bank flats, Seven Sisters, which are iconic, be demolished. You can rehouse all the people in them somewhere else? I don’t think so.

Let’s have common sense and 200 per cent compassion for the people in these flats. It’s nowt’ but worry you’re putting on people.

There is a severe, horrendous problem with the homeless people and their pets on the streets in our town. It’s a very sad situation and I do feel sorry for them wholeheartedly.

Thankfully we have foodbank stores, Stepping Stones, Mark Street Surgery and Calderdale Carer’s.

Also, I need to thank Cleggsworth care home at Smithy Bridge, which is a lovely home and simply the best.

Also, there might be money going into the Rochdale Infirmary now but, to be honest, our hospital needed your support back in 2010 and 2011.

Our infirmary had an orthopaedic department which was very, very good - make no bones about it (no pun intended).

We need a 24-7 community and hostel centre and a cinema theatre.

Bring youth clubs back as well for the 11 to 17-years age group.

Let Primark in. Why not let Netto come back to the town? My mum and I used to go to the Netto at Kingsway Retail Park.

Why was Netto not allowed on Whitworth Road and Princess Street?

Honestly, Littleborough has more shops in their village than the town does.

Littleborough only needs a fruit and vegetable shop!

Please get some binmen with manners and don’t let those noisy heavy grass cutting machines come on Henderson Street again!

All spring flowers should be growing in abundance - but these gardeners flattened em’ last year!

Back in 1995, this street was lovely.

The grass used to be cut properly and TLC was given to the roses.

Respect, understanding, discipline, heart, communication - it’s a matter for all ages but especially for the elderly.

I rest my case for now concerning this town.

I am a Rochdalian - old school, not clever. Miss Lynn Tweedale Henderson Street Hamer