Strong objections locally to cycle superhighway

Trump might appear yet again to have put his foot in his presidential mouth...

Michael O’Neill Penarth

I REPRESENT the Friends of Nant Fawr and we help to support and protect a stretch of meadows and woodlands covering 100 acres in what has been described by the council as one of Cardiff’s green river valleys (and therefore, supposedly, protected!).

We have learnt that the council is proposing to develop a wide cycle superhighway through our woodlands and meadows area. The area is extremely popular with people with young families, dog walkers and elderly people. There are narrow paths and blind bends and even if the path were to be widened, the risk of accidents would be extremely high.

The site is an important wildlife corridor between Roath Park and the north end of the reservoirs. The Friends of Nant Fawr have spent 25 years improving the biodiversity and conservation importance of the area. The installation of lighting would have a deleterious effect on the natural habitat as well as any plans to widen the paths.

The consultation on these plans has been abysmal, although we suppose we can understand why.

In summary therefore, we ask those in the council who are developing these plans to listen to the people of Cardiff and to take heed of strong objections.

Jane Williams

Chairman Friends of Nant Fawr

Is it wise for Trump to state he’s a fan?

THE American President, presumably under some political pressure from the beginning of impeachment hearings in the House of Representatives, has hosted a visit from the very controversial Turkish President, Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

Only about one month after Turkey’s military incursion into Syria, this could be perceived as a sign that this illegal invasion is being condoned, if not quite approved of. President Trump makes statements like that he is a “big fan” of the Turkish President, which surely should be inappropriate at the present juncture.

Trump might appear yet again to have put his foot in his presidential mouth by declaring that “it’s time for us not to be worried about other people’s borders. I want to worry about our borders”. The first part of this opinion is surely unacceptable to the British and hopefully to many of the US public too. Michael O’Neill

Penarth

Rod’s model better than real railway

ROD STEWART’s railway layout looks awesome (“Sir Rod ‘so proud’ of epic model railway”, Echo, November 14) and he has every right to be pleased with his creation.

His justified pride in his Scots heritage is reflected in the sign on one of the model buildings which reads in “Celtic Coal and Steel”. Bearing this in mind and with the amazing technical innovations in miniaturisation today, I wonder if he has scale models of passengers and rail staff on platforms uttering phrases like “can ye noa tell me the time of the next train to Gotham city, Jimmy?”.

One thing I am certain of is the level of efficiency and comfort on Rod’s railway will be light years away from the miseries inflicted on his Celtic cousins here on Welsh railways. I bet his miniature cattle would travel in better conditions than here in the real world.

James Barry

Gabalfa, Cardiff

Message for Boris over health service

IRONICALLY, I would like to thank Boris Johnson for giving me the opportunity of making new friends during my visit to the Assessment Ward at Ystrad Mynach Hospital on Wednesday, November 6.

I was directed to the ward by my doctor because of some urgent need to check issues that needed attention.

On my arrival at the ward the waiting area was full of patients. Many were experiencing some extreme discomfort. There were elderly people, as well as young families; one family had a 10-week-old baby with the mother needing medical attention. When we arrived, this young family had already been waiting more than three and a half hours. Their treatment and assessment finished four hours later.

During our seven-hour wait for attention we shared the concern of all the patients. Our conversations and health problems were discussed, but the issue that was constantly discussed was the concern about the pressure that was being experienced by the hard-working and caring staff who were trying so hard to deal with the heavy workload.

There was no doubt this department was understaffed and struggling to cope. There was no doubt that this was part of a health service in crisis.

We left the hospital more than seven hours after our arrival.

The doctors and nurses were apologetic, tired, but extremely professional. They gave me a full and thorough examination and sent me home confident and reassured that my health concerns had been resolved.

So, Boris, if you ever have to use the National Health Service and you visit my local hospital, you may not be so lucky in having the opportunity to make new friends.

You will find a united condemnation of your failure to provide sufficient funding to the Welsh Government to source a health service that you falsely claim to protect. Sue Saralis Blackwood

Labour’s green approach to homes

I WAS impressed by the Labour Party’s pledge to make all homes built from 2022 onwards zero-carbon, picking up a policy abandoned by David Cameron in 2015. Zero-carbon homes must be sufficiently efficient and well insulated to generate as much energy as they use, and can cut household energy bills by as much as £200 per year.

Although there are no specific regulatory details on achieving this target, it is expected homes will be fitted with solar panels and alternatives to traditional gas boilers.

The announcement of this policy came shortly before a YouGov poll found more than half of the British public back total decarbonisation of the UK economy by 2030 – including 47% of Tory voters. It is a pretty damning indictment of how out of touch the Conservative Party is when the Government’s inadequate aim of decarbonisation by 2050 isn’t

popular among its own supporters. But this is only one small part of Labour’s ambitious and revolutionary Warm Homes for All programme.

If elected, Labour will create 450,000 jobs via the implementation of energy-saving measures like loft insulation and double-glazing, which will benefit almost all of the 27 million homes in the UK. Labour will also invest in 250,000 skilled jobs in the construction industry, such as insulation specialists, plasterers, carpenters, electricians, gas engineers, builders and window fitters. This investment will generate another 200,000 jobs across the UK economy.

Labour will also seek to eradicate fuel poverty, benefiting the 1.14 million elderly people and one quarter of single parents currently living in fuel poverty.

Sandra Pierce Pontlottyn, Bargoed