Bridge is our heritage

THE mind boggles. Our landmark Transporter Bridge (pictured, right) is in a worse state than originally thought (The Gazette, 08.08.22). So who did the previous surveys?

When the Transporter was built over 100 years ago, the Tees was a thriving port with engineering and shipbuilding.

Modules for the oil and gas industry were a regular sight heading down stream. Hence the reason the ‘Tranny’ was designed with a gondola. Linthorpe-Dinsdale and Port Clarence were thriving.

We owe it to our ancestors to save the bridge – it’s part of who we are. Our heritage.

Like everything it always boils down to money. But if we want to attract visitors, people will come to see a bridge – not a redundant blast furnace. BRENDAN McDERMOTT,

Thornaby perhaps not the disaster that Cllr Ann Watts predicts for her town. Guisborough has just seen the rebirth of the old and dilapidated town hall into a fantastic tourist accommodation and retail offering at a cost of well over £1 million pounds.

The town also benefited from a £1 million-pound capital injection for town centre improvements provided by the previous administration.

The disposal of the Belmont estate by the council will have knock-on benefits for the whole borough as costly overheads

are reduced and can be offset against potential council tax hikes.

In Eston, we have no swimming baths, no decent leisure parks or gardens, only a struggling high street economy, along with unacceptable high rates of crime and anti-social behaviour.

If Cllr Watts wants to see what ‘closing the door’ on a town looks like then come to Eston.

BOB NORTON, Teesville

Payment is not a hand-out, Ms Truss

THE fact that Liz Truss originally said over the weekend that she will withdraw help with energy bills for people on low incomes was a big mistake.

How strange she never used such unwise quotes prior to the ballot of the final three.

What Liz Truss calls a “hand out” is in actual fact a lifeline to people like pensioners, the self-employed and employees on low incomes.

Cuts in national insurance and corporation tax will do nothing to help those struggling to get on in life.

They will, I believe, if anything, be a gift to Labour, who will without doubt once again re-label the Conservatives as the nasty party.

Thank goodness for Penny Mordaunt clearly stepping in behind the scenes. Hence, Liz Truss now failing to rule out emergency payments. GEOFFREY BROOKING,

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