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What value on time wasted?

Rugby Borough Council are set to make us jump through new hoops. First they foisted wheelie bins upon us with promises of greater convenience.
Then with little warning and some vague mention of 'logistics' they changed the collection day for most of Rugby. This meant, for example, that the top end of Lower Hillmorton Road had their bin (in the days when we only needed one!) collected on Monday, whereas the far end had theirs collected on a Thursday. How this rationalised collections and improved efficiency was never made clear to the electorate.
Now it seems the Council plans to change the collection day for 30,000 households' black bins yet again. We are asked to be patient, but I'd like to know why the changes are being made, rather than them just being foisted upon us.
Of course, in April we're going to have fun with three bins of various colours. Where are people living in terraced properties going to keep their three bins, for example? Walking along the pavement, especially when pushing my wife in a wheelchair, I often have to helpfully clear the pavement on bin collection days in order to pass. I predict that starting in April, pavements will become largely impassable.
Thank goodness there are only five working days in each week. Deciding which days to put one's bins out will be complicated enough - five collection days, three different bins, but not collected every week....! And then there's the Council in its wisdom periodically changing the collection days.
All we now need are Council exhortations for the retired and infirm to crawl from their beds to place their bins by 7.30am on collection days, fines for putting the bins out prematurely, fines for putting the wrong bins out, and fines for putting the wrong items in the bins. What fun we're all going to have!
Dr. DM Sharp,
Lower Hillmorton Road, Rugby.


Zero Council tax was real option

I was surprised to read that Councillor David Cranham asserts that the Conservative leadership of the Council have kept Rugby's share of Council Tax to a minimum. How interesting that the Tory leader, Cllr Craig Humphries, hides behind one of his minions when it comes to commenting on his administration's utterly disastrous budget.
I can understand his embarrassment: this budget cuts services, makes staff redundant, fails to make provision for adequate housing and hits tax payers just when they can ill-afford it, in some of the most trying economic times in living memory.
As for the suggestion that the Council could not have gone for a zero tax increase, as proposed by Labour, it is an utter falsehood.
This administration set on a course of undermining Council services and the financial position of the borough many years ago, and now the chickens are coming home to roost - and just at the wrong time.
It is one thing to table a completely damaging budget, it is another to treat the people of Rugby like fools. If the Tories had one iota of decency, they would apologise for getting the Council into a position where it was incapable of helping people at a time of acute economic need. They should also apologise for falsely claiming that a zero tax increase, as proposed by Labour, was not an option.
Cllr. Jim Shera,
Rugby Borough Council Labour Group Leader.


It all ASDA mean something

I have been trying to figure out the meaning of the initials of our new supermarket (A Special Day Awaits on June 29).
The Council once said 'All Supermarkets Definitely Away' from the town centre, to ease parking and traffic problems. The timing isn't good as the 'Almost Solvent Days Are' almost gone. 'After Several Disastrous Attempts' we are nearly there.
During construction I have supported the other town shops - 'Always Shop During Alterations' is my motto. If there are delays let's hope those initials don't stand for 'August, September, December And' into 2010. Why don't the redevelopers rename the store ASAP? But we must keep positive. When it is finished what will it be like? An 'All Singing Dancing Area' or 'A Splendid Delightful Amenity.' There again it could be 'A Simply Desperate Attempt' to improve Chapel Street.
Bernard Oldham,
Firs Drive,
Rugby.


Back hospital parking campaign

I'm writing in reply to letters that have appeared recently in the Advertiser about hospital parking charges, including S Taylor's letter on March 5. Parking charges at both St. Cross and the University Hospital in Coventry are set by the University Hospitals Coventry and Warwickshire NHS Trust, which runs both hospitals.
However, there is a very important difference between St. Cross and University Hospital. The University Hospital, including its car parks, was built under the Private Finance Initiative, and it is leased by the NHS from the private contractors who built and own it.
The Trust argues that the parking charges at University Hospital are written into the PFI contract.
The situation at St. Cross Hospital in Rugby is very different. St. Cross was not built under the PFI, and its facilities are directly owned by the NHS. Therefore, PFI considerations cannot legitimately be used to justify parking charges at St Cross.
The Trust says that it must charge for parking at St Cross to cover the maintenance of the hospital's car parks and to deter shoppers from using them. This argument should be taken with a large handful of salt. After all, parking charges were only introduced at St. Cross in 2006, so how did the hospital's car parks manage to function perfectly well before then?
I'd urge all your readers to support Andy King in his campaign with Unison to abolish hospital parking charges. At St. Cross, there are no complications connected with private firms or PFI contracts, so there is a real possibility of success if enough pressure is put on the Trust. Moreover, at a time when PFI companies are looking to be bailed out by the government, it should be possible to chall enge the extortionate charges that private firms are imposing on the NHS.
Dr. Ben Ferrett,
Borough Councillor (Labour) for Brownsover South ward.


Crossing links with cycle path

For your recent correspondents querying the position of the new Pegasus crossing on Ashlawn Road, there is an explanation.
They may not have seen that the crossing joins a bridle path on one side of this increasingly busy road, to a cycle track on the other side.
A crossing here was originally requested as a safe route for cyclists from the Hillside residential area using the Bridleway to the road, to reach Ashlawn School. It was strongly supported during a public consultation in 2007.
It was planned and funded by the Council's 'Safer Routes to Schools' initiative, which encourages pupils to cycle or walk to school wherever this is possible.
John Vereker,
Sandown Road,
Rugby.

I have been reading with interest your letters page, especially those on the crossing being built on the Ashlawn Road. The authors are all local and I am surprised that they are not aware that the crossing actually links a public right of way and bridleway from one side of the road to the other. I walk my daughter's dog regularly along this right of way and to cross the busy Ashlawn Road with the speeding traffic is nearly impossible and I take my life in my hands to do so, there are many people also from the nearby housing who use it for jogging. May I also point out that the children from the nearby estates who go to Ashlawn School will also use this crossing. Most vehicles using this stretch of road do not adhere to the speed restrictions and there are numerous accidents along this stretch of road and I welcome the crossing if only to slow down these irresponsible people.
Diane Slater,
Norton Leys,
Rugby.

ABOUT the two anti-pedestrian crossing letters at Ashlawn Road in the March 5 Advertiser:
Mr. Russell would do well to put a value on the time wasted for thousands of pedestrians, who over the years have waited and waited to cross Whitehall Road near its northern roundabout. They have had to take a risk with motor vehicles zooming off the roundabout with no signal of their intention and their oblivion of anything that is not another motor vehicle.
This is the 21st Century and pedestrians are no longer tenth class citizens, so the crossing is now there.
About the Ashlawn Road crossing: Mr. Ollier asked his 'for whom, to where and why' question. This is going to be a Pegasus crossing for pedestrians, mounted cyclists and mounted riders. It will safely rejoin the two nearby halves of a bridle path connecting Dunchurch Road to the Rainsbrook Valley via the Hillside estate, making a lovely piece of countryside accessible.
The crossing is necessitated by weak-minded drivers who exceed the 50mph speed limit, making unaiding crossing dangerous.
The crossing will also be a vital link in a safer route to school for Ashlawn School pupils, who live on Kingsway and Hillside estates.
Mike Avis,
Tennyson Avenue,
Rugby.


Cracker pulls in the funds

Rugby Christmas Cracker wishes to thank the people of Rugby for all their support in helping to raise a magnificent £11,750 over the Christmas period. The café was open to the general public during December and 56 people volunteered by serving, cooking, waiting and washing up; as well as others who made cakes, soup and washed the tea towels. 309 five course meals where cooked and eaten in the evening restaurant raising over £4,000.
Ninety young people took part in the radio, presenting shows and helping with the training and technical support and entertaining Rugby over the airwaves.
All the money raised this year will buy a generator and education and skills training for Jacob's well tailoring unit in Bangalore, India, which provides vocational training for destitute women. We also want to help support a youth worker in Bangalore.
For more information visit our website on www.rugbycracker.org
Katie Thomas,
Rugby Christmas Cracker,
Badby Leys, Rugby


Toilets in a poor state

I AM writing to complain about the toilet problems in the town.
I was at one end of the town and I was busting to go to the toilet. I went to the ones near Dunelm and they were closed. Then I went back to the block near Argos.
There was a long queue. In one of the three toilets a seat was broken and also one hand dryer.
Don't people in Rugby visit the loo?
Come on, open the toilets up.
S. Crick,
Arnills Way,
Kilsby.


Thanks for being at the reunion

THE SECOND annual GEC/Alstom 090 Erecting Shop Reunion took place on Friday at The Workers' Club, Oliver Street, Rugby.
We would like to say a big thank you to all who attended a very successful evening and to everyone who donated raffle prizes.
Our best wishes go out to friends who were unable to attend.
Dave Marks,
Kingsway,
Rugby.


Bin for savings?

Recently most of us have got extra refuse bins in our driveway delivered by the council for sorting our refuse in the appropriate bins.
And now that none of us trusts any of our banks any more to look after our money, with sacked top bank officials grabbing huge bonuses (with our money) how about the council giving us all yet another bin and with that one we could all keep our savings in.
SORTED.
Stan Buckley,
Reservoir Road,
Rugby.