Newmarket Journal readers' letters to the editor
The environment and the town council are among topics addressed by readers this week.
DEVASTATION WROUGHT ON COUNTRYSIDE
The almost complete destruction of the countryside has happened in my lifetime, what we are left with now is little more than a chemically cleansed green shroud.
The intensive farming revolution brought in a orgy of destruction, hundreds of miles of ancient hedgerows were grubbed out, woodland cut down and precious wild flower meadows vanished under the plough.
A cocktail of poisons are annually sprayed on the newly-created prairies polluting rivers and turning dykes and drains into lifeless grey soup.
Soon everything we loved will be gone, the sound of the cuckoo in spring, the skylark in summer and the wild flowers that once grew in such profusion. The agro-chemical industry cares nothing for nature, its only concern being fat profits and happy shareholders. Now these so-called guardians of the countryside are leading us, like blind moles, into the silent spring, into that dead world which they have created.
Intensive farming is but one factor in the blight on our countryside but that one single factor has been responsible for the loss of so much that we hold dear and that will now never return.
Michael Michalak, Swaffham Road, Burwell
WORKING GROUPS NOT TRANSPARENT ENOUGH
Ambitions by some Newmarket town councillors to bring about change within the administration of the council is a little worrying.
Since the election of many new councillors, working groups appear to have been the way to go yet, when looking for transparency of how those working groups were formed, their terms of reference, when they met, how they have reported and what they have achieved, is open to question.
The prospect of more such meetings must be a concern and, why the necessity for change?
Proposals, as reported in the Journal, indicate that the town council would only meet every two months, Committees would meet less frequently and additional working groups would operate to allow councillors and staff more free time away from council meetings and to ‘get off a treadmill’ of preparation to meet deadlines.
It was suggested that Newmarket Town Council should not be known for meetings but for ‘doing’, yet it is only at council meetings where decisions can be made, so any proposal to ‘do’ would take
two months to resolve and
therefore action, which doesn’t sound as though more would be achieved.
Councillor Hall, as one of the proposers for change, suggested that committees don’t actually achieve very much, purporting that working groups was where the work was done. This appears to be an odd statement when looking at the available list of 17 working groups and its members, perhaps it would be better to consider changes of the committees.
It was further emphasised that some working groups already have non councillors as members and these working group meetings are open to the public and therefore meet the requirement for transparency, but that is totally different to members of the public attending meetings to observe or make comment.
Legislation requires a ‘body’, in this case Newmarket Town Council, to be open to the public when exercising public functions and councillors should be very mindful of this.
Sara Beckett, via email
BE AWARE OF RISE IN RSV INFECTIONS
This winter, doctors predict that more babies and toddlers than ever will catch RSV (Respiratory Syncytial Virus) and the latest information from the UK’s public health protection agency, UKHSA, shows that cases of RSV in the East of England are on the rise.
RSV is a common, highly infectious virus that usually circulates at this time of year and causes coughs and colds. It’s the main cause of breathing difficulties in younger children and while most will only experience mild symptoms, it can lead to more serious respiratory problems in very young children with health conditions or complex medical needs. Now we are mixing more, very young children are at particular risk of getting RSV because they won’t have been exposed to this virus yet, or had the chance to build up a natural immunity to it.
As a charity supporting families with disabled children Contact wants to make sure that all families in Suffolk recognise the signs and symptoms of RSV, how to reduce the risk of their child getting respiratory infections in the first place and to take action early by seeking advice and help from your pharmacy or GP if your child develops breathing problems as a result of the virus. You can find out more about RSV and other winter viruses on our website www.contact.org.uk or if you have a question you can call our helpline on 0808 808 3555. Being aware of RSV alongside getting the flu vaccination and the Covid-19 booster jab are some of the key ways to protect yours and the health of your children with disabilities and health conditions so everyone keeps well this winter.
Amanda Batten, CEO of Contact, the charity for families with disabled children
Email your letters to: news@newmarketjournal.co.uk
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