Viewpoint: Criticism of Bridge House pub decision

Bill specifically states who it is intended for

Having read Helen MacDonald’s article about her fears concerning the Assisted Dying Bill (Opinion, July 25), I am greatly surprised at her ignorance of what the Bill actually advocates.

It was never intended to be used by those who felt a nuisance to their family or were disabled in some way.

It specifically states that it is for those who are deemed to have less than six months to live and are suffering intense pain or the unbearable indignities of conditions such as motor neurone disease.

I am so pleased that Josh Reynolds had the compassion to vote in favour of the Bill unlike our previous local MP.

Polls have shown that a great majority of the country are in favour of the Bill and I don’t remember being consulted by Theresa May before she voted against it previously.

The sooner we can bring comfort to the suffering the better.

PAULA HULME

White Waltham

Constituents did share views ahead of MP vote

Helen MacDonald voiced her concerns (Opinion, July 25) about the Assisted Dying Bill. Noting that Josh Reynolds had voted for the bill, Helen wondered if he had asked for views from his constituents.

It was reported in the Advertiser on November 22, that he had received ‘hundreds of bits of communication’ on this important topic.

I wrote to him with my views so why didn’t you, Helen?

It wasn’t stated in the report how many of the ‘bits of communication’ were ‘for’ and how many were ‘against’ but as it was a free vote, allowing Mr Reynolds to vote as HE wished, our views were not binding.

Helen expressed her anger that the general population ‘should have been allowed to express their feelings’.

Well, they/we have: many polls conducted in recent years show a clear majority in favour of assisted dying in specified circumstances.

Helen also contemplates her future worries about making a decision to opt for/against assisted dying should those specified circumstances apply to her.

You’re right Helen – it will be a worrisome time. I’m pretty sure I know what I would wish to happen to me, but that’s easy to say now, when those specified circumstances don’t exist.

It will depend on many factors.

Helen’s final needless comment that the NHS would be ‘enabled to kill patients off’ distorts and misrepresents the proposition.

On April 5 last year, Rabbi Dr Jonathan Romain gave his view in the Advertiser that assisted dying is more about shortening death, than shortening life. That’s how I see it too.

DAVID MACLEOD

Shifford Crescent

Maidenhead

Why refuse when pub will never be viable?

I find the council’s decision on the application to turn the Bridge House pub in Paley Street into a house totally insane.

Look, this former pub was up for sale for some considerable time and also closed.

It is one of several pubs in the area that have closed for good. There is no chance of it ever opening again as a viable pub.

So a viable alternative is proposed to turn it into an ordinary dwelling house.

Why has this not been granted when I could mention two pubs in the area that have been turned into ordinary houses?

There is the former Star in Waltham St Lawrence and the former Red Lion in Oakley Green.

Maybe Windsor and Maidenhead council need to get out and about in the real world.

You have left the present owner of the Bridge House with an unsolvable problem.

As far as I can see they cannot sell it as a viable pub and cannot convert it to an ordinary house.

To quote John Cleese: it’s dead, and you, Windsor and Maidenhead council, can use as many fancy words and arguments as you like – the fact remains it’s dead.

E SHEPHERD

Longmead

Windsor

Flabbergasted by letter from former leader

I am flabbergasted, probably along with many residents, that Simon Dudley, ex Tory leader, has the audacity to write a letter complaining about the Lib Dems wasting money on a roundabout in Holyport (Viewpoint, July 18).

I understand the frustration of the length of time it took for the roundabout to be completed with the delay.

Simon Dudley and his fellow councillors and officers started the demise of this once lovely market town.

The audacity of this man is unbelievable.

He started this borough nearly going into bankruptcy and Andrew Johnson completed the downfall. Mr Dudley was the person who has taken much of our greenbelt away, particularly the golf course, and Andrew Johnson and his fellow councillors and officers put the final nail in the coffin.

If Mr Dudley would like to do something for the people of Maidenhead, then please move to a desert island.

DOUG WATTS
Maidenhead