Viewpoint: Former councillor backs plan to replace Holyport care home

No need to belittle MP’s assisted dying response

Jay Flynn (Viewpoint, October 10) is clearly opposed to the assisted dying bill, as is his right, though he might gain a more receptive audience were he to refrain from belittling comments made about the MP for Maidenhead.

Josh Reynolds’ criticism of Theresa May is, many would think, warranted, given she referred to the legislation as a ‘licence to kill bill’, conjuring up images of medical staff desperate to dispatch any applicant who comes their way.

Indeed, the party which seems to abhor what it calls the ‘nanny state’ seems keen to remove the rights of individuals to choose a dignified and painless death when they are in the final stages of their earthly life.

Whatever Jay’s political or religious views are, surely he should not be allowed to impose those on others for whom the end is so near.

His last paragraph about the state not funding assisted death is nonsense.

There are many people who disapprove of the way taxpayers’ money is spent.

Some think unemployment and sickness benefits are misguided, and there’s a growing republican movement who would rather the monarchy did not receive the tens of millions of pounds of taxpayer funding it gets each year.

That, though, is how society works, and if we wish to reap the benefits of being in a society, that is how care is funded.

JAMES AIDAN

Sutton Road

Cookham

In full support of plan to replace care home

Since leaving public service as chair of Bray Parish Council and after as a borough councillor I have tried to maintain a lower profile.

When one has been responsible for both moving black bins to fortnightly and then the infamous (but necessary) Borough Local Plan this seemed to be a good idea.

When responsible for adult services I met a resident, David Jannetta, who some years before had founded a local charity called Alzheimers Dementia Support to help both the sufferers and just as important the families of the sufferers.

I decided therefore that my time could be best spent becoming a working trustee.

The charity supports residents across the borough and part of Slough.

As a resident of Holyport for over 30 years I have followed the saga of the care home with great interest as it has been such a feature of The Green, and was delighted to read in your last week’s paper that care of people with dementia would be a strong feature of the new premises.

The Ascot Road has been a problem for many years and it’s about time that an alternative route was established to relieve the pressure on residents especially those who live on the narrow stretch.

I accept that Holyport Green and its surrounding area is conservation area but there is a balance to be drawn, and I fully support the proposals.

Yes, it needs some improvements, but the principle is good.

DAVID COPPINGER

Holyport

Flags should be seen as sign of community

Regarding the flags being displayed in our area, I would like to add my opinion.

When I see our national flags or Union flags bravely flying in the breeze, my heart swells with pride.

I have not seen such a wonderful display of unity in our land since I was a child.

At that time, where I lived, any national or royal event was marked by a veritable sea of Union flags (only rarely the St George’s flag in those days) and bunting.

It would never have occurred to anyone to object.

Now I believe the flags are an important visible sign of community cohesion in these troubled times.

BRIAN REED

Farm Road

Maidenhead

Delighted by plans for Thames Valley authority

I am delighted that there is now a move to create a Thames Valley Strategic Authority with an elected mayor.

The move back in the 90s to abolish Berkshire County Council and create the current six Berkshire unitary authorities had many merits, but made planning any strategic planning and working in the Thames Valley more difficult; as has proven the case until now.

But surely sense dictates that this potential new authority should mirror what is currently seen as the Thames Valley, i.e. Berkshire, Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire.

Many organisations including the police, fire control, chamber of commerce and many more already cover this area which has much geographic sense to go with it.

Buckinghamshire have tried to go different ways to this before and I implore them to consider retaining the current thinking of what constitutes the Thames Valley carefully.

Whether Swindon should be part of a Thames Valley strategic authority does ‘stretch’ the idea, but it does enjoy common transport corridors.

Let us hope for constructive moves both politically and from the business, transport and other sectors to create this strategic authority and have an effective sub-regional forum for planning, bidding for funding and enabling joined-up thinking.

It would sit above and not replace any of the current essential local forums.

It might even prompt work on a third Thames road bridge?!

ANGUS ROSS

Ex Wokingham Borough councillor and Henley resident

Wrong for car parks to only use app payments

Last week my husband had and eye test appointment in Windsor.

We parked in Victoria Street car park as it is only a short walk from there to Peascod Street. We have used this car park over many years.

However, the payment machine wouldn’t accept our credit card.

We went to another floor to try the machine there, but still our card was refused. Apparently, this car park now only uses RingGo or some form of payment by phone.

We don’t have the app for this or use telephone banking.

What to do?

If we left without paying no doubt we would have been heavily fined.

We would also be late for our appointment if we had had to find another car park and maybe not been able to pay there either.

I can understand that it isn’t a good idea to have cash in a machine that is in a public place, and thus a target for thieves, but surely credit card payment would be a sensible alternative.

I was lucky to find a gentleman, and I use the word advisedly, who allowed me to give him cash for payment from his phone.

I feel I should hasten to add that there were several other would-be parkers who were in the same quandary.

We are both in our 80s and though we have some knowledge of technology, as with so many older people, it is limited.

Talking to our contemporaries, so many feel the same, that we as a whole generation are being denied access to so much, as maybe we don’t have high tech gadgets or even if we do we struggle to use the various programmes that seem to be essential in today’s high tech world.

I should also say that I feel many businesses are missing out on our generation’s spending, because having worked and saved and got our home together, there may be some spare cash for good times, if only we, could access them.

JOYCE BANKS

Silvertrees Drive

Maidenhead