07/10/05

What can one do but accept it when you have people who are planning all these things "for themselves", not for "us".

Darlington as a town is not all that bad really. I have come back from living in Sweden after 40 years, and there has been very little change in the centre.

It is still a jumble of very old lovely buildings, and a wide range of super modern rubbish, and as long as the planners allow this to happen then there will never be a beautiful town centre.

Outside the centre, the fight still goes on and will do for donkeys' years to tackle the rubbish problem.

Everywhere one goes, there is rubbish: bottles, cans, dog dirt, even burnt out cars, furniture, kitchen appliances. Only when the youngsters in primary school are taught the idea of cleanliness and tidiness in their own homes as well as outside their homes, will they ever grow up to pass on the lessons to their children.

It will take a couple of generations for it to work, but it will be worth it. I have seen the results in Sweden, and even today it is still being taught in schools. - George Robinson, Darlington.

COUPLE IN TENT

I DON'T know much about this couple, Susan and Kevin Howes, whose tent in Barnard Castle has burned down (Echo, Sept 29) but one thing I do know is that if they had been asylum seekers or illegal immigrants they would have been housed straight away, given benefits and anything else that was going.

Surely someone somewhere can give this couple a home before any harm comes to them?

I, for one, would not like to live in a tent whether it be summer or winter. - Name and address supplied.

HIGHEST STANDARDS

I AM sorry that our use of the term 'customers' has caused offence. In his letter (HAS, Sept 29), Mr Routledge quite rightly points out that, rather than being like a shop or business, the county council and its staff are public servants, paid for by the public through taxation.

In our defence we have never forgotten that. But we are increasingly focusing our work on meeting the needs of individuals, providing people with better quality services and where we can, greater choice. In describing people as 'customers', we are simply signalling our intention to match the highest standards of 'customer care' and 'customer choice', which people associate with the best commercial service firms.

Arguably, we may have some way to go yet, but whether we call people 'citizens', 'residents', 'service users', 'customers' or even 'clients', the words all communicate one thing - as an organisation we exist to provide services for people in County Durham. - Mark Lloyd, chief executive, Durham County Council.

CONGRATULATIONS to J Routledge for his accurate statements regarding the correct relationship between councils and taxpayers.

I would go further and say that exactly the same applies to all levels of government. The Government exists because we, the people, deem it necessary, and it exists to serve us.

Unfortunately, these simple facts have been expunged from the memories of almost all our politicians and almost all civil servants, despite the fact that their name includes the word servant. - Derek Thornton, Stanley, Crook.

STEPHEN SMAILES

I was very sorry to read of the recent death of Stockton Councillor Stephen Smailes (Echo Sept 28).

I never met Mr Smailes but followed his council career through the press.

In the late 1980s he started a campaign to raise money for a very good cause and I sent a donation.

A few days later I received an unexpected but very nice call from Coun Smailes thanking me for the cheque that I had sent. - LD Wilson, Guisborough.

DEEPCUT

The Northern Echo continues to highlight the unacceptable by not letting injustice rest - Deepcut (Echo, Sept 30).

There is something disturbingly eerie about the fiasco as there also is with the hierarchy which surrounds it. I am sure I am not alone in my views. A more concerted effort from the newspaper's national brothers may encourage frivolous front pages to turn their faces towards more genuine issues of concern.

These dead people were not evil terrorists to be disposed of as quickly as possible, but young folk seeking betterment for themselves in the national interest.

May The Northern Echo continue to help bring to a more speedy conclusion those questions seemingly suppressed.

The youngsters involved represent all of our children and deserve respect from a nation renowned for its intelligence-gathering fields of operation. We are witnessing something which questions quality of leadership. - C Simons, Bishop Auckland.

THE HENGES

YET again contrasting treatments of important archaeological remains are highlighted in the press.

I listened to the BBC Radio 4 news. It dedicated ten minutes to a new discovery of 'nationally important archaeological remains' in Greece.

According to the correspondent, the Greeks are in a frenzy of excitement, immediately planning further investigations and legal protection for this new site.

According to our Government, heritage tourism is one of the busiest and most profitable industries in the UK.

Apparently, as a nation, we love heritage. As a member of the G8 group of nations we, unlike the poor old Greeks, have the resources and the experience to cherish and preserve our nationally important sites.

Wonderful that our county council, hand-in-hand with a foreign owned developer, plans to destroy the landscape and setting of our own nationally important archaeological monuments, the Thornborough Henges, near Ripon.

Not for these nationally important Bronze Age archaeological remains do we see Government-funded archaeologists speed north. Not for these most important ancient monuments north of Stonehenge is our Government imposing legal protection orders.

How can our council let this happen? - AM Hunt, Marton-cum-Grafton, North Yorks.

LEST WE FORGET

ONCE again we are approaching the time of year when we remember the past sacrifices made by men and women of all our services, and when funds are raised for the Royal British Legion. The Poppy Appeal is the primary source of funds to maintain the Legion's welfare and benevolent schemes, and helps over 300,000 ex-service people each year.

The Royal British Legion helps not only servicemen affected by the world wars but also those injured or traumatised in more recent operations in Afghanistan, Bosnia and Iraq, and supports their families during the difficult transition back to civilian life.

During my year of office, I have become aware of the large number of service stations and bases in the county, and the significant role they all continue to play, both in the defence of the realm and in local communities.

Please give generously to support the 2005 Poppy Appeal. - Michael Heseltine, Chairman, North Yorkshire County Council.