Readers letters: Petition shows how concerned we are

11,000 sign for better roads and drainage

To the gallant ladies of Canvey, I applaud your initiative to get 11,000 plus signatures on a petition. That is an incredible achievement and needs a lot of dedication and effort to achieve.

The result shows the depth of concern by all residents regarding the road infrastructure and surface water drainage situation.

I am very surprised that you did not provide copies to Councillor Ray Howard MBE who has been the primary driver for improvements in road infrastructure and the flood defences.

Only last week he attended a joint agency meeting to drive improvements to the surface water drainage and has received commitments from the environment agencies to make substantial improvements to the system.

He has raised this at council and the improvements will be implemented in the current financial year.

An important improvement to the road infrastructure is the completion of phase three of Roscommon Way which would vastly improve the dispersion of traffic to the south side of the island.

It is widely known that Rebecca Harris MP and Councillor Howard have met with the Communities and Local Government Minister responsible for roads and continue to press for the third road off the island between Northwick Road and Manor Way, Thurrock.

Studies are ongoing and the recent improvements in the road system in Manor Way would ideally suit the third exit from Canvey.

Although I support the initiative I am mindful that housing is in short supply so perhaps we should seek to build the homes and at that same time improve the infrastructure.

J Simpson, Haven Road, Canvey

Spare room plan is a really daft idea

Homeowners could rent spare rooms to NHS patients in Airbnb style scheme

Of all the stupid ideas mooted throughout history, the suggestion that residents’ spare rooms could be used to temporarily house patients who have undergone minor operations as they continue their recuperation ranks pretty highly.

Of course, this would be just the latest wheeze to try to get rid of so-called bed blockers, freeing up space for those with more urgent needs.

Surely the very least we should expect as taxpayers is a hospital bed if we are unfortunate enough to become severely ill or require an operation?

That is what the NHS was created for, but these days it seems “getting rid” of patients at the earliest opportunity is its agenda, while our overstretched A&E departments are clogged up with people suffering from a sniffle or concerned because they have been lightly scratched by the cat next door.

If this hare-brained scheme is implemented, it is, apparently great news for any householder lucky enough to have a spare room, as they can top up their income with the odd fifty quid for taking in a complete stranger on a short-term basis.

There is a far more sensible answer. Build more hospitals and free up A&E departments by telling hypochondriacs to go home and take an aspirin like most sane people do.

Michael Smyth, St Edith’s Close, Billericay

Why buy something you can’t afford?

BrightHouse to fork out £14.8m in redress to mistreated consumers

Bright House is being required to pay millions in compensation for allowing people to buy stuff they couldn’t afford on the “never never”.

It doesn’t say much for our society if people can’t resist buying things they cannot afford and it doesn’t say much for our education system if people can’t work out simple percentages to avoid paying exorbitant interest on deferred payments.

Ron Hurrell, Hadleigh Park Avenue, Thundersley

Could SKIPP be exaggerating?

With reference to the letter “Money could be so much better spent” printed on October 25, the SKIPP committee make a statement with regard to the proposed seafront museum: “that no one wants or will visit”.

Could they please provide evidence to support such a statement. How many people were polled to come to such a result.

Or do they mean only no one in their group wants or will visit. It seems to me that his another case of gross exaggeration.

Mr D Downing, Conway Avenue, Great Wakering