Do not consider St Luke’s Ward, in Southend, to be one of the most deprived areas in the country as a recent Conservative newsletter claims.

I have lived here for more than 30 years and the only deprivation I can see is the way that it is talked down by those who want to be elected and say they will represent us.

All those who represent St Luke’s live either in Thorpe Bay or not in the borough. They cannot really understand the area if they claim it is deprived.

As for any of the list of suggestions the Conservatives have to improve the area, I cannot see they have bothered to look recently.

When I report a street light out it is repaired within 48 hours. Trees are pruned regularly, most people clean up after dogs and McDonald’s has litter pickers going round every day.

Perhaps councillors Waite, Ashley and Carr could do something positive and fight to have yellow lines around the Thorpe Bay station area removed, thus allowing people to park in Thorpe Bay rather than drive to Southend East and clutter our part of town.

They could get grass verges reduced so people can park properly, or they could even go as far as getting councillors’ expenses reduced by 50 per cent to help the “deprived” areas.

Roger Kemp
Cumberland Avenue
Southend