Readers' Letters from July 10 issue of the Observer

We want eco-homes - not a whole town
Last week the Observer intimated strong support for eco-towns nationally via a YouGov poll. I totally agree  everyone should tick that box – we all want to see quality, carbon-zero, mixed-use housing being built, especially in Arun district.
However, it must be where there is demand and existing infrastructure with suitable facilities to support such development from the day the very first resident moves in, not year three or seven or whenever enough private funding has been raised for such crucial facilities.
The YouGov poll also demonstrates the high level of national ignorance about what an eco-town is. Only nine per cent were knowledgeable, with 39 per cent knowing a little and 48 per cent knowing nothing about eco-towns.
It merely demonstrated the aspirations of people for better-quality carbon-zero housing, not a desire for new towns.
The poll only asked six questions, two being where do you live and what is your gender? How can four questions cover the deep implications of large wholesale residential development in rural locations?
Why doesn’t the government spend its money asking the communities affected by eco-towns what they think and how they believe their district can be upgraded in terms of genuine quality jobs and genuine affordable quality housing?
People want carbon-zero homes, not new towns that will have a negative impact on their existing communities.
Vicky Newman, Church Lane, Yapton

ANY AREA you develop can provide housing but you need to think of areas the size of Crawley (population 100,000 plus) before you talk of a major regeneration opportunity.
Ford is at present a new-build of just 5,000 houses, only 2,000 of which will be ‘affordable’ (at about £250,000?).
But do we want a town two or three times the size of Arundel plonked down on 750 acres of prime agricultural land? Communities say No, for the simple reason there is nothing to recommend it.
There are not the jobs. Roads, schools and medical facilities are already stretched to breaking point.  The one certain thing is  houses will be built before improvements will be made. Just imagine the chaos that will ensue when a few thousand extra cars squeeze onto the roads.
Patrick Higgins, Waterford Gardens, Littlehampton

Arun District Council voted to ‘demonstrate to government before the decision on further short-listing of the eco-town proposals there are other more sustainable options for meeting the district’s housing needs’.
In a separate report, the chief executive names Bersted, north of Littlehampton (Lyminster-Toddington), Aldingbourne and Barnham.
Ford remains an option in the LDF process whatever happens to the eco-town bid – therefore there are five locations in the district on which major housing schemes could be considered.
One of the motivations in writing the FEH eco-town submission was to provide additional leverage with the government for an Arundel bypass. It remains to be seen whether this is successful.
Isn’t there now a risk that, in a rush to achieve its desired outcome, Arun will, in essence, make the case for large-scale development in the district without the provision of an Arundel bypass? Is that wise?
Tony Dixon, Chichester

Don't plan for now - think of the long term
The vote against closing the Esplanade suggests the car reigns supreme in Bognor. But perhaps we need to be more far-sighted.
We need to have a view how we would like to see the town looking in 100 or so years’ time, even if it cannot all be implemented now.
While accepting the practical difficulties of closing the Esplanade, if it can be achieved, it would
help to make Bognor a stronger tourist destination, as well as providing a stronger sense of community to the town.
Climate change, and the good weather in Bognor, should encourage us to help people get out of their cars and enjoy the sunshine for which Bognor is renowned.
If so, St Modwen should at least be encouraged to look at the practical possibilities, even though it may take time to achieve.
That way, future generations might look to us as the generation that had the vision and the foresight to make the Esplanade more of a pedestrian paradise, even if it was not fully achievable in our own lifetimes.
Chris Bemrose, The Steyne, Bognor Regis

Jan Cosgrove questions BRighter Bognor’s credentials (Observer, June 26). I am happy to enlighten him.
BRighter Bognor is non-party political and welcomes considered and civilised debate about regeneration across Bognor Regis.
In general, we support mixed-use development on the Regis and Hothamton sites proposed by
St Modwen. We support the other proposals for developing the university site and its use
by the community. We support improvements to the economy of the town.
All these proposals follow the principles for urban regeneration espoused by Lord Rogers. However, we reserve judgment on the final plans until we see them.
We began in January because many local residents were unhappy at the behaviour of the more strident detractors of St Modwen’s concept. Many people wanted measured and constructive consideration of what was offered, and we try to provide that.
Our membership now exceeds 160 (new members always welcome – see www.brighterbognor.co.uk). We are recognised by West Sussex County Council, Arun District Council and the University of Chichester, and are members of the Bognor Regis Regeneration Vision Group.
At the April meeting of CiVic we presented our ideas and answered questions.
I also attended their June meeting which focused on the town poll and the choice of entertainment provider.
Mr Cosgrove was absent from both. He could have read about BRighter Bognor in the Bognor Regis Observer. Perhaps he is too busy writing to the paper to read it.
Stan Jonas, chairman, BRighter Bognor


THE FACT the results of the town poll were poo-pooed by Cllr Gill Brown as having no relevance to the ‘overall debate’ on regeneration brings to mind the saying ‘don’t confuse me with the facts – I have made up my mind’.
I wonder which parties are considered appropriate to join in this overall debate and by whom.
I also wonder whether they have a real interest in the town’s future or have other priorities.
I would like to see the overall debate on the future of Bognor Regis much more open so its people, its visitors, not Arun, will actually benefit from and be happy with the results of many years of really upsetting upheaval, demolition and construction.
That seems to be a good straightforward aim to me, without the need for it to be iconic, vibrant, exciting, landmark or any other PR adjective that springs to mind!
John Stanley, Sylvan Way, Bognor Regis

Burning issue for old Lec site
I have been following the proposals for the Lec site with interest over the years.
I remember reading some time ago about West Sussex County Council realising we are running out of space for landfill. The Lec site would be ideal to build an incinerator.
Among the numerous arguments for this are:
* It’s already a brownfield industrial site.
* Easy road access ... even railway access!
* It’s on the town outskirts.
* We could generate a good deal of the power we use (electricity, gas and perhaps some heating), harnessing most, if not all, the bi-products of combustion – and charge other counties for disposing of their rubbish!
Some of the arguments against would be:
* It’ll be an eyesore on the way into the town (this is an easy solution; we’ll hide it behind some trees!)
* It’ll be ‘smelly’ and pollute the air (technology has moved on since the incinerator at Havant! Technology now means we could almost achieve clean exhaust. What we can’t clean up, the trees will do!)
* It will be ‘noisy’ (it shouldn’t be any noisier than Lec was in its heyday).
Andrew ET Clark, Hampshire Avenue, Bognor Regis

I noted with interest the article on ‘Approval of Lec site blueprint on the cards’ (Observer, last week).
I also noted a picture of our newly-refurbished and recently-occupied office and warehouse was used in the same article.
Could I put the minds at rest of the Wiley employees who work at the featured New Era House that their workplace is not about to be redeveloped.
Sime Darby actually sold the part of the site featured in the picture more
than a year ago to HSBC, the current landlord. Wiley has signed up to be tenants of this and other parts of the former Lec-occupied Oldlands Way site for a good many years to come.
Jim Dicks, director of John Wiley & Sons Ltd

Read all about it - appeal for Talking News volunteers
For more than 30 years, Chichester Area Talking News has made sure blind and partially-sighted people know all that is going on in the community.
Local news from each edition of the Observer is recorded onto CD or cassette tape and an hour-long programme is posted to 450 visually-impaired listeners in the Chichester, Bognor Regis, Midhurst and Petworth districts.
This means those with sight problems do not have to rely on family and friends to read to them, they know what is happening week by week and they can take a more active interest in their surroundings.
Above all it helps to restore their independence.
Our award-winning service is completely free. A wonderful band of 80 volunteers makes this possible.
But as we keep pace with new technology, with growing numbers wanting our service, and the need to look ahead, we are keen to recruit
extra volunteers
We would be glad to hear from anyone who might be interested in helping out with a variety of tasks and who feel they have the necessary skills required.
* Editors – responsible for news selection and producing each programme.
* Readers – men and women in front of the microphones to record news reports, articles and special features.
* Technical engineers – to operate the high-quality computerised recording equipment.
* Copiers – personnel to copy each edition onto 450-500 blank CDs or tapes using high-speed copiers. 
* Administration – computerised records, secretarial tasks, daily sorting of postal wallets, social events and fund-raising.
With this in mind we are to hold two open days at our studios at St Richard’s Hospital (entrance No 2 and adjacent to the maternity block) on Saturday and Sunday, July 19 and 20, between l0am and midday. Just turn up. If you are unable to attend but would like to learn more, please ring 01243 263489.
Robbie Burns, chairman, Chichester Area Talking News

It's time we demanded police action
I have, for the past three years, tried to get something done about pavement cyclists.
I wrote to the police authority in Lewes and was passed on to the inspector at Bognor police station. I complained: nothing happened.
I wrote to Nick Gibb MP. Mr Gibb wrote to the local council and to the police. Guess what: nothing happened.
I complained to the police who visited the estate last year. Once again, nothing happened.
Now a young child has been injured.
I have had near misses over the years along Rowan Way, Bognor Regis. The comment from the local council was ‘maybe people felt safer cycling on the footpath rather than the road’.
After asking the police to do something about the cyclists,
I have come to the conclusion we must demand they enforce the law.
If my dog fouls the footpath, I could pay a fine of £1,000. A cyclist pays only £30 as a fine
for cycling on the footpath.
These fines should be reversed as a dog fouling the footpath is unlikely to cause a fatal accident.
D Rowden, Sycamore Road, Bognor Regis

I can’t see why the council can’t just paint a white line all the way along the prom next to the beach for bikes.
Four-wheelers are allowed to bomb up and down the prom and not get told off, and they go faster than most bikes.
Stop penalising the cyclist and making them risk their lives on the road with the dangerous drivers.
Mrs Francis, Hastings Close, Bognor Regis

It's food for thought...
Development proposals for a large area of land north of Chalcraft Lane, North Bersted, were exhibited at the Regis Centre. This is some of the most productive agricultural land in the UK.
The need to protect Britain’s best and most versatile farmland became downgraded as a reason for resisting development during the 1980s and 1990s, when it seemed the country could rely on limitless food imports from an abundant world. 
That is now seen to be an illusion, with growing concerns about food prices and security.  
Whatever other arguments there may be for building, or not building, on the Chalcraft Lane land, this reason alone should rule out development.
The proposals are being promoted by the Church Commissioners, who would presumably acknowledge that, while man cannot live by bread alone, the bread is still pretty important.
John Beard, Lucerne Court, Aldwick

No excuses
May I ask, what does Mrs Hardy of Felpham think should happen to people who flout the laws of the land referring to parking? There is no excuse for getting away with committing a parking offence.
The PCSOs are doing a sterling job in our village, particularly around Downview School.
Remember, if you do the crime, you may have to do the time!
Ms Thompson, Felpham

FIND OUT MORE
* The proposal to build four commercial glasshouses on the Lower Bognor Road for the production of plants and ornamental trees for supermarkets is totally inappropriate at this location.
Access for heavy goods vehicles would be via the Lower Bognor
Road, which is too narrow in places, or, as mentioned by John Reid of Meyer Brown, hauliers would be advised to arrive and depart from
the south-east.
This would be Chalcraft Lane, which is already over-burdened with such traffic, and is the main route for all emergency vehicles. Any increase in HGVs would cause real problems, especially at the junction with the Chichester Road mini-roundabout.
Residents here already suffer industrial-sized farm vehicles going to and fro, especially during the growing season, where movements start at dawn and sometimes continue until near midnight.
This proposal would not only increase the HGV traffic, but with associated staff expected to be employed, and the other traffic movements that would naturally ensue, life on the Lower Bognor Road and Chalcraft Lane would be intolerable.
Concreting over good arable land is unnecessary for this venture. Cereal crops are far more important in this climate of ever-increasing food prices and import of expensive produce from abroad.
Joan Harris, Chalcraft Lane, Bognor Regis

* May I say a big thank-you to the residents and visitors of Bognor Regis. As a result of their generosity, we raised £606.15 at our recent street collection, which will enable our volunteers to continue to offer first-aid cover at local events.
AE Barker, Bognor Regis Unit, St John Ambulance

* Thanks to friends and suppliers – and a special thanks to my tireless team of helpers – after a garden party and sale raised £775 for St Wilfrid’s Hospice.
Peggy Gumbrell, Castlereagh Green, Bognor Regis

TO THE POINT
* REGARDING correspondents’ criticisms of Keith Newbery, I can’t help but believe these people are not on the same planet as the rest of us. Newbery ticks all the boxes for me.
If you believe society is not plagued by feral teenagers, irresponsible parents, fornicating juveniles, mass drug taking, grand-scale binge drinking, out-of-control crime figures and, of course, imbecilic politicians, you need the men in white coats and a stay in the funny farm.
Walter Wells, Golf Links Lane, Selsey

* EVER SINCE the Magazine was introduced, every Thursday morning when my papers are delivered, my first action, even before checking my daily paper crossword solutions, is to read Keith Newbery’s column.
When it was announced he was to relinquish his editorial responsibilities, I pessimistically wondered what would replace his weekly effort, and it was pleasing to learn he would continue to produce it.
I have sometimes wondered if, at some point in his early career, he was apprenticed to a carpenter and joiner, so accurately does he always hit the nail on the head.
M Ayling,
Elizabeth Avenue, Rose Green

* Author Terry Pratchett said people became journalists because they could not do a proper job.
I had to agree with him – those who can do, those who can’t become journalists and criticise those who can.
G Williams, Mill Lane, Sidlesham

One eco-rule for us, another for them...
Like many others, I received a form from Chichester District Council to apply for the ‘benefit’ of a new wheeled bin which will allow me
to dispose of garden waste via the council's collection service.
To avail myself of this service I must pay £17.50 which, the council points out, is equivalent to £35 per annum.
One assumes, although it is not made clear, the cost of retaining this service will amount to £35 a year plus, I assume, relevant inflation in future years.
This will help the council achieve its target of 40 per cent of recycling of total waste collected. When this is achieved, we might even see the council applauded and perhaps given a bonus.
Like most times, however, who makes the effort to improve the council’s performance and efficiency? Not the council. We do. To cut down on use of vehicles, we put up with fortnightly collections and we still take our bottles to appropriate bottle banks.
It is interesting that when the councillors from West Sussex County Council were asked to use less petrol on trips to meetings et al by taking their fellow members as passengers,
they were given additional costs per mile to run their cars as a bonus.
When we are asked to help with a reduction in our carbon footprints, we are asked to pay more.
If everyone pays this £35 per year,  which constitutes 2.5 per cent of the average council tax, this could increase the council's income by some £21m. Even if one in five takes up the offer, which is what is predicted by the council, it would receive £4m increased income after the first year.
On marginal costing – ie a lot of the capital costs and even the running costs have been recovered on other elements – this service should be cheap to run.
What can we do alternatively with the £35? On marginal cost principles, I could make between seven and 12 trips a year to the existing disposal facility – for me, this in Billingshurst, some five miles away – with my bottles etc and on the way to the library et al.
My waste will then contribute to Horsham's target rather than that of Chichester but this is not relevant to the cost issues.
I believe the council is acting covertly here. For instance, it does not say how often it will pick up the green bins, only it ‘will provide a regular service in accordance with the collection calendar issued to customers’ in the agreement. It does mention fortnightly in the pamphlet. It also mentions same-day collection all year in the pamphlet, and we all know this is impossible.
With a lot of us, demand would be erratic, allowing at least for seasonal variation. There will be heavy demand when the leaves fall and with early-season grass cutting, with nothing in the winter months except from Mr Blossom.
I believe this council, not unlike others, is applying a stealth tax here.
Allan J Chambers, Townfield, Kirdford

Hospital is a real credit
I had to go into St Richard's Hospital for the removal of a very unsightly large cyst from my neck and I would just like to say how wonderful all the staff were at a very worrying time.
I have nothing but praise for the exceptional care and attention I received during the two days I was there. The food was good and the standard of cleanliness excellent.
We have a wonderful hospital in Chichester. Long may it continue.
Sylvia Arden-Brown, Chichester

Wrong areas for new plans
I understand the decision to allow the production of biodiesel at the Chichester Grain Store site on Priors Leaze Lane, Hambrook, has been deferred after the raising of serious health and safety matters by concerned residents at the planning meeting.
I took the photograph above at about 4pm on the same afternoon as the meeting on Priors Leaze Lane, the only access route to the grain store.
Is this really a safe and suitable route for HGV lorries carrying hazardous loads?
Ann Read, Priors Leaze Lane, Hambrook

THE PLANNING application submitted by Tarmac Ltd to re-open the Lavant Quarry is a potential threat to the city and the surrounding communities.
Quality of life, health, the environment and tourism will be affected,and the strategic gap between the city and Lavant will be destroyed.
The application, if granted, would involve a loss of a vital public amenity through the denial of the quiet enjoyment of Centurion Way.
The area around Centurion Way is used by ramblers, dog walkers, cyclists and equestrians as there are several public footpaths and bridleways.
Apparently, these footpaths and bridleways will be diverted or closed.
The latest submission has not addressed these rights of way or how they will be redirected or protected. And with a 14-year plan, will they ever be given back?
The roads from Hunters Race to the A27 are already congested, with many HGV mineral lorries already using this route.
An additional 84 HGV vehicles a day may seem ‘insignificant’ to Tarmac.
But add these to the existing HGVs using this route, it would mean an increase of a staggering 150 per cent – or one HGV passing pedestrians, cyclists and residents’ homes every
four or five minutes.
Alternatives should be looked into so the demand for gravel is not required.   Stop using gravel on your drives and gardens. Look for alternatives.
WJ Tarry, Spitalfield Lane, Chichester

Calling all the Rydon old girls
I WAS Maureen Charman (later Mrs Brian Cousins) of Storrington and a pupil at Rydon Secondary School from 1949 to 1953.
I am trying to trace as many girls as possible who first arrived in 1949 – class 1A with our form teacher Miss Spiller (later to become Mrs Hull).
We are all celebrating our 70th birthdays and I thought it would be a good opportunity to meet up again and share memories, both good and bad.
I would love to hear from Patricia (Pat) Jarvis that was. I last met her in Horsham in about 1968. Her father was our local registrar so his name appears on my birth certificate in 1938.
I am in touch with Veronica Spain, Hermin Sutton and Sylvia Boyling. Where are all the other girls?
Mrs M Cousins, 11 Dover Close, Southwater, Horsham, RH13 9XX

Son should spark law change
I feel it is only right I reply to the article in the Observer ‘Tribunal decision doesn’t ring true…’
Adam Cooke is my son, and naturally I’d be a pretty poor father if I didn’t give him my
100 per cent support in the matter of his dismissal from Enterprise Rent a Car in Terminus Road, Chichester.
Enterprise is the largest car rental company in North America and arguably the world. They are a $9bn company with more than 878,000 vehicles in the rental and leasing fleet, more than 64,000 employees and over 6,900 locations in the US, Canada, Germany, the United Kingdom and Ireland.
When Adam refused to remove his earring, and eventually was dismissed for wearing this very small item of gold, he informed Enterprise of his intention of going to a tribunal.
From the very mention of his intention to do this, Enterprise management frequently contacted him with attempts for Adam to change his mind.
He was told Enterprise could afford the very best legal representation, and was he aware how costly these kinds of things can be?
For a young man who had never seen the inside of a court, or let alone parking fines, it was a personal nightmare.
I wasn’t over-shocked at the result of the tribunal. It seemed Goliath was bound to win over David in this particular case.
I do think this case must be an instigator in changing the law to possibly reflect today’s dress and the modern society we now all live in.
As Adam’s father I was overjoyed that he was instantly employed by another major company, who saw the potential of the man, and not concerned about something as trivial as a small hoop of gold!
Richard Cooke, Chidham Lane, Chidham

Well done to Enterprise. Personally, I find men who wear earrings are a great big put-off.  It's all a bit cissyish and pseudo macho, innit.
I have heard it referred to as a ‘confidence booster’. Really?
It’s not a very good image for a trainee manager.
Mind you, I find anyone having a body piercing a bit barbaric.   
J Simnett, Tangmere

CAB debate: do the numbers really add up?
THERE have been several letters about the projected changes to advice services in Chichester and the probable destruction of the long-established, highly-effective Chichester Citizens Advice Bureau.
I wanted to add some numbers to the discussion as they apply to the service given by citizens advice in Chichester.
Included in this service is the help given in the county court to people facing possession proceedings. Many of these people come from outside the Chichester area.
Each year the number of people advised is more than 18,000. Most of the advice is provided by highly-trained volunteers, so this level of service is delivered for only £100,000 of public money each year, That’s a cost of less than £6 per person.
The effect of the Legal Services Commission’s involvement will be to reduce dramatically the number of people advised, probably down to 7,000 each year, at many times the present total cost – estimated to be at least four times the cost.
This means the cost will increase to £60 per person. This seems a poor use of public money, and what about the 11,000 people not advised?
At the end of the projected contract, in three years’ time, there is no certainty the contract will be renewed or, indeed, that the Legal Services Commission will still exist.
Government initiatives come and go. But there will no longer be a CAB to fill the gap.
Let’s have some sense here.
Peter Wilkinson, St Mary’s Meadow, Yapton, Arundel

Working locally, I was sorry to learn Citizen Advice Bureaux may be under threat, as these centres are invaluable in helping local people receive support claiming the right level of benefit, avoiding debt, and accessing tax credits. 
They are also a prime source of support for people who, despite being honest and compliant, have had problems with their tax credit and have received a non-fault overpayment.
Citizens Advice across the country has helped hundreds of thousands of people dispute recovery of such overpayments, and by helping people to have their cases looked at fairly, have saved countless families from unnecessary financial hardship and distress.
The legal help the CAB offers can make the difference between security and well-being, and complete despair.
Should advice services in West Sussex be under threat, casualties of the tax credit system will no longer have access to specialist advice locally, and this would be a huge loss. 
However, anyone affected by threatened recovery of a non-fault overpayment who may be at a loss to know who to turn to, can access advice and peer support through www.taxCC.org , a dedicated, free, national website and self-help service run by and for victims of this flawed system.
It is the website of the user group Tax Credit Casualties, who are helping those in this position to receive justice, and are campaigning for a safer, fairer tax credit system. 
We are not in direct competition, of course, with the CABs and our local MPs, who also do a
great job advocating on behalf of constituents receiving a raw deal, but supplement their work and can offer empathy and support from peers because of our own direct experience of how things can go badly wrong for claimants.
Alison Myers-Ward, Stockbridge Road, Chichester

TO THE POINT
* THE SELSEY Royal British Legion and the Royal Navy Association would like to say a very big thank-you to all the people who supported our veterans’ evening. It was a great success and we raised £1,035. All the money will help our heroes.
I would also like to thank Nature’s Way for their generous donation.
Many thanks to you all.
Margaret Houlton, chairman, Royal British Legion Branch, Meadowlands, Selsey

* I had a ticket for an evening show of The Music Man, but almost felt too tired to go to the theatre.
I am so glad I went because I had a most enjoyable and happy evening. It was an excellent production – slick, vibrant, funny with just an element of pathos. The cast and everyone involved deserved the standing ovation. Thank you CFT.
Wendy Cartey, Lancastrian Grange, Chichester

* REGARDING correspondents’ criticisms of Keith Newbery, I can’t help but believe these people are not on the same planet as the rest of us. Newbery ticks all the boxes for me.
If you believe society is not plagued by feral teenagers, irresponsible parents, fornicating juveniles, mass drug taking, grand-scale binge drinking, out-of-control crime figures and, of course, imbecilic politicians, you need the men in white coats and a stay in the funny farm.
May Keith Newbery long continue with his totally apt appraisals of our crumbling ‘civilisation’.
Walter Wells, Golf Links Lane, Selsey

* I recall a recent radio interview by the author Terry Pratchett. He started his working life as a journalist and freely admitted that, in his opinion, people became journalists because they could not do a proper job.
I had to agree with him – those who can do, those who can’t become journalists and criticise those who can.
G Williams, Mill Lane, Sidlesham

* YES is the answer to Malcolm Knight of Halnaker (Observer letters, last week) to his question whether anyone uses the Tangmere-Boxgrove footbridge.
We have lived in Tangmere for 35 years. We welcome and appreciate the much-needed and long-awaited bridge over the A27.
We regularly worship at the Priory church, use the post office and visit our many friends in Boxgrove.
Incidentally, we have met other bridge users on occasions.
David and Jean Collyer, Tangmere

* Referring to the story Can you crack a secret of strange-looking egg? (Observer, last week), the answer is very simple.
The cause of mis-shapen egg shells is a mis-shaped uterus (shell gland) where the shell is formed.
The mis-shaped uterus can either be a genetical failing, when the bird is born with the impediment, or caused when birds who have been challenged by the infectious bronchitis virus.
Commercial pullets are vaccinated against such problems, but should the field challenge be greater than the vaccine’s immunity, then some birds will suffer from a mis-shaped uterus.
Whether a genetical fault or disease, the uterus never recovers.
Deformed eggs are downgraded at the packing station end.
The internal quality is just as good as any other egg, although during a disease outbreak, or when they get near to the end of lay, the albumen will be more watery.
The few commercial free-range hens that dare to come out on range are at most risk.
David Bland, poultry advisor

Discuss the major issues with us
I would like to invite readers to our next North Chichester County Local Committee (CLC) meeting at Midhurst Primary School, where the timing and format will be slightly different to previous ones.
From 3pm to 4.30pm on Tuesday, July 22, there will be a ‘talk with us’ style event and the theme will be both community safety and also schools issues.
At this ‘talk with us’ event there will be several stalls where people can meet and talk with:
* West Sussex Fire and Rescue Service,
* Sussex Police,
* Members of the county council’s harm reduction, communities and racist incident team,
* Chichester District Council’s community safety team, including obtaining information on community wardens for Midhurst.
There will also be an opportunity for people to chat through their own individual school issues regarding an Academy, age of transfer and extended schools.
Your local county councillors will also be available for discussions.
On this occasion there will be no parking available for the afternoon event or the evening meeting and attendees are asked to park at The Grange car park, a short walk away.
At 5pm the usual formal CLC meeting will begin. Items on the agenda include the West Sussex Fire and Rescue’s consultation on its local emergency response, an update on the DoRiS bus service, community initiative funding and public question time.
Nola Hendon, county councillor for Midhurst division, chairman of North Chichester County Local Committee

Now we need to follow this fine example
Well done Deborah Camp-Simpson and Midhurst Town Council for tackling the plastic bag issue (Observer letters, last week).
We here in Petworth also need to get to grips with this. If only more people were aware of the devastation these plastic bags can cause in the environment and simply took along a textile bag when going to the shops.
It really isn’t difficult to pick up a bag at the same time as a wallet or purse.
While some shopkeepers in Petworth are really showing the way and encouraging shoppers to use re-useable bags, in others, staff still automatically reach for plastic carrier and start loading goods in.
Unhappily, observing from the back of the queue, most people are still taking them.
Please, people of Petworth, think of the marine life that suffers when we litter the seas with our waste, of our streets and landfill sites, strewn with once-used carriers.
Each person’s actions affect our community and the wider world. Please say no to plastic bags!
Keren Robbins, Wyndham Road, Petworth

Our thanks for a fantastic day
On behalf of the organisers of the Fete in the Park, I wish to thank all those who made the day such a success.   
The weather was more than just kind to us – the sun shone brilliantly. We have much to be thankful for.   
I will not attempt to mention everyone who should be thanked, for the list would be too long, but some do deserve a special mention. 
 Thanks must go to the Petworth Area Churches Together for their sterling job in the tea tent.   
Also, without the stewarding provided by the Rotary Club of Midhurst & Petworth, access and parking would not have been nearly as smooth.  
The aim of the organising committee is to act as facilitators to enable the Petworth community to come out and show itself.  
So thanks must go to the many groups and charities who did just that, and helped to provide displays and activities that contributed to making it such an interesting and vibrant event.     
We would like to thank the National Trust, the Leconfield Estate and Lord Egremont for their active support and help.   
And lastly, of course, special thanks must go to you, the public, who came along in great numbers –  without you all the hard work would have been in vain.   
We aim to learn from each event and improve for next year, so if you have any comments and suggestions, please let us know.   
We are also looking for young and enthusiastic helpers to join the organising team!
Tony Sneller, Petworth and District Community Association, Petworth Parish Council Office,
The Old Bakery, Petworth, GU28 0AP

It was tough decision - but we didn't forget you
We would like to reassure readers West Sussex Primary Care Trust (PCT) did consider the people living in Midhurst and surrounding areas when deciding on location for centralising hospital services.
The PCT considered the needs of the large rural population in both the east and west of the county, as well as the urban population along the coast, some of whom would have faced difficult and lengthy journeys because of traffic congestion in these coastal areas.
The PCT acknowledges and understands the concerns that are being raised regarding extended travel times and the lack of infrastructure to cope with such service changes.
However, this will affect a relatively small number of patients, and will be balanced by providing more care in the community while seeking to find ways other services can be located in Chichester to reduce the burden of travel, where possible.
The PCT is investing more in the ambulance service and investigating ways community transport schemes can be supported so people without transport
are not disadvantaged.
The relationship between distance and travel time to hospital and the clinical outcomes for different conditions is complex and an area where the PCT has taken full account of the views of senior clinicians before agreeing the model of care.
Although it is desirable to keep distance and travel times short, this is a significant challenge in a rural county with the current population patterns and the present road infrastructure where travelling to the best centre for your care will sometimes take a little longer.
Deciding on the best location for the centralised hospital services for the population of West Sussex was very difficult. 
We have two very good hospitals but the evidence presented to the Board supported the Worthing geographical location because it provided the best access for the greatest number of people, including those with poorest health outcomes and the highest levels of deprivation.  
Dr Andrew Foulkes, chairman of the Professional Executive Committee, GP,
West Sussex Primary Care Trust