Letters - This bypass is not good news for Poulton

This week's mailbag includes letters on knife crime, transport links... and rubbish
An artists impression of the proposed Poulton junction of the new A585 bypass  with a roundabout now replaced by traffic lightsAn artists impression of the proposed Poulton junction of the new A585 bypass  with a roundabout now replaced by traffic lights
An artists impression of the proposed Poulton junction of the new A585 bypass with a roundabout now replaced by traffic lights

‘Bypass’ is not good for Poulton

I read recently that Paul Maynard MP has again been claiming how hard he has fought to bring what he refers to as the “Poulton bypass” to fruition.

Can I respectfully point out that it is most inaccurate and misleading for him to refer to this road as a bypass for Poulton.

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This new road will bypass Singleton traffic lights and Mains Lane. Under no circumstances will Poulton-le-Fylde be bypassed, nor will the town gain any benefit from this £100million scheme.

I can see that Mains Lane residents will possibly be in favour, but in my broader view it is a fundamentally compromised scheme and a colossal waste of money, concerns that were raised by a number of people during the consultation events that I attended.

With complex junctions and forests of traffic lights at three points, it will run from the existing Windy Harbour junction to Skippool (near the filling station).

At the Windy Harbour end this dual carriageway super highway connects with several miles of narrow, unaltered single carriageway road via Esprick to the M55, which will continue to generate congestion and pollution, a stretch of road that is most in need of upgrading or bypassing. At the Skippool end it merely connects with several miles of single carriageway road all the way to Fleetwood.

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Furthermore, it will necessitate the destruction of swathes of green fields as it sweeps across through an underpass near Singleton Lodge and will cause considerable inconvenience and upheaval during its construction.

A bypass for Poulton it is not. I sincerely hope that it will work.

J Bailie

via email

Make knives just as bad as guns

I think there is a simple, yet effective way to reduce significantly the current knife crime epidemic.

The answer is – define the dangerous knives concerned as, say, ‘attack’ knives. Then simply extend the existing firearms licencing regulations to include such weapons, ie. treat knives as firearms.

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The effect would be to prevent all the manufacturers, wholesalers and retailers of such knives from trading in them, since they are not registered firearms dealers.

The threat of heavy fines would soon force all those dealers to get rid of all their stocks quickly, either by exporting them, selling them to registered firearms dealers who have a small market for such knives for deer-stalkers or surrendering them to the police for destruction.

Since anyone possessing or carrying an ‘attack’ knife would be in breach of the firearms regulations (none of these young thugs could possibly obtain a firearms certificate or shot gun certificate), then they are risking arrest. .

Consider how our draconian firearm regulations have resulted in much reduced and continually reducing use of guns for crime. Just the same would apply to the knives which are causing all the present problems and deaths.

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Making the change would not – as far as I can see – be difficult. Its effect would be immediate, its benefits obvious.

Brian Greenwood

Address supplied

Let’s take pride in our streets

I want to know when a new law is going to be made which will ban bins being left out in ginnels and in front of terraced houses?

This is causing a big problem. They look disgusting, most of the lids are not even closed. Black bags are plonked on the front – people are too lazy to recycle.

I live locally and my front and ginnel are kept clean. I also use a picker to pick rubbish up outside.

I was brought up to be clean and have pride.

Where has people’s pride gone?

Name and address supplied