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Not a convincing case

TWO letters (SA 14 May) blame the current housing shortage on our EU membership.

Neither makes a convincing case. The first, by Bill Williams, maintains that "the treachery of the Blair government", and "David Cameron's desperation to please his business pals, rich friends and political cronies" have created a nightmare with the lack of housing.

Somewhat exaggeratedly he says "we are doomed" under "the jackboot of the European Disunion."

I find it hard to understand how our withdrawal from the EU and handing power to the home-grown, incompetent, treacherous politicians he describes in his letter, will solve the housing crisis.

In the other letter, Terry Hayward says the fact that there are 1.4 million people waiting for council housing means "that the EU is not working for the hard working families in Britain."

Here are a few facts that might be worth considering:

Earlier this year the Local Government Association reported that the UK's developers are withholding more than 475,000 housing plots that already have planning permission.

This is nearly five years' worth of building without having to make a single additional planning application.

A deplorable situation, obviously, but it suits the developers very well - some companies have seen their annual pre-tax profits soar by as much as 50 per cent or more.

It is reported that they are increasingly refusing to build for councils unless their profits are guaranteed - at least 20 per cent.

At the same time, tens of thousands of tenanted dwellings are being demolished, to be replaced by new ones for sale at "unaffordable" prices.

It is clear the developers have a stranglehold on the housing market, and they are making the most of it.

Greed of this kind will continue to make the majority of "affordable homes" a pipe-dream.

And it will continue whether we remain in the EU or not.

BASIL JONES

Grosvenor Road, Old Town, Swindon

....

Stay in or come out?

IN OUT, in out, shake it all about. Do we stay in, do we come out? I have no idea which way to vote in the referendum.

It seems both sides have reasons why it's best to remain and equally why it will be a catastrophe if we leave.

We have been besieged with various Adver correspondents, arguing for both camps, plus all the leaflets through the door.

We can never go back to the great Empire days, nor even to the '50s and '60s. Time has moved on. But it's been a one-way trade system. Our factories have closed and the mines - coal is now imported. Our milk comes from France. We buy their apples, we send them our best Cox's.

Farmers are regulated by the EU. Our car industry has been taken over by the Germans. We make very little now.

In the shops everything seems to be made in China - even Christmas stuff. (I know it's not in the EU, but they're doing well).

What amazes me is the £350 million per week we pay to the EU. Where on earth does this come from? Is it just Britain that pays this? I can't imagine Greece or Bulgaria forking out the same. They say this is the cost of building a new hospital every week, can you see this happening if we did leave?

I am surprised we were never forced to adopt the Euro, though we changed to metric - which is still a mystery to me and many others over the age of 60.

You mention half-crowns to youngsters today and you could be talking about groats or farthings! In out, in out, do we stay in or do we come out?

VAL HEMMENS

Common Platt, Swindon

....

We'll need a hospital

I HAVE just read that 8,000 new homes will be built to the east of the A419 and a 2,600-home development at Lydiard.

If you consider the numbers of people that will live there and estimate that two per house, plus children, will inhabit these homes you are looking at upwards of 10,600, plus an equal or twice the number of children.

My question is: Where will the new hospital be built?

The GWR does its level best and does give incredible service (my wife was taken in with chest pains at midnight and stayed in two days).

Either the planners are going to ignore this problem or they are going to have to need to start building euthanasia centres for people like myself at age 73.

I remember when we had five hospitals in Swindon when it was much smaller and the military hospital at Wroughton took the overspill.

I understand the Wichelstowe development has ground to a halt. I never did see the shopping centre behind the Piper’s Way roundabout built.

More and more houses are being built and all of them are connecting to the Victorian sewage system. Where do the developers think that the sewage will go to be purified?

So far I have seen nothing to say that this is being thought about, let alone built.

The other day my wife needed to be taken to the GWR for an outpatient appointment. She left our house near the Piper’s Way roundabout at 12.50pm and joined the queue at the Coate roundabout.

She got into the hospital at 1.30pm.

Whose bright idea was it to build behind the hospital and have one opening in and out on to Marlborough Road?

Visions of the future? Think about another 20,000 cars trying to get into Swindon of a morning. When will the first flyovers make their appearance?

Oh, and don’t forget, we also have to make room for the Wilts and Berks Canal.

BARRY E WOODHAM

Scotby Avenue, Old Town, Swindon

....

Monarchy referendum

NEXT month we shall all vote on whether or not to remain in the EU.

Let's have another referendum: Whether to scrap the monarchy; they have become an awfully expensive pantomime to maintain.

What do readers think?

STEVE NIBBS

Milton Road

Swindon

....

While Chancellor Osborne imposes tough austerity measures on the country, especially on the poor and

vulnerable, stating: ‘we are all in this together’, it seems that all along it hasn’t applied to him.

More than £40,000 was spent, courtesy of the taxpayer, on his grace-and-favour flat in Downing street on maintenance and refurbishment while he continues to slash public sector spending.

Add to this the fact that he has been renting out his London property for £60,000 a year for several years and the words ‘all in this together,’ pale.

Osborne’s hypocrisy is breathtaking.

Jeff Adams

Bloomsbury Swindon

Heading here

Dear Editor:

The Booklet issued by HM Govt. shows a picture of beside the chjapter of “What happens if we leave the EU “ proclaiming years of uncertainty if we dare leave the EU.

Wonderful picture which unfortunately shows berths 8 & 9 at the Port of Felixtowe of cargo sent by our trading partner China.

Another reason for ignoring the scaremongering being put out officially by the desperate comedians “ David and Geerge

Step aside the two Ronnies!! Wer now have a new breed of Political comedians

Sincerely,

Ian Hunt 32 Hill View Rd

SN3 4HZ