LETTERS

5:33pm Friday 29th February 2008

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Schools policy not based on educational needs AS a group of supporters of Lydbury North Primary School, many with children at the school, we are writing to express our strong objections to the school organisation policy and its effects on Lydbury North School.

The policy enacted on December 14 still stands and affects each and every primary school in Shropshire, with drastic consequences for those with less than four classes. We do not understand how the cabinet members of Shropshire County Council can express serious regrets about the whole policy and consultation process yet still go ahead with plans for amalgamations and give only a temporary reprieve for the 22 schools that were on the closures list. If the process was flawed why are amalgamations being pursued?

Education minister, Steven Byers, said on February 28, 1998: closing a village school can be a death-blow to the community.When a school closes, the village can lose a vital focus. Children spend longer travelling to other schools. Young families will come under pressure to move elsewhere. School closures can have a knock-on effect on other services, like village shops, setting up a spiral of decline.' This is what we want to stop. So we ask that any proposal by a Local Education Authority to close a rural school will be called in to the Secretary of State for decision.

Government policy now states a presumption against closure of rural schools.

A guide for local authorities and governing bodies dated January 21, 2008, states that the local authority must consider: the likely effect of the discontinuance of the school on the local community.' We ask that the county council gives substantial further consideration to this issue and only makes a decision on the future of the policy once it is completely satisfied that closing rural schools will not have an effect on the viability of rural communities.

Lydbury North has had a primary school for 340 years, families migrate to the village solely because it has a good primary school, we believe the loss of the school will kill the village spirit and result in yet another retirement only community.

We believe that the policy and, inevitable subsequent closures, is not based on the educational needs of children in Shropshire and does not consider the long term needs of rural communities.

Shona Bluhm, Church Cottages, Lydbury North.

Hearty round of applause for the volunteers AFTER Dr Pahl's (somewhat hastily convened) meeting I, as a fellow member of the Wasteless Society, support him wholeheartedly in his intention to open a wider debate and communication on the urgency of climate change both locally and nationally.

I do feel though that he was unfortunate and misguided in publicly criticising the implied lack of action' in our group. He might have been more effective if he himself had offered at any time in the last two or three years to volunteer for one of our practical projects such as the Crowgate recycling centre, the Household Energy Service or the Ludlow Communication for Climate Change, all of which are crying out for more help and fresh support. The volunteers at Crowgate battle away with sorting plastics and cardboard by hand and trying to deal with flytipping on the site week after week and do not deserve the epithet of smug complacency' but instead should have a hearty round of applause for their unsung, unrewarded efforts.

Similarly, the HES volunteers who carry out surveys and tirelessly do their best to spread the message of the need for energy conservation, without preaching and alienating people by being Greener than thou' as he put it, also deserve our praise and support. None of us are complacent about what we are trying to do and we all know there is a desperate need for more action if we are to make any difference to anything in this mad consumerist world.

Dr Pahl's idea to propose a regular Green column' in the Marches regional newspapers, with entries from interested and informed local (or national) contributors is a brilliant one and I'm sure I join with all of our members in supporting him in making this happen. He also suggested a Green' lobbyist to monitor and chivvy our local councils. This too is well worth supporting, I'm sure our councillor Peter Phillips, not to mention our Mayor, Jim Gaffney, a recent Green Party candidate and himself a director of the Wasteless Society, will find this an extremely innovative idea.

Kate Evans, Mainstone, Bishops Castle.

Best for residents to accept the decision IN relation to traffic problems in and around Ludlow brought about by the temporary closure and bridging of lower Corve Street as a result of the floods, I understand there is a move to make the road a one-way system as a temporary measure until the new Burway Bridge opens, scheduled for December.

It is clear the best way forward in the short-term is for the residents to accept the decision. This is on the basis of the need to be public-spirited in the face of an emergency, notwithstanding the dreadful disruption to lives.

Could this be a smokescreen to allow the road to be opened up permanently to through traffic?

The continued closure of lower Corve Street was causing a serious traffic problem for the whole of Ludlow and not just to the local residents in St Mary's and others who oppose its continuing closure.

The problems of traffic from the arterial A49 converging on Ludlow from the two main acccess points into the town is made worse by the need for access to heavy lorries.

Suggested improvements include an additional roundabout at Coronation Avenue in the vicinity of Ludlow's main school but this could bring safety implications.

It is not at all clear to me in all of this how Ludlow town's current traffic problems, bad as they no doubt are, can begin to be solved by the opening up of lower Corve Street, which is designated 'access only'.

The intention would be to make lower Corve Street a one-way street for the duration of the bridge building work and thereafter for the matter to return to the drawing board for further consideration.

Susan Stuckey, Corve Street, Ludlow.

Memories of a fair-haired boy from London A recent TV programme shown here featured the town of Ludlow and St Laurence's Church and it brought back memories of long ago of my childhood when I was about five years old.

I had been an evacuee. Sadly I only stayed a short while before returning to London where within a week I lost both my mother and father in the Blitz. Times of course were hard and I was moved a few times until after the war ended. Then I was sent to Australia where I have remained all these years.

I cannot recall the name of the rather elderly lady who cared for me so well during my short happy stay in Ludlow. I just wonder if anyone might remember a small fair-haired boy from war-torn London. I can understand due to the passage of time the likelihood is remote, still miracles do happen and it would be wonderful to hear from anyone. If you can publicise this letter I offer my sincere thanks.

John Thornton Unit 5, 24 Midlands Drive, Ballarat 3350, Victoria, Australia.