Little has changed for our planet since the 60s

I read Councillor Clayton’s reservations on the new development of 760 dwellings (Vearse Farm), not forgetting the St Michael’s development, where over 80 more dwellings have also been approved. The ponds causing Mr Clayton concern are meant to be used for excess water storage. From visual inspection alone and realising the development is on a floodplain I am definitely NOT convinced that should a serious storm happen, which is expected, as global warming is still NOT being taken as seriously as it should be, then flooding will occur. If, as Mr Clayton says, the ponds are to be enlarged, there might be hope, although I seriously doubt it, as to do it properly would be very expensive.

It makes me smile when houses are said to be using sustainable timber; yet the felling, transporting, and milling of the timber is as it has always been, (non-planet friendly), unless, of course, there has been a marked change. Solar panels help individual householders, yet the panels are NOT planet friendly to manufacture, transport, install and the materials to save electricity for household use, and to transfer excess electricity to the National Grid have NEVER been planet friendly. Now we have solar farms to contend with. I have never understood how councillors and politicians come up with their destructive ideas. Sewage and farming practices have been at the top of many agendas since I started in the sewer design business in the 1960s, yet continually ignored.

Alan Lindley – retired Chartered Civil Engineer Bridport

There’s a worrying trend developing in the way we purchase some of the simplest things – a cup of tea or coffee, giving our kids pocket money, buying something at a car boot sale, or at Bridport Market. It’s the dawning of a cashless society where our cash transactions will be replaced with

Cartoon by Lyndon Wall

a digital ID card track everying single item of income or expenditure instantly. There will be no grace period of a few days to allow us to adjust, say an overdraft.

No, our overdraft will be immediately monitored, and we will be punished accordingly by having our bank balance frozen. Pocket money for your kids? Not allowed. Spare change for a busker? Oh no!

I walked through the market the other day with my sandwich boards proclaiming that Cash is Freedom. Few people took any notice.

Two of Bridport high street pubs don’t take cash. At West Bay’s Cornish Pastie Company I chose a mouthwatering looking sausage roll and was counting out the cash when I was told, no they don’t take cash either. They lost a purchase.

Cards ican be more convenient than carrying around a bagful of coins. But the implications of losing cash carry dire consequences for our freedom of thinking and of movement. We could also lose our hard-won freedoms which have made our country one of the most tolerant in the world.

Lawrence Moore

The sandwich board man n It was with sadness that I heard a few weeks ago that Michael Cannon had passed away. My sympathy is extended to Sally and other members of his family. I first made the acquaintance of Michael in early 2018 when I approached him about purchasing Sherborne House. At that time, he decided not to do so and gave me his reasons. However, towards the end of that year he did indeed purchase the house through a trust. I was then fortunate, soon afterwards, to meet him and Sally at the House, to be shown around the really run down building and to hear his plans for its future.

We then remained in intermittent contact. I witnessed the change in ideas for the building and was able to support, as a minor player, his ideas with the relevant authorities. It was a real joy a few weeks ago to have another visit and to see the progress that has been made to date. It is impressive. Clearly no expense has been spared and the work ensures the conservation of what is probably the most important secular building in Sherborne after the two castles.

It is a real tragedy that Michael has not seen the completion of the project, but one hopes he felt secure in the knowledge of what it will be like finally. He is leaving a wonderful legacy for the town and indeed the county. The opening of The Sherborne should be a fitting memorial to him and to his mother who was, I understood, the inspiration behind what he wished to achieve.

Peter Neal, President, The Sherborne and District Society CPRE

n Bridport is beautiful, isn’t it? The countryside, the sea, the arts and entertainment scene, the food, the shops.. one could go on. We’re fortunate for sure. A splendid place to live. However, were the town as a whole represented as a human body, we’d have to say Bridport is beautiful but limping. Two of its toes are broken – namely Court Orchard and Skilling. For quite some time these two areas have been listed on the national indices of deprivation as being the highest ranking in the whole of Dorset. Not many people know this. Accompanying low income (and when I say ‘low’ I mean lower than you likely imagine) is a huge lack of dignity. Poverty strips you to the bone and limits a person in so many ways that you might find surprising. Many negative assumptions are made of the spending habits of those living in poverty, and of poor people’s willingness to change. I can confidently vouch that the willingness is definitely there but the opportunities to engage in a long term and sustainable means of change are distinctly lacking. There’s guilt and shame on both sides of the perceived wealth divide. This is the first obstacle to conquer. Poverty and abundance of wealth are both ‘othering’ to some extent, both extremes. It’s a town of strong contrast – many never experience the fine things on offer while others enjoy it as their daily fare. It’s not at all an unusual situation but, if we want Bridport to truly prosper, is it a situation that we want to maintain? Do we want yet another high ranking year on the deprivation indices? I suspect not. The perceived divide is, actually, an illusion – one that we can choose to perpetuate indifferently or work on changing with genuine sincerity. Whether we like it or not, we are all connected to this situation – even if not directly responsible, even if comfortably housed, well fed and safe at home. We are all connected. Guilt will get us nowhere. Action will get us somewhere… where’s it to be?

Jonathan Scott