READERS' VIEWS: Your letters to the Diss Express of Friday, August 3
DISS NEEDS TO FEND FOR ITSELF
Congratulations on the Diss Express' Fair Deal for Diss campaign for highlighting that Diss needs some attention from the authorities.
Unfortunately, their sights are currently on Norwich and everything that feeds its success. Diss is on the periphery and will need to fend for itself.
This means rallying all those who can make a difference, and the Diss and District Neighbourhood Plan Group steering group is trying to do just that.
Diss could do with a unique selling point (USP) to quote some jargon – nothing immediately comes to mind to attract inward investment, however, Diss could easily become a centre of excellence for the arts as a start.
Converting the old school buildings into an arts centre, for instance, would benefit any performers, and possibly provide a permanent gallery site for local artists.
We need to improve access to the train station by public transport and encourage South Norfolk Council to make improvements to the bus station.
The health centres and medical facilities are poorly lacking in investment – there is a perfectly functioning hospital in Eye, Hartismere Hospital, which is underused.
This could be improved to provide local facilities which presently require a visit to the Norfolk and Norwich Hospital; and there is plenty of room here for doctors to provide a better service than is currently being offered.
There are a profusion of ideas being discussed which could make an immediate improvement to the town without major funding; we just need some strong leadership and some good lateral thinkers.
Corinne Moore
Calvers Farm
Thelveton
HEALTH SERVICES LACK FUNDING
Another 6,000 cars on the road, another 4,000 households needing healthcare, another 4,000 households needing water supplies and energy.
Well, in view of the potential 4,000 new homes in Attleborough, I should like to offer my observations on a similar mass housing scheme that has taken place in Oxfordshire, around the market town where I grew up and my father still lives.
The health centre can take on no new patients, anyone as yet unregistered has to hope that they can find another practice somewhere in the county, which could be miles away.
Need a day centre so that a fragile older family member or neighbour can have company and a hot meal? Oxfordshire County Council has closed it. Need to go to hospital? The hospitals in Oxford are bulging at the seams. The condition of the roads is, if anything, worse than those here in Norfolk.
We need to remember that we are living in straitened times as far as spending is concerned, and having new schools and shops won’t help you if you need your appendix out.
Massive housing developments require the provision of extra vital services, and that isn’t going to happen because, let’s not kid ourselves, all that extra council tax from each new property will not be going to the NHS or the care industry.
Andrea Stainsby
Riverside Maltings
Diss
THANKS FOR A PERFECT DAY
On a perfect summer’s day just made for strawberries and cream, 94 wonderful people came to support East Anglia’s Children’s Hospices in Winfarthing.
Diss Friends would like to thank everybody involved in making it such a special day. The women serving tables did a wonderful job, as did our magical scone maker. Tesco in Diss generously provided the strawberries. The event could not take place without the loyalty of our visitors, who all appeared to have a relaxing and enjoyable time.
We look forward to meeting again next year and hope to welcome more than 100 friends for the first time. The day generated a magnificent £1,700, which will go towards supporting the work of the hospice.
David Beale
Diss Friends
KEEP EVERYONE INFORMED
A community self help structure working in partnership of co-operation is needed to develop priorities in each local area.
If councils continue to try to impose their aims without engaging into a structure of self-help society will continue to break down.
Brian Webb
Sturmy Close
Long Stratton
- Your letters are always welcome. Email them to editorial@dissexpress.co.uk; send by post to Diss Express, Norfolk and Suffolk House, Mere Street, Diss, Norfolk, IP22 4AE, or simply drop your letter through the letter box. Please make sure to include your contact details.
