Dear Editor

I was flabbergasted to read that the company proposing to build a solar farm in Washford have stated the development is temporary, albeit for 40 years. 

Elgin Energy are appealing against Somerset Council’s decision to reject plans to build a massive solar farm north of Washford.

Since when has 40 years been a temporary span of time? It will blight the lives of generations of people and no doubt, if granted, will be in existence for many years after that.

I hope people agree and will make their objections known to the Planning Inspectorate, which can be made via www.acp.planninginspectorate.gov.uk quoting planning reference number 3337226, before May 2. 

The planners say that comments already lodged are currently being considered and only new comments will be taken into account. A public meeting to discuss the matter, organised by Williton parish council, will be held tomorrow (Saturday, April 27) at Williton Pavillion at 2pm.

Johnny Summers

Watchet

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Dear Sir,

I read your article on Michael Burke receiving ‘scores’ of complaints about the metalheads with some bemusement.  I must have been living a sheltered life, for I’ve yet to hear anyone actually express a dislike of them, whereas I know a great many people who love them for the sense of fun they bring to the town, and who take active pleasure in spotting them. 

And that includes my own friends and family who visit from all parts of the country. Ho hum.

Yours faithfully,

M. Ingall

[email protected]

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Dear editor,  

So at long last Sunak-led Tory government, with its big first-past-the-post majority, has put into law its “illegal” deportation of channel-crossing migrants to Rwanda (not so, if we had PR’s fair proportional representation where seats in the Commons matched the party’s total votes). “Illegal” in that they have gone ahead with it despite the ruling of our Supreme Court that it was not a safe country to send them to and in contravention of our own Human Rights Act of 1998 (adopting 1948’s Universal Declaration of Human Rights, copied by European Convention of Human Rights, both with Britain a leader). Human Rights clearly saying everyone has a right to claim asylum from life threatening persecution and never called “illegal” immigrants in doing so, by whatever means they arrive in Britain.

Thus, Tory party sloganised propaganda about it being a party of ‘christian values’ and ‘rule of law’ is about as big a depravity as its latest  “we have a great plan and it’s starting to work” and “don’t let Labour take us back to plan-less square one“. Marvellous how they think we’re all stupid enough to believe such heavy Party-HQ briefed media ‘spin’?

Back on Wednesday, April 17, the House of Commons rejected all four Lords amendments to the Safety of Rwanda Bill. The fourth amendment was true compassion designed to prevent those who worked with UK military, or government overseas - such as Afghan interpreters - from being sent to Rwanda: this £500 million Tory scheme, costing about £1.8 million per asylum seeker for the first 300 sent to Rwanda, plus same figure in total legal costs to date with all the wrangling. Tories, the party of wasted public funds, ultra high taxes, low wages, cost-of-living crisis, fossil fuel expansion, nuclear madness, crashed public services, climate chaos complacency, and welfare/ disabled benefits cutters.

And to cap it all, at the beginning of 2024, not only us having to digest the cost-of-living debacle of Truss’s very short premiership, but we had the outrageous publication of  her ex-PM’s “honours List”, awarding peerages and other highly paid honours to all her favourite hard-right cronies. This further nail in hard-right Tory MP’s coffins, again clearly shows why they, and others defecting to Reform party’s even worse far-right renaissance, must be part of our coming General election’s scrapheap.     

Yours sincerely,  

Alan Debenham 

Taunton

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Dear Editor

I subscribe to the old testament, abandoned by much of the Church of England!  What an 'erudition' from Andrew Lee, pace Wells Cathedral & 'crass' decision the Acting Dean & Chapter; Alleluia!

The Church of England should transfer its 'ecclesiastical-portfolio' to English Heritage, leaving the 'clergy' to their vocation? None so deaf as the two 'in-house' Archbishops, Lest we forget it was Pastor George/Sir Michael Coleman, who secured the Church Commissioners from bankruptcy.

We're witnesses to the 'dysfunctional' Dean & Chapter, during the interregnum on retirement of Pastor Peter Hancock, the charade of a 'Visitation' the departure to Coventry, Pastor Ruth, the unsuitability the Archdeacon/Acting Dean, hitherto a Home Counties 'ministry' as is the incumbent Pastor Michael! (Somerset folk/laity 'nous' x Im Souls?)

None has caused me more anxiety than the current state of the Church of England and its parishes — especially, but by no means only, its bruised and beleaguered rural ones.

Ich Dien