YET another morning on which it is impossible to face breakfast due to the the appalling stink that fills the house, emanating from the sewage works at the Hythe, Colchester.

This happens time and time again, and has been going on for years.

Old Heath Residents’ Association, as well as members of the public, have complained an infinite number of times.

At a public meeting organised by the the residents’ association many years ago, Anglian Water and Colchester Council were both represented.

Promises were made to look into ‘ways and means’ while comments and suggestions from the floor were laughed to scorn.

Nothing whatsoever has been done. Anglian Water’s excuse? Not enough people have complained.

Of course, they won’t bother since complaints are ignored.

The strength of this stink, even two miles distant, has to be experienced to be believed.

I have called the Anglian Water customer services, whose number is shown on water bills and payment booklets.

Calls to the Haven Road works went unanswered. Perhaps the staff there have passed out due to the stench.

The stout-hearted bus drivers, who are well accustomed to stress, can be seen to turn pale when passing through certain parts of Old Heath during an episode of stench, and yet it goes on happening.

I would ask all my fellow sufferers enduring a house flooded with this dreadful stink that gets into your throat and makes you afraid to even go into your garden, stand up and be counted. Complain.

Organise a rally, have a march - but let us do something.

David Morton West Street, Rowhedge

  • We do not want to lose green fields

I READ with interest the letter from Martin Goss in support of the Draft Local Plan and also the rather vague letter from several Wivenhoe councillors on the same subject.

What these elected representatives seem not to be grasping is that many residents do not want three huge new towns to be built on the countryside around Colchester at all.

True consultation means listening to people’s views rather than setting the parameters of any discussion first by diktat so that people may contribute ideas on how to deliver the new towns but not say: “We don’t want them. No. Stop.”

There is little in the local plan about utilising the space above shops, which the Green Party is proposing.

I notice Mr Goss is a councillor for Mile End, a ward where residents have already had to put up with a large amount of development of green space in recent years.

Unfortunately, the local plan will not stop ad-hoc development, despite what the borough council will claim, because they don’t want to to stop it.

The purpose of a local plan is to control development by identifying where local communities want it to go rather than the developers and so preventing a free-for-all.

Unfortunately the current council is doing neither. It is waving through developments all over the borough and also producing a local plan which aims to increase the population by 18,400 people by 2032, a level of development way above local need.

There is no specific detail in the local plan regarding the NHS, it is inadequate to imply widening the A12 and A120 will solve all of the further congestion and there is also very little in the plan about rail travel.

Colchester Council should be fighting our corner on these issues.

I’m sure Mr Goss and his colleagues are nice people, but nice is not good enough when dealing with property developers and central government.

Mark Goacher Morant Road, Colchester

  • Donating blood is an amazing thing

Considering the lack of blood donors did you know that a lot of Paralympians owe their lives and their second chance to blood donations?

Next time you see a Paralympian coursing around the track think of the blood coursing through your veins and think about what amazing things could be done and lives that could be saved with your blood donation.

To be a blood donor call 0300 123 23 23 or visit blood.co.uk Dale Sencier Marine Parade East, Clacton Carousel was an absolute joy Like Geoff Osborne, my friend and I also thought the CO2 performance of Carousel at the Mercury Theatre in Colchester was amazing.

They had a well deserved standing ovation on the evening we were there.

The singing and acting was superb... an absolute joy.

More of the same please CO2!

Karen Thompson James Close, Wivenhoe

  • Peel was built on the Isle of Man

Friday`s Gazette (September 23) showed two cars, stating they were built in the UK.

Gazette:

The Peel P50, of course, was not built in the UK but in Peel on the Isle of Man by the Peel Engineering Company in a small factory, in the early Sixties The Isle of Man is not part of the UK. It has its own Government, called Tynwald, the oldest Government in the world.

Yvonne Smith Glebe Road, Kelvedon