SIR – Lydia Johnson’s report “Is parking at the hospital about to get even worse?” (Worcester News, November 11 ) is 700 words long and not a single one mentions bus services to and from the hospital.
I have sympathy for people who need to drive or be driven to the hospital. but I have absolutely none for the rest.
The report gives instances of people parking in Warndon villages and then walking to the hospital, and others who spend long periods driving around looking for a space to park from which they presumably walk to their destination under their own steam.
I counted 69 journeys available by the 31 series of buses from stand E in the bus station to the hospital in a day. They stop a few yards adjacent to the main entrance. 
The cost of a bus ticket is cheaper than the parking fee. Other buses that travel along Newtown Road can stop a five-minute walk away from the hospital.
In two years of attending the hospital for various appointments, tests and treatments, I have never once missed an appointment or been late for one, because I use the bus service.
Out of consideration for people who need to use a car to get to the hospital, the rest should leave their cars at home, or if they have to, drive to the Crowngate and park in the multi-storey and catch a bus to the hospital.
PETER NIELSEN
Worcester

Divert cash to ease the effects of development 
SIR – You will be aware of the proposals by Messrs Bloor Homes (Western) Ltd to seek planning permission for up to 965 new homes (this figure varies from 1,400 to 2,150 new homes in their publicity material and on their website) and additional development at Temple Laugherne in St Johns.
I am concerned at the size and nature of the development, which will generate substantial increases in traffic throughout the St Johns area. 
 In particular, the proposals indicate that traffic from the development will be serviced from Oldbury Road and Martley Road.  
Both roads access the St Johns area directly from the surrounding countryside.  They are essentially rural in character and in some places tortuous access routes into the city.  
Bloor Homes have indicated that they are prepared to provide £8 million of funding for the Worcester Transport Strategy, the bulk of which will be used towards Phase 4 of the A4440 Worcester Southern Link Road improvements.
Perhaps the monies should be better used to ameliorate the traffic effects of the proposed development. 
Alternatively, allocate the monies towards the continuation of the Western Ring Road at its northern end, which could relieve traffic generated by this development. 
 In any event, it is quite wrong to use development monies proffered by the developer, to assist in making their scheme more acceptable (presumably, that is why they offered the money); to be used for a development sited several miles away, which will have little impact in relieving traffic in this part of St Johns.
Should these monies be used for the Southern Link Improvements, however urgent and necessary these works may be for Malvern and the promised jobs in the industrial parks, it will condemn residents in Martley Road and Oldbury Road areas of the city to increased traffic, noise and pollution for the foreseeable future.  
It took over 20 years to amass the land and develop the City Walls road.  In the present and foreseeable financial climate I cannot imagine any traffic relief from this development for the residents in this part of St Johns, for decades to come.
I doubt Ron Carrington would have approved.
INGLIS THOMSON 
Worcester

Opposition needed 
to Government cuts
SIR – In the Worcester News on November 10, Sander Kristel from Worcestershire County Council said that “we’re on a journey and expect to be commissioning significantly more of our services”. 
What percentage of these services will be run by “voluntary groups, mutuals and social enterprises run by ex-staff”?
 Would it be fair to say that mention of these options is a deliberate attempt to divert attention from the county council’s agenda to privatise services, while at the same time increasing our council tax? 
The county council ought to be opposing Government cuts, but as it agrees with the rapid abolition of the welfare state, it won’t.
The winners will be shareholders and chief executives, not us. When a former Conservative Prime Minister publicly expresses his shock at the levels of inequality in this country, you know something is wrong.
NEIL LAURENSON
Worcester Green Party

Britain has no room to take in more refugees
SIR – I must respond to Geraldine Lowman’s letter (November 9). I see she says it’s a small number (20,000 over the next five years) of refugees coming to our small country.
 I think this is plenty. As I have said before, most people do feel sorry for these people, especially the children. 
She says it’s the bishop’s duty to speak for them.  What about it coming from his heart, not the bishop’s duty?  
We have no room to take in many more. There are too many people sticking their noses in. Let the Government decide. Stop preaching the Bible to us.
If you feel so strongly about these people, then take them into your own homes. 
As Geraldine said, “love thy neighbour”. Think of those who loved our soldiers when they were being killed in Iraq and Afghanistan.
A lot of refugees are from these countries, the very places our boys were killed. So don’t preach “love thy neighbour” as yourself. Yes, they are human beings, but we don’t want them. 
They have camps on the borders, food, water, and shelter. That’s more than our own people on the streets have and no one feels sorry for them!
MRS C ROBERTS
Worcester

Ugly block is a blight we can do without
SIR – What a great restoration to the waiting room at Shrub Hill Station, but it’s sad the front of the building is obscured by that ugly block of concrete and glass, 
Before it was built, there was a panoramic view of Worcester. 
I hope the scaffolding round the block is a sign of the first stages of demolition and am sure Mr Pencroft’s fleet of lorries would take it away.
SUE WHITEHEAD
Worcester