Beach Ward Page

Cllr. Nick Wiltshire

Cllr. Dr. James Walsh

Letter regarding closure of Littlehampton Hospital.

Beach ward is represented by two Liberal Democrats.

Nick Wiltshire has been your councillor since 2003 and can be contacted on 724209. Dr. James Walsh has been your councillor since 1976 and can be contacted on 773771.

If you have any issues you want to raise, please don't hesitate to contact either of them. If you want to help them represent you and your neighbours in Beach ward please register with this site and James and Nick will be in touch.

Councillor Nick Wiltshire monitoring the speed of traffic in Norfolk Road with ward resident Stephanie Bolt of the Beach Town Action Group and helpers!

Letter to Littlehampton Gazette

A measure of a civilised society is the way it treats its' frail & vulnerable citizens. I am concerned that with energy bills continuing to rise by percentages at levels last seen in the 1970s all members of our community are being hard-pressed financially, especially those on fixed incomes, meaning the aged & the vulnerable in our society. Under a so-called Socialist Government this is indeed a sad indictment. When water bills could rocket by more than 50% I wonder how much worse things are going to get?

Why should existing householders have to fund the additional burden posed by new housing developments for the provision of water? How can a government allow privately-owned foreign utility companies to get away with these outrageous increases to basic necessities of life in a civilised society?

It is now clear that Mrs Thatcher did indeed did sell off the family silver. It was a huge con-trick perpetuated by the Conservatives and we are certainly paying for it now in so many ways. It is an absolute disgrace that we have homeless people in Littlehampton having to rely on the services provided by charitable organisations, such as Homelink. However, the true picture is even worse. There are the "hidden homeless" such as those who "sofa surf" just to get a roof over their head for the night. Successive Conservative and Labour Governments have a lot to answer for and should be held accountable at the ballot box.

Remember come next year's County Council elections how elderly residents in particular are being put at risk now by Conservative-controlled West Sussex County Council due to its' backlog of repairs to pavements of nearly £19.5 million, of which £2.2 million relates to Arun alone. The safety and welfare of residents in our community, particularly the frail and the vulnerable should be the priority for governments be they national or local, but in truth are not!

Cllr. Nick Wiltshire. 6th September 2008.

Letter to Littlehampton Gazette

I refer to the letter from JI Hughes in last week's Gazette entitled "High standard of hospital treatment." Having had an operation last Thursday in Worthing Hospital, which fortunately only necessitated an over-night stay, I have to say that I could not have been looked after better. I would like to thank the all the staff there for their dedication & professionalism as well as their personal touch & kindness. Many of our Public Service workers are simply taken for granted, often by Government Ministers, & in our topsy-turvy world do not receive the reward for their true worth, unlike some over-paid footballers & City slickers. The likes of Alan Sugar have stated that they are quite prepared for the Government to tax them more so that the frail & vulnerable in our society are properly cared for, provided that the taxation system is transparent. In a civilised society, the guiding principles of the taxation system should be that it is clear & easy to understand, cheap to administer & that taxes are fair as well as being seen to be fair. It cannot be right that a person receiving an annual income of £50,000 is taxed at the highest marginal rate of tax of 40%, the same as someone receiving £0.5million a year, or even someone who is getting £5million. It is an even sadder fact that the gap between the richest & the poorest in our society has actually widened under this so-called socialist government. So despite all their spin-doctors' tales, the truth is that rich have got richer, the poor have got poorer & the hardworking families in-between have been deceived. Do not despair though, for there are those who care, who have consciences & know that what has happened in the last few decades has not been in the best interests of all who inhabit these islands. There are those who want the aims & aspirations of the average Brit to be met, where the elderly are properly cared for, where the vulnerable are protected & where everyone is treated respectfully & fairly in all matters. Change can happen by people voting for it but to be able to vote at all people must first complete & return their Electoral Registration Forms.

Nick Wiltshire. 25th September 2008.

Letter to West Sussex Gazette

Having recently had an operation in Worthing Hospital, I have to say that I could not have been looked after better so I would like to thank all the staff there for their dedication & professionalism as well as their personal touch & kindness. Many of our Public Service workers are simply taken for granted & in our topsy-turvy world do not receive the reward for their true worth, unlike some over-paid footballers & City slickers. The likes of Michael Winner, however, have stated that they are quite prepared for the Government to tax them more so that the frail & vulnerable in our society are properly cared for, provided that the taxation system is transparent. The guiding principles of our taxation system should be that it is clear & easy to understand, cheap to administer & that taxes are fair as well as being seen to be fair. A measure of a civilised society is the way it treats its' frail & vulnerable citizens. I am concerned that with energy bills continuing to rise by percentages at levels last seen in the 1970s all members of our community are being hard-pressed financially, especially those on fixed incomes.

Under a so-called socialist government it is indeed a sad indictment that the richest live on average 10 years longer than the poorest in our society. The truth is that rich have got richer, the poor have got poorer & the hardworking families in-between have been deceived. When water bills could rocket by more than 50% I wonder how much worse things are going to get? Why should existing householders have to fund the additional burden posed by new housing developments for the provision of water? How can a government allow privately-owned foreign utility companies to get away with these outrageous increases to basic necessities of life in a civilised society? With the sale of council houses as well, it is now clear that Mrs Thatcher did indeed did sell off the family silver. It was a huge con-trick perpetuated by the Conservatives & we are certainly paying for it now in so many ways. Why are elderly residents in particular being put at risk by Conservative-controlled West Sussex County Council due to its' backlog of repairs to pavements of nearly £19.5 million. The safety & welfare of residents in our community, particularly the frail & the vulnerable should be the priority for governments, national or local, but in truth are not!

Nick Wiltshire. 24th September 2008.