14 Herald, Thursday, September 3, 2009 (H) www.harlowherald24.co.

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INBOX Your letters and e-mails Thanks Lorna HARLOW Fears over high fuel costs CITIZENS
SIR Can I reply back and make comment on the rather personal attacks on Cllr Lorna Spenceley by a gaggle of vindictive Tory councillors. Cllr Spenceley has moved to a village an hour away, she has decided that she wants to complete the four-year term of office she was elected to serve, it has just nine months to run. Unlike many other councillors, Lorna is not a quitter, she is well aware of the requirements needed for this task, I say good for you Lorna! The fact she wants to complete the commitment made to the people of Staple Tye is something that should be praised, not attacked. Lorna has history going back decades with the town she loves, has family members still living or working in the town and can complete a commitment made to the people of her ward, why is this something to attack her with? I thank her for all her work, past, present and future. We should all wish her well in her new life to come when her term of office ends. Finally, to her petty opponents I say, Drag yourselves out of the gutter! Robert Thurston, deputy leader Liberal Democrat group on Harlow Council SIR Every time I fill my car up with petrol I have a renewed sense of dread as prices seem to be going ever upwards substantially by the day. My car is diesel (a Kia), and recently when I was in Darlington fuel was 1.01 a litre. Last week passing a BP garage in Central London, diesel was 1.09 per litre. Admittedly, BP is usually the most expensive petrol company, but nevertheless the huge price represented a sign of things to come. If the price increases were not bad enough, Prime Minister Gordon Brown seems determined to go ahead with petrol tax increase of 2.3p from September 1. The Labour Government continues to penalise the motorist time and time again. This latest increase could not come at a worse period particularly as so many people are struggling to pay the bills because of the state of the economy. What is astonishing is that fuel prices indicate that we in England, he believes previous correspondents are dishonest. In fact, the Save Passmores Action Group has sought to bring greater clarity about the so called relocation of Passmores to as wide a group of people as possible. What Mr Lowry fails to recognise is the basic injustice of the situation. Why should a school which was forced to close because of lack of

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Fuel prices appear to be on the increase again pay 20 per cent more on petrol than most of our European neighbours because we have higher taxes to pay. The question is, are we going to see fuel prices, reach the horrific prices of last year? And if so, what on earth will be the effect on our faltering economy? It doesnt bear thinking about. I tend to find that the cheapest garage for me in Harlow seems to be the Shell station on the A414, just off the M11. The only catch is that sometimes the pumps are empty, and only the more expensive premium fuel is available. Robert Halfon, prospective Conservative MP for Harlow, Hastingwood, Nazeing, Roydon and Sheering No-one has ever cast doubt on the abilities of the current teaching staff of Passmores, but none of us can be sure for how much longer any of them may be around. This has nothing to do with merits or otherwise of the individuals, but with the justice of the decisions that are made and the accountability of those that make them. G M Allen, Morley Grove, Harlow

School move
SIR Mr Lowrys letter last week, School clarity (Herald, August 20) seemed to offer anything but clarity itself. He fails to tell us in what way

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support, be rewarded by the provision of a brand new building? Meanwhile people who supported their school are to lose it with pupils facing a longer, more hazardous and more costly journey. That is if they can gain admission to it. Mr Lowry speaks of hoping that his child gets a place at Passmores next year, and not minding the extra mile on the journey. For those children who have just finished year one at primary school and live in the Passmores area they will find it increasingly difficult to gain access to the new school because of current admission criteria. This despite the promise made by chair of governors Paul Beashel at a public meeting that priority for admissions to the new school would be given to In association with those in the Passmores area in perpetuity. Rev Dennis Nadin raises an interesting point regarding this whole affair, deserves to be recognised? and characteristically made no reference to his own circumstances but sought to address the wider Sports Personality of the Year issues. Speculation was expressed when the relocation was first Young Sports Personality suggested that it had more to do with Harlow College Disability Award seeking university status. This point was put to Bill Rammell MP at a meeting Services to Sport and he said the plan was, apparently, to move on to Young Community Volunteer the Passmores site and have 10,000 students at the end of the decade. Lifetime Achievement

Confusing ads
SIR Parents and students in the Harlow area may well be very confused following the advertisement that appeared last week for Harlow schools stating that they all offer educational provision from ages 11-18. At the same time on their new website Harlow College announces that all its A-levels will be taught at Harlow College. There may also be confusion because of the lack of consultation concerning the reshaping of post 16 education and the absence of Harlow College governor minutes from the website since March. My worst fears are that parents and students are suddenly finding themselves travelling around Harlow or being taught by itinerant teachers. The recreation of sixth forms in Harlow looks more and more like the failed consortia experiment of the past. Instead of the schools and college talking about pride and excellence, perhaps they could spell out what is actually going to happen to sixth-formers. Keith Watson, Bishops Avenue, Bishops Stortford

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My daughter and her boyfriend lost money when the tour operator they had booked their holiday with went bust some months ago. Since then theyve been trying in vain to get a refund, but have almost given up as they seem to be getting nowhere despite endless phone calls and e-mails. Is there anything more they can do? The first thing to check is whether your daughter and her boyfriend bought a package holiday (this includes at least two of these elements: transport; accommodation; other tourist services that are a significant component of the deal, and its prearranged and was sold for an inclusive price, and it lasts more than 24 hours or includes an overnight stay). They might have bought accommodation and travel from separate companies. If its a package there are regulations that cover things like your rights to certain information before the holiday, cancelling if the dates or price are changed, and a scheme to protect your money and get you home if the tour operator goes bust. If you book a package holiday which includes air travel you should be protected by the Air Travel Organisers Licensing (ATOL) scheme. This means you should be refunded for the full cost of the holiday if you have not yet travelled. If you have travelled, the protection scheme the operator is using should meet the costs of the rest of your holiday, for example the cost of the hotel if the operator hasnt paid them, so you do not have to come home early. If arrangements cannot be made for you to complete the holiday, or the airline goes bust when you are away, the scheme should make sure that you are not stranded. If your package holiday was booked through a retailer, such as a travel agent, you should be offered an alternative holiday. Details of how to make a claim under the ATOL scheme can be found on www.atol.org.uk. If your daughter and her boyfriend paid for their holiday by credit card, and it cost more than 100, they may be able to make a claim to the credit card company. They should also check whether their travel insurance covers them. If they have tried getting their money back through the scheme their tour operator is using without success, they should get advice and help on what their options are now from a CAB adviser (see the website adviceguide.org.uk for more information and contact details of your nearest CAB) or Consumer Direct (consumerdirect.gov.uk).
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