Letters, contributions and comments sent in from Times’ readers this week.

Thanks for quick action

Trevor Ellis, ChalkHill Road, Wembley, writes:

I am writing to express my gratitude to Cllr Gaynor Lloyd who acted swiftly after I wrote to express my concern about a long standing issue with a food waste bin that hadn’t been emptied for over two months within the Chalkhill Estate.

I was relieved to see on the following day that the remnants of food waste that had been seeping out due to the bin being extremely full, has finally been removed. Due to Cllr Lloyd’s effort local residents will now be able to use the bin again.

Other parts of Chalkhill, environmentally speaking, are showing signs of improvement, thanks to the support, diligence and resolute attitude of Barnhill ward’s wonderful and broad hearted councillor, Gaynor Lloyd.

Feed ‘at risk’ kids in school holidays

Tulip Siddiq MP, shadow minister for Children and Early Years, writes:

Millions of families face the prospect of losing their livelihoods because the government has lost control of the virus.

It’s sink-or-swim plans for support could leave more than one million children at risk of going hungry over the school holidays.

Now is the time to act. Labour will not stand by and let families be the victims of the government’s incompetence.

If Boris Johnson doesn’t change course, we will force a vote and give his backbenchers the chance to do the right thing.

Planning change risks high-street

Dr Alison Moore, Londonwide Assembly member, writes:

The Covid-19 pandemic is not the only threat to our high streets. Amongst the government’s proposals to overhaul our planning system are further attacks on our local shops.

The situation is stark with the Centre for Retail Research finding that almost 14,000 shops across the country pulled down their shutters for the final time, this year alone.

Despite this, ministers have just pushed through an expansion of permitted development rights, enabling retail and office space to be demolished to give way to flats.

These proposals would also remove democratic control from councillors and bar local people from being able to formally object to these schemes.

More permitted development and the gutting of our high streets is not the solution to our housing crisis. The government must urgently have a rethink.

Charity support

Rebecca Melbourne, multiple sclerosis (MS) sufferer, writes:

More than 130,000 people live with MS in the UK, and many rely on services like physiotherapy, speech and language therapy and exercise classes to stay active and manage their condition.

But the MS Society’s new report “Too Much To Lose” shows that since lockdown began, seven in 10 people (69 per cent) with MS couldn’t speak to a rehabilitation professional when they needed to.

Readers can help by asking local health leaders to pledge their support.

To find out more visit mssociety.org.uk/local-health