Letters
The views and opinions expressed on our Letters page are those of the respective authors and do not reflect the opinion of the Syston Town News.
Dear Editor
Fireworks Nightmare
Since October 2025 fireworks have been let off to celebrate Diwali, Halloween, bonfire night parties and any other occasion people can use as an excuse to let them off, including even Syston Town Council, who decided to scare us to death on Friday 28th November when they let off fireworks for their Christmas event.
Does no one consider the distress their actions cause to many, including the elderly, pets, and wildlife?
Next time readers may I suggest that when you are thinking of purchasing fireworks, why not purchase the silent type?
Regards
Local resident
NB: Syston Town Council did put out notices to say that fireworks would go off at 8pm for about five minutes.
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Letter to the Editor – Council changes could make planning worse, not better
Changes to local councils, known as Local Government Reorganisation (LGR), are often discussed as a simply technical exercise, but they could have very real consequences for how planning decisions are made locally.
Current proposals talk about “streamlining” planning, accelerating delivery and moving towards a single Local Plan. That may sound efficient, but residents are right to ask: efficient for who? Faster decisions are not better if they come at the expense of local scrutiny, strong planning conditions or accountability.
Planning departments are already stretched, and merging several councils into one large authority won’t reduce the number of applications being submitted. There is a real risk that planning decisions could be made further away from the places they affect. When decisions are taken by people who don’t know an area well, it becomes harder for local residents to feel heard.
Planning decisions shape everyday life: road safety, drainage and flooding, where homes go, whether schools and GP surgeries can cope, and whether nature is protected. When systems change, people need stronger local safeguards, not fewer.
While many politicians are focused on what a new council map might look like, it is just as important to ask what the whole premise of LGR could mean for our day to day lives, and for a planning system that many residents already feel frustrated by.
Laurie Needham
Local councillor and Syston resident
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Dear Editor
After a challenging 2025/2024 we’d like to send a collective ‘thank you’ (again) from flood affected resident’s to the ‘Syston Community Flood Group’, our local Flood Wardens, and also to the ad-hoc on the day ‘community volunteers’ for all their hard work clearing in and around the brook, it really has been an emotional and physical rollercoaster for many of us and we really appreciate what you’ve done, and continue to do, you have definitely ‘made a difference’ to the brook and to a lot of residents!
Here’s to positivity in 2026!
M&K