Letters to the editor: Farnham's Castle Street planters fail the Craft Town test

The accolade of World Craft Town recognised the centuries-deep and continuing commitment to discerning, authentic and holistic approaches to design and making.

At its heart, this is a commitment to care: for the architectural heritage of our town and the way we add to it over time; being thoughtful about the materials we use – how they emerge from our context, age and increase in beauty over time.

It means being thoughtful about design – not replicating the past but taking cues from it; it means thinking about scale so that new work harmonises rather than competes with what has gone before; and it means valuing makers and original work.

If we are truly to embrace the meaning of Craft Town, we need to be rigorous. We need to own the idea that decisions about the design of the environment are held to high standards. This is because we accept the responsibility and the rewards of a built environment that has outstanding beauty.

Now to the four huge steel planters on Castle Street (and also the numerous black plastic planters).

They respect none of the values and qualities of Craft Town: they are of disproportionate scale, competing for attention rather than blending with their environment; they are made of material that will not age gracefully and has no relationship to the materials found locally in our heritage or natural environment.

To seize the opportunity of Craft Town and become world-leading practitioners of the values it bestows, we need a rethink about how we commission for the public realm.

We need to draw on the formidable expertise of Craft Town practitioners and leaders to strengthen commissioning processes and make every intervention – whether cycle racks, fencing, planters or seating – one that adds value and beauty to our town.

Roni Brown,

Castle Street,

Farnham

So, the Hickleys Corner scheme has been axed. What's new?

I seem to remember that, around 1997, John Prescott, the newly appointed Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions, also cancelled funding for the Hickleys Corner redevelopment.

Let us hope for better luck another 30 years hence.

Peter Walmsley,

Great Austins,

Farnham

As Remembrance Sunday approaches, the Peace Pledge Union is encouraging people to remember all victims of war, civilian and military, by wearing a white poppy at their local ceremony.

Civilians bear the heaviest cost of war. The UN recorded a 40 percent surge in civilian deaths in conflict in 2024 alone, and since the Second World War, civilians have made up an estimated 85 to 90 percent of those killed in armed conflicts.

With recent Ipsos polling showing that nearly one in two Britons (48 percent) say there are no circumstances in which they would be willing to take up arms for Britain, and with conflicts continuing to rage around the world, it's time to look to peaceful alternatives.

This is the message white poppies have carried since 1933, when members of the Co-operative Women's Guild, many of whom had lost loved ones in the First World War, first made them to say "never again".

You can buy your white poppy at ppu.org.uk.

Colin Kerr, Davide Dionisi, Liz Cooke, Revd Matt Harbage, Chris Green,

Council Members,

Peace Pledge Union

On October 15, 1894, Alfred Dreyfus, a Jewish officer in the French army, was arrested on false accusations of treason amid a climate of antisemitism.

The circumstances today are very different, but have we truly learnt the lessons of history if people who stand up for Israel and the Jewish people find themselves treated with suspicion?

What kind of policing is this, when Holly Passmore is questioned about supporting Israel, visiting the country and taking an interest in Jewish issues? Since when has expressing solidarity with Israel been grounds for suspicion?

Meanwhile, British Jews face growing anxiety about antisemitism, including intimidation and hateful rhetoric at some pro-Palestinian demonstrations.

Why does the scrutiny of someone who supports Israel appear so disproportionate? Where is the same determination to confront antisemitism, Islamist extremism and those who incite hatred?

Many British Jews no longer feel welcome or safe in their own country. How can this be acceptable in modern Britain?

The Government must also answer serious questions about national security. Are genuine terrorist threats being identified and prevented? Are those who promote extremism being dealt with firmly?

Police should focus on credible threats, not treat lawful support for Israel as grounds for suspicion.

Israel is the ancestral homeland of the Jewish people and the Middle East's only democracy. Israelis are people too: their lives and families matter, and they have the right to live free from terrorism.

Their suffering should never be dismissed, nor should those who stand in solidarity with them be treated as suspect.

We must not allow antisemitism to become normalised or let hostility towards Israel blind us to the humanity of its people.

A free and democratic Britain must stand firmly against terrorism, antisemitism and intimidation, whoever the perpetrators and whatever cause they claim to represent.

David Lancaster,

Address supplied

Department for Work and Pensions estimates show that £190 million in Disability Living Allowance (DLA) was underpaid in 2025/26.

A separate Department for Work and Pensions analysis estimated £710 million in unfulfilled DLA entitlement, highlighting cases where claimants had additional needs that were not reflected in their awards.

Disability Living Allowance (DLA) is a tax-free, non-means-tested UK government benefit designed to help cover the extra costs of looking after a child under 16 with a physical or mental disability or health condition.

If you are wondering whether your child could qualify for DLA or an increased award, Benefit Answers offers a free check. The assessment is undertaken by a real person, not an AI or website bot.

For your free check, telephone 0333 121 2128.

Victoria Brennan,

Director,

Benefit Answers