SIR - What is happening?

Years ago Skipton council spent many hundreds of thousands of pounds to take over the control of Skipton Market, new by-laws were introduced by the council.

This was supposed to make the market run more smoothly; what a joke and a waste of money.

Some of the new by-laws were that two feet should be left between stalls for access to the pavement for pedestrians and more importantly emergency services.

I also believe that four feet should be left at the back of the stalls so that the stallholder's vehicles could be parked off the road whilst unloading.

No cars were to be parked on the setts on market days even if there were no stalls. And a market superintendent was to be appointed to implement these new laws.

So what do we see now: Very few gaps between stalls; no space at the back of many stalls; vehicles park on the road side of the yellow lines in some cases causing single file traffic. Even worse at the top roundabout vehicles park with their back doors onto the setts, leaving the most part of the vehicle blocking the roundabout and bringing it down to single file. We regularly see cars on the setts.

Lastly, what happened to the market superintendent; whoever it is they don't seem to do their job.

The market seemed to run a lot better when Keith Schofield wondered round stalls collecting rents etc and acting as an agent for the shop frontage.

Gordon Fothergill,

Brackenley Crescent,

Embsay.

SIR - Skipton Town Council and Craven District Council are working in partnership with the local community on a wide range of environmental improvements and initiatives within the town.

As part of these plans we are considering entering Skipton in the 2005 Yorkshire in Bloom competition.

With this in mind, I would like to invite anyone who is interested to attend an initial meeting to be held on Thursday January 20 at Skipton Town Hall.

The chairman of Yorkshire in Bloom, Maurice Baren, will give a slide presentation, highlighting how other towns have benefited from entering the competition.

Ideally we hope that a "Skipton In Bloom" Committee could be formed to support the initiative, comprising of enthusiastic residents, businesses and representatives of other sectors of the community. The committee would hopefully work to engage the local community and in turn help make Skipton a more attractive town for residents, visitors and workers.

If anyone cannot attend the meeting but would like to be involved further with this project please contact me and I will be happy to keep you in touch with developments.

For more information, either contact me directly (phone 794357), or contact Patricia McLaughlin, development assistant, Craven District Council on 706312.

Chris Aldred

Skipton Town Centre Manager,

2nd Floor, 49 High Street,

Skipton

SIR - That's what this town needs - people like Tony Barrett, the president of Skipton Chamber and Trade, a man who has some idea just what the people of Skipton and Craven want, a man who has been trading in this town for many years and who has the foresight to realise just what a new state of the art Tesco superstore would bring to the town.

What this town doesn't need is a man like the short sighted planning officer who probably doesn't even live, let alone shop in the town, to tell us, the people of Skipton and Craven, what we should or shouldn't have.

Myself, and probably thousands of others, are sick to death of driving past that abhorrent eyesore that was once the former thriving Esso station on Keighley Road, and if that's what the planning officer calls a conservation area then he must be going to the same opticians as David Blunkett.

Tony Barrett is spot on when he says it would bring people into the town to spend money in our local shops, and what's even more important to the town is the 90 jobs that this new development would create. If I had my way some council officers would be applying for one now!

Kirk Humphreys

Hurrs Road, Skipton.

SIR - I agree with the planning officer that the new design for the Tesco supermarket is far from anything special. Certainly it fails to even approach its great rival (Skipton-wise) of Morrison's.

Still, it seems to me the Tesco store in Skipton has been a pale imitation, in terms of range and quality, of most of its other stores and most customers would, I feel, welcome an upgrade.

I note that the building is on the site of the first Skipton railway station. Rather than looking like the terminal building at Leeds-Bradford airport, it would be nice if Tesco could hark back to the historic significance of its site with a design to echo this heritage. Morrison's I seem to think, went to great steps to remind customers of the site's original use as a cattle market.

If I, a mere layman, can envisage arches, canopies and brick then surely Tesco's experts can do better than just dust off a standard design from out of the filing cabinet.

Mr S Dobson,

Keighley Road, Skipton.

SIR - Congratulations for publishing Bill Hearld's column (Craven Herald January 7). How right he is.

May I repeat what I wrote in my last piece for your 'God slot' articles: "The teachings of a number of great religious leaders have pointed to a different way, but I rely on the Gospel of Jesus and my conscience and ask if it is not time for all people of faith to repudiate war as an instrument of policy and no longer evade the issue by proclaiming the Peace of God while at the same time resorting to bombs and missiles when it suits us."

Peter Copestake,

Castle Road, Colne.

SIR - Nothing much changes on the shooting estates (Craven Herald article 'Last bastion for an increasingly rare bird', January 7).

I have in front of me an extract from your paper, dated 19/08/1977) which relates to the fate of hen harriers breeding on the grouse moors owned by the Duke of Devonshire.

As the article stated these birds certainly suffered from human interference and this almost certainly the case even in today's more enlightened times.

I must comment on Mr Sowter's remark in your article. To quote he believed "it was just a few rogue gamekeepers giving the majority of estates a bad name".

When a species is down to such lowers numbers (as with hen harriers today) it doesn't need many 'rogue' keepers to have such a large detrimental effect on the birds survival.

Keith Wright,

Tarn Moor Crescent, Skipton.

SIR - Chief Inspector Chelton's reported claim (Craven Herald January 7) of a massive improvement in North Yorkshire police performance raises questions in the light of the damning study from Civitas, published just last week.

The study by Civitas (The Institute for the Study of Civil Society), a right of centre "think tank", claims that Britain has one of the world's most ineffective police forces and highest crime rates. The study, 'Cultures and Crimes: Policing in Four Nations: Britain France Germany and USA', disputes Home Office claims of a falling crime rate in Britain, and describes the UK as a seriously crime afflicted and disintegrating society where crime is a very low risk activity for the criminal.

I link this study to my own observations, and the comments made to me which do not reflect any great measure of satisfaction or confidence with current police performance, in fact, rather the reverse.

Understandably, the chief police officers professional association disputes the Civitas findings, and no doubt will produce masses of statistics to prove their case.

I do acknowledge the multi-faceted pressures on the police, and have been fortunate to have met talented and dedicated officers both personally and professionally. But I'm wondering to what extent both politicians and chief constables "spin" statistics in their favour, and what the ordinary citizen thinks about it.

Admittedly attendance at recent police/public meetings has been poor, but this has been said to simply reflect both public apathy, and a perception that no real notice will be taken of their views. I've heard it referred to as "window dressing" under the guise of public consultation.

So, what do readers think?

Jim O'Rourke

Cross Hills.

SIR - Through your pages can you please pass on thanks to the many revellers in Skipton town centre on New Year's Eve for their generosity towards our group's collection towards the Disasters Emergency Committee Tsunami Earthquake appeal.

Our group, from the Fleece Inn at Skipton, visited many of the town's pubs in fancy dress, including American tourists, elves, pirates, Shrek and Princess Fiona, Cruella De Ville, Austin Powers, and some very masculine looking ladies, amongst others.

Thanks to the landlords, managers and doorstaff on duty on New Year's Eve we were welcomed into most places to collect a bit of loose change from their customers.

When that loose change was totted up at the end of the night we were shocked and humbled that our hastily arranged collection had raised over £620 for the appeal.

It was superb to receive such support on a night when we, in the safety of our town, were all there to have a good night to see in the New Year, yet many thousands of people were struggling just to survive in shattered communities, and almost unbelievable hardship in south-east Asia.

From the people we spoke to around town, we came to understand how deeply this awesome act of nature had affected everyone, and so our collection we hope will help in some small way, and the party-goers of Skipton can, I hope, be satisfied that they have done their own little bit to help.

So again, thanks to all involved (including the Fleece cross-dressers!) and a Happy New Year to all your readers.

Alan Green,

Appeal Fundraiser.

SIR - Once again may I convey a most sincere thank you to all who kindly contributed to my Christmas collection around local hostelries on behalf of Candlelighters fighting children's cancer and leukemia.

That collection this time amounted to a splendid £2,007.

Now I know that figure - impressive though it is - might pale alongside the vast amounts subsequently yielded to help the victims in Southern Asia, a cause in which I too, like it seems just about everyone else, have been involved.

However, my Christmas collection, with all due respects elsewhere, was completely devoid of any media clout, gift aid, corporate sponsorship or anything other than revellers simply dipping into their pockets and purses on the spot.

Just one man, one bucket, not much time either but generosity aplenty from those kind people mentioned.

A special thanks also to all the respective "mine hosts" and hotel managements for allowing me on to their premises to collect. Some even pushed the boat out further, offering me food and drink.

I wholly respect and support the efforts on behalf of the tsunami disaster but the need to keep the home fires burning as well was once more coldly brought face on as yet another local youngster, friend of many and aged just 16, lost the fight against leukemia on New Year's Day.

Following a few further brief incursions with that bucket around much the same premises a further impressive sum of more than £4,000 had also been yielded in 2004, details of which had been given in the Candlelighters magazine. This not only lists all donations but explains precisely how these donations are being spent in research, treatment and remedial care. I have quite a few back copies should anyone be interested.

Meanwhile, may the sun shine on all you wonderful folk.

Roger Ingham,

Aldersley Avenue, Skipton.