Letters to the Editor

SIR - Re "One million reasons to be cheerful" (T&A, October 4), not if you live on North Park Road it's not.

I agree the refurbishment was a great success as Lister Park is beautiful and well worth a visit - as the million visitors agree.

Unfortunately, as a resident living on North Park Road, it's a nightmare. It's great to see the park being used and respected but during the summer months or when there is a special event on, it's horrendous.

There's parking on both sides of the road, which creates a total bottleneck at the bottom near Oak Lane.

It can take 20 minutes to get through on these occasions and once through, no-one seems to respect speed limits and they tear up the road at breakneck speed, no doubt trying to make up for time lost while waiting to get through. It really is an accident waiting to happen.

I hope the planners that are redeveloping Roberts Park in Saltaire learn from this and look at the bigger picture by creating somewhere for its many visitors to park their cars to enable them and their families to have an enjoyable day out without the horrors Lister Park is now creating.

S A Sutcliffe, North Park Road, Manningham.

Options are slanted

SIR - Comment really is necessary on the opinion poll commissioned by Bradford Centre Regeneration concerning the fate of the Odeon cinema building currently featuring in this paper.

It is greatly regretted that the options available are so totally slanted in favour of demolition. Indeed, even the first option retaining only the twin towers has a rider about replica towers "if cheaper".

Where was the option for full retention and refurbishment wanted by the majority of Bradfordians? Where also was the space for alternative comments? Nowhere to be seen.

This poll in its published form is no credit whatsoever to Maud Marshall of Bradford Centre Regeneration, quite the opposite.

Shame also on the Telegraph & Argus for supporting the poll as it has done and consequently giving it its tacit approval ("The T&A is asking people for their views" - October 4).

This was all the subject of much adverse comment at City Hall last Tuesday when the public meeting was held.

It is to be hoped the proposed consultations produce a more positive approach towards saving the building.

Maud Marshall has promised to look further into the concerns and alternative proposals and does not want to be known as the person "who came to Bradford and imposed ideas and destroyed this city". We are all now watching this space with even greater interest!

R S Watson, Springfield Road, Baildon.

l EDITOR'S NOTE: The decision on the retention of the full building has already been taken, as the T&A has reported numerous times.

It's all a whitewash

SIR - Bradfordians have been told that the fate of the Odeon is in their hands.

This is not true. There is no separate option for people wanting to keep the two towers.

In the article preceding the options we are told that keeping the towers is more expensive. Someone from the Regeneration Committee has cunningly added to the "option for keeping the towers - or replica towers built if cheaper." The committee obviously want to demolish all the Odeon.

Other city councils protect and restore their fine buildings - but not so Bradford. The whole option vote is a whitewash.

Miss J Kenny, Hutton Road, Bradford.

Restore Feversham

Sir - It was encouraging to read (T&A, October 6) that the new development officer for the Yorkshire and Humber Association of Civic Societies recognises that "Bradford's buildings are unique and protecting them is essential".

So there could not be a better time to remind people of Bradford's most neglected listed building which is the city's monument to the birth of state secondary education.

I refer to the former Feversham College which is close to the part of the city centre being redeveloped.

It has the distinction of being listed Grade II* which means it is in the same category as Manningham Mills. Buildings in that category are regarded as particularly important and grants are usually available from English Heritage towards the cost of repair.

The former school used to be owned by Bradford Council, but after it was upgraded to Grade II* it was sold for conversion to a DIY shop. Some alterations had already been done without listed building consent.

It is still not too late for someone to restore the building where the first state education classes in the country for children older than 11 were held.

Derek R Crabtree, Norman Lane, Bradford

Grow up, Vanda!

Sir - So Vanda Greenwood thinks it is an issue that Philip Davies, the Conservative Candidate for Shipley, stood in Colne Valley at the last election (T&A September 30).

If her nonsensical argument was followed through perhaps she could tell her glorious leader, Tony Blair, that he should not be the MP for Sedgefield as he had previously stood down south in Beaconsfield.

Perhaps she believes that Tony Benn shouldn't have been the MP for Chesterfield as he had previously been an MP in Bristol.

In fact Mrs Greenwood ought to reflect that hardly any MP would ever be in parliament as most stand somewhere else first before they get elected. Does she think this shouldn't be allowed?

As far as I am aware Mr Davies was born and bred in Yorkshire, lives in the Shipley constituency in Baildon with his family and seems to talk common sense. That is certainly good enough for me!

I had hoped for a more grown-up political debate from the governing party. Silly me!

Ken Patchett, The Avenue, Bingley.

Part for all to play

Sir - The decision of the Russian government to ratify the Kyoto agreement on climate change is most welcome even if later than it might have been.

It is just a pity that the current selfish governments in the United States and Australia are still determined to put their consumer greed before the wellbeing of future generations and refuse to sign, unlike all the EU countries.

Within three months it will now be mandatory on all the signing countries to take steps to reduce their climate change gas emissions to five per cent below the 1990 level by the year 2012, and this will be very challenging, involving changes to the way we behave.

We will all have a part to play locally and I look forward to hearing what the Council intends to do to make this possible.

Keith Thomson, Heights Lane, Bradford

Let's see justice

Sir - May I express my condolences to Jill Crowther on the loss of her two horses, Toby and Ellie Moss.

I'm sure I speak for all horse owners and horse lovers when I condemn such a savage and mindless act if in fact it is proven to be arson.

The problem nowadays is that there is no proper justice for law-abiding people. We get all the promises under the sun from politicians seeking either to gain power or remain in government when a general election is imminent, so why hasn't anything been done by Tony Blair over his past years as Prime Minister?

I personally want to see justice being done by allotting hard and meaningful sentences. The government could start by reopening the quarries at Dartmoor and making mindless criminals pay for their crimes with blood and sweat.

Come on Mr Blair, stop pandering to the do-gooders and let's see some real law and order in this country, that is, if you have the stomach for it.

Trevor Williams-Berry, Bredon Avenue, Wrose

Wrong image

Sir - I was pleased to see your report (T&A, October 9) about the review of the licensing procedures for the private hire vehicles in the district.

It will do no harm to bring the practice into line with other districts and, while they are at it, I hope the Council will insist that the licence plates are properly and neatly displayed as in all other authorities.

It doesn't help the image of the city to have the licences tied on with rubber bands, bits of string and boot laces.

Keith Thomson, Heights Lane, Bradford