Letters to the Editor

Most people are under the impression that the organisation is funded by Bradford Council. Not so. I was surprised to learn that such a valuable lifeline for disabled people is run on a shoestring by a few hard-working volunteers.

Come on Keighley, support the KDPC, or when you are stricken by stroke, MS, Parkinson's or, indeed, an accident, where will you turn?

Anne McKie

Cliffe Street,

Haworth

SIR - Cross Hills Library has been reopened following its recent refurbishment.

This community facility was again for the use of the people of the area but not the opening!

Preparations began early; flower arrangements and bouquets arrived. The caterer delivered the buffet and the guests arrived -- the great and the good as they say, but no public allowed.

A photographer recorded the event for posterity and departed. The great and the good began to disperse and the commoners were allowed to enter the hallowed portal. The caterer returned to take away the remains of the buffet.

The "new" library closed at 5pm as usual. Naturally, none of the local workers would want to see what their council tax provided. The librarians left and the car park in the centre of the village was chained off. Library users are the only people allowed to use this facility in future.

North Yorkshire County Council's statement of aims includes care for the community and the need for communication with the community. Neither of those aims were met at the opening.

L Smith

Cross Hills

SIR - I was appalled and astounded by Cllr Joyce and her ridiculous statement as reported in last week's paper regarding Keighley' s traffic problems.

Her words confirm why Labour no longer has a stranglehold on the voice of the electorate. As stated, she is and always will be a Bradford councillor while she dictates her groups policies to those who choose to live and work in Keighley.

Your paper has reported at length on the problems that are associated with the high volumes of traffic within the town and most people have understood how complex it is.

Indeed, you compared finding a solution to juggling with custard. She has blamed poor public transport as a cause for congestion. This, despite a new £2.5 million bus station, £1.5 million investment in new busses, new bus stops and better timetables. Other security measures such as CCTV and improvements to privately owned car parks have also been done.

If her words are not a slap in the face for those who have worked hard to achieve this then I do not know what is. It was reported that she had a wide representation at her meeting. As chairman of the Keighley transport forum I was not invited to give my view. Wrong party I guess. North Street also came under her attack for not having cycle lanes.

Everyone who I have spoken to has nothing but praise for the design and layout that has now been implemented. Bus movements have improved, an extra pedestrian crossing is in place and parking bays have been created.

I will agree that other solutions must be found to further improve the flow of traffic within our town but this must be found by open dialogue.

Her group had their chance when drawing up plans for the Eastern relief road but chose to run away when it became too contentious. Her party is well under way to getting people back on their bikes. Higher fuel prices, increased car tax and toll charges are becoming the norm.

I am not anti-cyclist, just a voice of reason and common sense.

Cllr Andrew

Mallinson,

Aireburn Avenue, Steeton

Sir - It is good that local Labour politicians have adopted a Green vision for Keighley transport -- "Labour Reveals Vision", July 23 issue.

A sustainable system that works but does not damage the environment has been the aspiration of the Green Party for many years, of course. It is now widely accepted in the urban planning profession and among other political parties. Welcome aboard Cllr Joyce.

But sadly, our general policy needs to be tailored to the special circumstances of Keighley. Many of our local people live at some distance from the main routes to Bradford and Leeds where most new jobs could otherwise be found.

To travel west-east, we have to cross the main south-north roads, but these are full up, with a great deal of through traffic. We have no space in which to build new local roads, because of our geography -- we live in a small bowl-shape, rigidly cut up by two rivers, a canal, railways and a trunk road, and all the segments between these are full of houses etc. So, any major new road or railway would be very radical and costly. And existing roads are nearly all too cramped to build worthwhile cycle lanes or bus lanes in them.

That means we have to depend on new building developments on the outskirts of town, to be planned jointly with new sustainable travel routes (including rail).

There are examples elsewhere of towns that have succeeded in that. But here we come up against the arrangements put in place by various governments in London which prevent our town council -- or even Bradford Council -- from deciding these matters in a joined-up way.

A solution to these difficulties is needed to develop a general vision into a practical policy. In Keighley Green Party, we have been thinking about this for a long time now but we are still not ready to "reveal a vision." We would welcome discussions with Lynne Joyce or anyone else who shares these aims.

Michael Yaffey

Laurel Crescent, Keighley

Sir - Polls show that the public is disengaging from politics.

There are many reasons for this but the main one is lack of trust in politicians and the political process.

Prime Minister Tony Blair has a lot to answer for on this score. His failure to come clean on many dodgy issues over the years, climaxed by the blatantly biased Hutton and Butler reports letting him off the hook, have gone down like a lead balloon with the general public -- resulting in anger and leading eventually to apathy at the thought of another five years of deceit, lies, smarm and wooden acting.

His arrogance hit record levels with the promotion of "best mate" Mandelson to the European Commissioner's post, despite the severe reservations of his Cabinet, the Labour Party in general and, lastly, us mere mortals, the voters.

R I DEWHIRST

Elm View Steeton

SIR - I do not know whether or not the Tory parliamentary candidate for Keighley lives in Chester or Cheshire.

However, I note that he chose not to tell us where he lives or what his connection with Keighley is.

I look forward to his clarification.

IAN ROWEN

Laycock Lane

Keighley

SIR - I notice that in your piece "Call for clampers to follow the code of practice", Mr Ted Evans is quoted as saying "We adhere to all the codes of practice (of the British Parking Association)".

From my recent experience I have no hesitation in saying that this is not my impression. When my friend took me to Haworth to hear a talk about Charlotte Bront she parked in Mr Evan's car park and I displayed my disabled badge inside the windscreen. A little over an hour later we returned to find the car clamped and (presumably) an employee of Mr Evans waiting to collect £40.

The statement that there was no concession for disabled parking was not visible from everywhere on the site; the employee was not in uniform; his van was not clearly labelled; and, we were categorically told there was no way of challenging the payment.

My disability makes walking very painful. If I had not had sufficient cash on me I would have had to find my own way to the nearest cash machine.

It may be legal but it is a disgrace to a major tourist centre like Haworth.

LINDA ARNOLD

Beech Street, Bingley

SIR - If one had asked any of today's elderly pensioners 60 years ago if they were racists, an explanation of the word would have probably been needed. Apart from in books and dictionaries it was a word that was hardly heard.

After the last war refugees or immigrants came to this country to settle and find a new way of life, they were called DPs (displaced persons). They lived in hostels, worked in the mills, learned the language, married and their children are now the next generation of pensioners. Living cheek and jowl with the native population, they were spread over the whole town and could not be identified in a crowd, a shop or bus.

One can only conclude that it was because they were white and colour is possibly the reason for today's issues.

While governments and councils bring out laws and rules to try to alleviate them, until people on both sides can air what they see as problems in an acceptable language, without being called racists, nothing will change.

When we remember all those years ago at school the line by Rudyard Kipling that East is East and West is West and ne'er the twain shall meet, would he be classed as a racist today?

F SLACK

Station Road, Haworth

SIR - I am writing to ask you to let your readers know about a new report, commissioned by BT in partnership with the UK Youth Parliament (UKYP), that explodes some of the myths about children and young people and makes the case that they should be "seen and heard". "Seen and Heard 2" reports 15 amazing stories of young people who wanted to change things -- and the adults who listened to and worked with the young people to overcome problems such as disability, stereotype and racial prejudice.

"Seen and Heard 2" contains 15 inspirational stories of young people who have battled to make their voices heard.

The report shows how young people have tackled a whole range of issues, from bullying, sex education, children's rights, to employment issues and crime.

Through their endeavours they have improved not only their own lives, but also those of their peers and their communities as a whole.

I urge your readers to log on to www.bt.com/listening, to learn more about the "Seen and Heard 2" report and BT's "Am I Listening?" campaign. Help us to give children and young people a platform on which their voices can be heard.

UKYP is very pleased to be working with BT as a key partner in the "Am I Listening?" campaign. UKYP gives the young people of the UK a chance to express their views and concerns at the highest levels. Currently, we have over 400 elected MYPs, aged between 11 and 18.

ASHLEY C SWEETLAND

Co-chairman of the Board of

Trustees

SIR - The National Audit Office (NAO) recently produced a new report on hospital infections.

Experts believe that hospital infections such as MRSA kill 5,000 patients a year and leave thousands of others seriously ill. I know that Airedale NHS Trust takes the issue of infection control very seriously. It has introduced a number of practical measures to limit the spread of infection and achieved the key target of hospital cleanliness in this year's star ratings.

Across the country lives are being lost by Labour's incompetence. After 20 separate initiatives since the last damning report by the NAO on the same problem, it is scandalous that people are still dying and that the NHS has failed to collate information on this epidemic of neglect.

Robert Collinson

Conservative Parliamentary

Candidate for Keighley

Sir - Myself and many other people are disgusted at the treatment of BNP Councillor Chris Kirby. It would not be a bad world if there were more people like Chris Kirby in it.

J RILEY

Farley Crescent, Oakworth