Letters to the Editor

I was privileged to know Mollie through my eleven wonderful years in Oxenhope, where Mollie carried out probably every job a person could at the Sue Ryder Home that meant so much to her.

As for fundraising, she helped every way, and everyone, and made my work so much easier through her support and love.

Manorlands has also lost a further dear friend in the passing of Arthur Robinson, who from his Stanbury home sold our Christmas Draw tickets to all who came in contact with him. Believe me that was a lot -- ask Kath Cooper, she had to keep him supplied.

They say you start to lose those around you as you grow older. I think there was a vacancy with our Lord for a top ticket seller and the maker of scones only Mollie could fullfil.

As long as the door of our much loved Manorlands remains open, the lives of Mollie and Arthur will never be forgotten. God Bless you both and thank you.

David A Wood

Heckmondwike

SIR - What's happened to the National Health Service as far as dentists are concerned?

I recently tried to book an appointment at my local dentist, only to discover that I had been struck off because I had not attended within the last 15 months. What a disgrace, no notification was given and I can only conclude that private paying customers are given priority.

I am a pensioner entitled to free dental treatment. I must not be worthy of treatment. If I had not attended my doctor for 15 months he would be highly delighted. Or will he strike me off the register as well?

A TRETTON

Farrish House, Keighley

SIR - Did the world go mad last week, or did we just revert to the bad old days of the 1970s when the likes of Enoch Powell, Bernard Manning and Jim Davidson were in the mainstream?

First we had Ron Atkinson using the 'N' word, and then Cllr Simon Cooke giving a Nazi salute and 'Sieg Heil'ing Councillor Lynne Joyce at a Council meeting.

Ron Atkinson gave the excuse that his comment slipped out, and Cllr Cooke's Tory colleague Cllr Mallinson described Simon Cooke's appalling behaviour as a 'practical joke' that had been 'taken the wrong way'. I noted wearily that Cllr Mallinson used the old excuse that is so often wheeled out by the old guard -- that of dismissing what the Right call political correctness, as though having common courtesy for minorities or other cultures is somehow a bad thing.

It would never occur to any civilised person to come out with the kind of language used by Ron Atkinson or Simon Cooke, whether deliberately or 'by accident' or as 'a joke'. I note that Cllr Cooke has since resigned, and quite rightly so. In light of Andrew Mallinson's shoddy excuses for Simon Cooke's behaviour, might he consider joining him?

Julia Silson

Skipton Road, Utley

Sir - We are genuinely not trying to make a smart point, but Mr Peter J Roberts has been misinformed. Bradford District Council has designated Oakworth as an urban village, not a rural one.

We absolutely agree with Mr Roberts that Oakworth has been over-developed in the last decade, but we are where we are and the Urban Village designation recognises that Oakworth, with a resident population of 5,470, larger than Wilsden, Riddlesden, Haworth, Addingham, Steeton, Eldwick, Denholme, Cullingworth, Oxenhope, Harden or virtually any other local 'village' community you can name, does require new public funding to support traffic calming, police and community action facilities, support for the voluntary sports sector and environmental improvements.

Your Oakworth Ward Councillors (Keighley Town Council) will be very wary of any new master plan parachuted in from City Hall and will seek grassroots solutions which genuinely answer the real needs of Oakworth and all its residents.

Cllr Allan Rhodes has already commenced this process with the creation of a Friends of Holden Park and Cllr Graham Mitchell is negotiating a base for an Oakworth Police and Community Action Point. Volunteers will be required to man these facilities and others, and we hope that Mr Roberts will come forward and offer his assistance to support them.

Cllr Graham Mitchell

Cllr Allan Rhodes

Oakworth

Sir - There are important issues for Keighley that Simon Cooke's public insult should not obscure. Councillor Lynne Joyce -- the victim of Cooke's folly -- had urged our District Council to fulfil its responsibilities by ensuring that new developments were designed to inhibit crime.

Lynne also declared the Conservative controlled Council was not using its powers to compel developers to install CCTV cameras of adequate quality, wherever that would improve public safety.

That by providing their bargain basement approach to development, the Council was contributing to disorder in our district and creating liabilities on the Council in the future. Those obligations are within the Crime and Disorder Act made into law by the Labour Government to enable Councils to take those actions.

Dealing with crime and disorder is part of a policy divide between Labour and Conservative Councillors.

Lynne and her colleagues place a higher priority on preventive actions to discourage bad behaviour and crime. We need to make the public environments in our Town as safe as possible, creating a more tranquil community that respects everyone's rights and property. Labour Councillors want developers and our Council to be part of that solution, with active plans for security underpinning actions to promote community cohesion.

Cooke's folly also creates the opportunity to reflect on the behaviour of all public figures. Bad tempered behaviour by community leaders inevitably attracts attention.

Unfortunately, rude gestures also create the impression that anti-social behaviour is somehow acceptable. It is not.

Councillor Lynne Joyce has urged our Council to act more directly to achieve local tranquillity. We should support her campaign.

Andrew Dundas

Chair, Keighley Labour Party

SIR - So Mr Davy, of Eldon Technology, in his letter considers he is a 'good neighbour'.

I wonder how many of your readers would consider the erection of a four storey office block within 12 metres of their boundary and without any consultation or discussion, a neighbourly act? Or a new neighbour who declines an invitation to meet his new neighbours as a potential good neighbour?

This is indeed what Mr Davy and his company have done !

Mr Davy seems to have completely missed the point of our objections to his new building. We have never questioned the commercial credentials of Eldon Technology, nor their track record of technological innovation or indeed their commendable employment practices.

Our objections have been based upon the inappropriateness of the design, scale, materials and siting of their ill conceived new building, so close to a conservation area.

The objectors to the scheme feel very badly let down by a process which tramples over the ordinary citizen in favour of large commercial interests. However, having fought our battle and lost we shall now wait and see just how good our new neighbour will be.

Finally, a word of thanks to Allenbuild, the construction company, who have been on the site for the past year. They have kept to a minimum the disturbance to the nearby residents and maintained a very tidy site.

Rod Fotherby

Coppice House

Steeton

SIR - In a previous Keighley News Opinion leader, 2/4/04, the editor made reference to Bradford Council and its relationship to Keighley.

One of the key sentences made in the Opinion article was 'Keighley has done more than enough to earn respect and should not have to endure unspoken negative attitudes from down the valley.' Obviously it is a sentiment most people in this region would agree with.

What many, including myself, would differ with is the view by the editor that Bradford City Hall has 'no down on Keighley'. My feeling has been that such a statement should be questioned.

Since the incorporation of Keighley Town Council I firmly believe a concentrated effort has been made by all party political Keighley-based Bradford District Councillors, and others, to strangle the birth of our local democracy. Why should an independent and totally unpaid Keighley Town councillor worry Bradford City Hall?

Could it be that influence would be back under the control of local ratepayers? The most blatant effort of undermining the effort of Keighley Town Council is the refusal of Bradford to utter one word of congratulation about the hard work undertaken by Keighley Town Councillors.

As stated in the finality of the Opinion article, 'With major local elections just around the corner it is an issue worth raising with candidates.'

David Samuels

Station Road, Oxenhope

SIR - I would like to say thank you for sending me the winning ticket in the Eureka! competition in February 2004. I've used the ticket at Eureka!

The best bit of it was when the beautiful blue and pink princesses came to see me. They told me about the five senses. I loved playing I spy with my little eye, something beginning with 'E'. I loved talking to the shiny silver robot. She spoke back to me!

All of Eureka! was brilliant!

CHARLOTTE MILLINGTON

(6) Cobbydale Park,Silsden

SIR -- In response to the gross inaccuracies in last week's article, 'House plan blocked in footpath wrangle', I would respectfully suggest that you should check the accuracy of the factual content before you go to press.

The track in question is not 'a piece of common land', it has not been 'a footpath for decades, if not centuries' and yes, 'the piece of land was a private drive'.

I am one of the owners of the four properties at the end of Far Low Bank, whose properties were served solely by the original track, prior to the commencement of the development by Taywood Homes.

We have lived in these old properties for periods of time ranging from 21 to 29 years and are well aware as to the legality and usage of the track in question.

Indeed, my property is in excess of four hundred years old. The track terminates on my property, has never been a public thoroughfare or led to anywhere beyond my land, and has been the subject of a thorough research by an eminent academic local historian at a regional university.

The portion of the track in question, which has gained planning permission, has never been a bridleway, public footpath or provided vehicular access to anyone other than the four property owners, who gained planning permission and were subjected to the normal regulations when the public made their representations at the time. During the application process, the matters concerning usage and ownership were all addressed to the satisfaction of the Bradford Planning Department and the department responsible for footpaths and bridleways. Had this not have been the case, we would not have gained outline planning permission and this was made clear to us by Bradford Council at that time.

It was myself, and one of my neighbours, who sold the land at either side of the track to Taywood Homes, and we retained our rights over the track following the sale.

To denote the privacy of the track, Taywood Homes gated the track and erected a sign to instruct the public that it was indeed private and they had to use the public footpath which directed them towards the roundabout and the newly installed public highway system. A considerable amount of evidence is held to support all of the above, which I expect a vast number of your readers and interested parties are not aware of, or privy to.

K HARGREAVES

Far Low Bank Farm,

Oakworth

SIR - May I congratulate the two Keighley councillors who wish to overturn a decision by Bradford Council to pass plans for a house to be built on waste land in Oakworth.

How pleasing to know that the extra £10 on my council tax bill for a Keighley council is being used for such a noble cause! Just when all the rest of us were pleased that Bradford Council were seeking to try and cater for the desperate housing shortage by using infill sites, these two councillors wish to change a redundant piece of lane to a bridleway.

This will mean that horse riders can canter a full 100 metres to.... well to a new housing estate that doesn't lead anywhere and then turn round and canter a full 100 metres back again to a dangerous junction behind some cottages on a blind corner.

I don't think the highways department will approve, but what the hell! Oakworth has a real need for a 100 metre bridleway to nowhere and when the builder builds his house, with the full backing of Bradford Council, the two Keighley councillors can take them all to court.

They will of course lose but what a great way to spend our council tax money!

Councillor Hudson and Councillor Wright are true visionaries -- who else could dream up such a daft idea?

P DODDS

Goose Cote Lane, Oakworth