Letters to the Editor

He hooted loudly again so I popped out to tell him that I had a child trying to sleep upstairs. I suggested he could knock on the door.

There were lights on and my neighbour was at home. "I'm not a postman he replied", and there was no apology for the noise he was making.

Being in no mood to "turn the other cheek", I quickly looked for the Hackney Carriage licence plate number which I could not see. I asked him where it was. His firm reply was that, "it was none of my business".

I took his car number and went indoors. At the same time my neighbour got into the car and the taxi moved off with another defiant loud blast of his horn.

I stood there feeling like Victor Meldrew and just like him I had to "let off steam" writing this letter to you.

It seems appropriate to wish through your columns, a happy New Year to all our kind considerate taxi drivers who serve us well throughout the year.

I know they are not all like the unpleasant character I have just described.

ROBERT BECKWITH

Hainworth Wood Road,

Keighley

SIR - Bingley was considered a traffic blackspot with three major sets of traffic lights along Main Street.

What about Keighley? Just how will traffic flow more freely with five sets of lights along a half-mile stretch from North Street/Church Street to East Avenue: or will it be just more stop-go-stop-go?

To get to B&Q or Crossflatts there are now seven sets of lights: alternate route off the Halifax Road there are five sets of lights.

With these two (at present) additional sets of lights Keighley will have, I think, 12 sets: three main junction and nine pedestrian controlled -- how many lights does Keighley need?

Traffic moves with less lights or, at least, where pedestrian controlled lights are co-ordinated with major junction lights: eg how often does the left filter from Cavendish Street on to the Bradford Road show green only for the flow to be stopped by the lights, pedestrian controlled, by the Railway Station?

So what is needed is better co-ordinated lights controlled by pedestrians linked to major junction lights. Better use of left or right filter lights.

No abuse of Keep Clear or hatched areas. Possibly part-time lights such as outside schools limited to school start and finish times.

Controversially, the abolition of bus stops from North Street/Church Street to the main junction lights with Cavendish Street (are these maybe a two/three minute walk from the bus station?). Where space permits mini-roundabouts can be very effective.

I have to travel regularly to north of Leeds to visit my mother. Once I have negotiated the seven sets of lights in Keighley, for the remainder of my 15 mile journey I only need manage eight lights to my destination.

Sadly, all these lights will probably encourage people to try different routes, making some residential areas rat runs, or simply avoid going to Keighley to park and shop.

Me? Well on travels to and from Leeds I have already found it can be easier to shop at a Morrisons, Sainsbury's, Argos, etc en route and use my local Oakworth Co-op.

B E VARLEY

Mount View,

Oakworth

SIR - I apologise for bringing up the perennial problem of dog dirt, the scourge of our streets, but I am continually amazed at the downright thoughtlessness of dog owners in the Westfell Road area.

One dog owner mistakenly thinks that it is ok to leave dog mess on the streets if it has been wrapped in a nappy sack! If they can be bothered to wrap it up, why can't they put it in a bin or take it home.

Now, instead of the dog dirt being washed away when we have a good downpour, we have bags of it lying around for eternity (or at least a few years, as nappy sacks don't decompose very quickly).

While on the subject, I live approximately 300-400 metres from Nessfield School and I regularly escort several children to and from school. At the moment we have to avoid ten dog messes on our short walk.

Roll on the lighter nights when more owners seem to be attacked by their consciences and make a better effort to clear up after their pets.

There is a lot of controversy at the moment regarding fixed penalty fines and how many new ways you can be hit by them.

I for one would like to see an increase in the number of people fined for not clearing their pet's mess away as it may succeed in making walking our streets much safer (hygienically speaking of course).

S Cottier

Westfell Way, Keighley

SIR - In response to your article of last week regarding Weaver's Hill car park in Haworth.

While I welcome the proposed improvement to the current dog emptying facility, I am concerned that the increased number of picnic tables and children could reduce the available amount of grass and footpath on which our canine friends can deposit their bowel contents.

I'm sure that many of your readers will share with me the pleasure of these frosty mornings when one chances upon a fresh steaming turd glistening in the winter sunshine, or a plastic bag of faeces dangling seductively from a hedgerow.

Name and

address supplied

SIR - Having read the front page headlines of the Keighley News re roadworks to be carried out in North Street and Skipton Road, Keighley, and the story in your sister paper the T&A "Snare the relief road Racers".

My partner and I, applaud and fully support Bradford councillors Anne Hawkesworth and Lynne Joyce in their effort to improve road and traffic safety within the Keighley district and surrounding area.

However, on behalf of ourselves and fellow residents of Oakworth Road, specifically those living from the start of Fell Lane to the point of Exley Head, we would be most grateful if the appropriate person/s responsible for road safety for this area could kindly take the time to observe the every day madness of the lunatic motorists who constantly tear up and down this, particular part of Oakworth Road, exceeding speed limits -- 70mph in a 30mph zone.

This particular stretch of road has been a notorious blackspot for road traffic and pedestrians alike, unfortunately some of which have resulted in serious injury and at least one fatality.

Therefore, it goes without saying, our grave concern is because of these hare-brained actions and total lack of consideration for other highway users, including pedestrians, heaven forbid, the inevitability of another poor innocent losing their life or limb is not too far away.

Everyone who shares these very serious concerns would sincerely hope that this letter does not fall on deaf ears.

We therefore implore those who have the power within their control, to take some appropriate precautionary measures before its too late.

Speed cameras are our ultimate aim. However, if they are not forthcoming may we suggest roadside "Watch Your Speed" or "Slow Down" signs would be better than nothing.

J BROWN and J OWENS

Oakworth Road,

Keighley

SIR - Let us hope everyone will respond to the call from Jane Thomas, director of campaign for Yorkshire's call to vote in the referendum for a new elected Yorkshire Regional Assembly.

Furthermore, let it be with a resounding "No".

For those who haven't spotted it, this is another stealthy step towards the EU federal superstate. Long ago Brussels drew up secret plans to divide and rule the United Kingdom and mapped out our land to become one of regions rather than countries.

This is always denied in the UK but it so happens the regional cartography of Mr Prescott matches that of our EU masters.

A design under which England as a country is destined to disappear.

Blair's devolution was the first sleight of hand, a sop to Welsh and Scots, national aspirations. Their referenda produced an underwhelming result in favour -- indeed the Welsh declaration was a close run thing.

What has ensued is a costly indulgence of regional politicians. The Scots have managed to express the will of the people by banning foxhunting -- obviously a priority.

They are also now discriminating in favour of Scottish university students by providing for their tuition fees with English funding.

The Welsh have discovered they have very little power to do anything but they do have an extremely expensive talking shop in which their elected can converse in their beautiful mother tongue.

Assembly buildings don't come cheap -- the bill is usually somewhere in the financial stratosphere above their budgets.

We've been here before. Those with memories will recall the West Riding County Council, run from Wakefield.

Did anyone miss it? As with the heath administration's, ill-fated local government re-organisation, which killed off Keighley's corporation, regional assemblies will not bring us better democracy, rather the reverse.

It should be noted again that this latest promotion does not come from wide grassroots pressure, but the desire of ambitious politicians and bureaucrats to set up well feathered nests.

From these lofty eyries they will administer the diktats of Brussels and like Jane Thomas they will be well paid for their trouble -- by the taxpayer!

Tony Ainley

Heather Lodge

Harden Moor

SIR - May I respectfully comment on a very small part of the excellent letter written by Richard Thornhill.

The letter indicated that possibly wind turbines killed birds, thankfully that comment is a just a myth.

I am not aware of any credible scientific evidence that would indicate the turbines or other tall structures, such as skyscrapers, could be responsible for the deaths of birds in their tens, hundreds or even thousands as has been stated in past debates on this very subject.

Such myths were instigated and perpetuated by some, though not all, groups opposed to turbine technology and has of course now been proved totally false. Such distortion and misrepresentation of the facts were partly to blame for local planners shamefully to refuse past applications for the clean air technology that the world needs now.

For instance, locally, Ovenden Moor has 23 wind turbines and a public access, that I suggest, those who really care about the future environment of our world should visit.

So far, not one structure has collapsed and nobody has even been injured by a broken blade.

But even more impressive is that the now abundant wildlife situated under the shadows of the man-made concrete structures has encouraged bird watchers to observe birds of prey, such as kestrels feeding. The area attracts those who truly enjoy nature and a pollution free environment for a future.

David Samuels

Station Road,

Oxenhope

SIR - With the latest protests against unrestrained rural development it should not be forgotten that the purpose of a rural planning regime is to balance conservation of the landscape against the needs of the 13 million people who live and work in the countryside and depend upon a sustainable rural economy.

Conservation needs management. Non-residential historic buildings do not maintain themselves.

Ten or 20 years ago the income and employment from farming would have underpinned hedgerow laying, the village shop and even the village school.

This is no longer possible.

The future lies in examples like Broughton, in North Yorkshire, where diversification of farm buildings has created 500 jobs that not only keep the local shop and school alive, but also support farming, which maintains the landscape.

Planning needs to involve those who live and work in the countryside while supporting and encouraging imaginative solutions, for example, old farm buildings being converted for commercial or residential use.

Blanket designations which frustrate well-designed and suitably scaled employment or housing developments will, as a result, do nothing to support either our landscape or heritage.

The Government's draft guidance would not allow unrestrained building, either on green fields or in the green belt. It is a step in the right direction and merits serious attention, not a knee jerk reaction.

THE HON MCJ

WILLOUGBY

Chairman

Country Land and Business

Association (CLA)

Yorkshire