etters to the Editor

SIR,- Some weeks ago in a letter to the Ilkley Gazette, Barbara Cussons suggested there was apathy amongst Ilkley residents, not many of whom appeared to take an active interest in the town's affairs.

This suggestion seems to be substantiated in an apparent lack, so far as I have seen, of strong opposition to the proposed closure of strong opposition to the proposed closure of the Coronation Hospital.

I do not agree that 11,000 signatures in a town the size of Ilkley constitutes strong opposition. I calculated that about 20 members of the public attended the Board Meeting of Airedale Health Authority last Tuesday, at which a presentation was given of the possible options for continuation of the hospital's present services to the town.

Given that the meeting was not well advertised and held during working hours, nevertheless such a small number does not give the impression of the strength of feeling one would expect to be generated in a matter of such vital importance to the town.

The arguments against removal of many of the hospital's services to Airedale General Hospital have been well aired:

l Virtually impossible access without a car - and IIkley with an increasing number of elderly people has many in this category - leading to a huge cost in ambulance use.

l Impossibility of parking a car.

l Excessive strain on Airedale medical staff, who presumably are working to capacity now.

l Very time consuming for patients.

l Further emotional strain on patients, who are, presumably, already anxious.

Having attended the meeting expecting to find the matter was in fact a fait accompli, I left feeling that if Ilkley showed sufficient united opposition to the withdrawal of the services locally, the Board might, in fact be swayed.

Many of us older residents feel a sentimental attachment to the Coronation Hospital but the loss of the building is a minor consideration compared with the loss of the services it provides.

If these cane be retained by an extension to the Springs Lane Health Centre, with no loss to the Health Centre itself, this should surely be welcomed.

There are to be two public meetings in the evening in Ilkley and Burley for public discussion of the proposals. It is to be hoped that those who can possibly attend will do so, and show that we really do care about a matter which so deeply affects us all.

MARY WEATHERALL

Birchwood Court

Ilkley

Sign of weakness

Sir, As one of Matt Palmer's rival candidates at the May elections, I'd have welcomed his bold admission (Ilkley Gazette July 3) in April rather than now.

Matt claims that his Conservative led Council 'admitted its failings' and 'recognised its weaknesses' by transferring both its education service and housing stock to the private sector.

Quite a claim for a new councillor, and I trust his colleagues of the Conservative and Lib-Dem coalition agree with those admissions!

As it happens, Matt Palmer is also economical with the truth. It was the Department of Education that instructed that management of Bradford's education service should be removed from direct council control, and several years ago.

Nor is the rate of improvement significantly better now than the national average, and is well behind the improvements of our neighbours Calderdale and Kirklees.

Bradford schools can and will catch up but that's not yet been demon-strated.

Turning to housing investment, and contrary to his claims, millions have not yet been spent. What is true is that the Ministry promised that new Housing Trusts would be allowed to draw down millions for improve-ments, provided Housing Estates were transferred out of the public sector's balance sheet.

That incentive has led to the formation of Housing Trusts all over the country. I'm confident that the Ministry's scheme for Bradford will work.

The observation that regulators or, in this case, councillors, are ineffective scrutinisers of public utilities was most coherently observed in 1968 by Professor Harold Demsetz (in Why Regulate utilities?).

Demsetz proposed that the management 'captures' its regulators because they are the controlling source of information.

He recommended that regulators should create competitive markets as an alternative strategy. Hence the Conservative policy of privatis-ation.

But what Matt and his Conservative colleagues are constructing in Bradford is a near copy of the very regulator/utility format that Demsetz found to be so ineffective 25 years ago in the USA.

Controlling public services via contracts and arms length regulation keeps on failing in the USA, because it simply switches control from a public bureaucracy to a private contractor who is in an even stronger position to out-manoeuvre the regulating councillors.

Demsetz's ideas were developed for energy supply markets and not municipal services. Nor have they worked for our own national and local railways, nor our bus services.

Local Conservatives would do well to read Harold Demsetz's original research findings before extending their transfers of public assets and services.

Electors should ask themselves how Conservative councillors with admitted 'weaknesses' and 'failings' are going to be effective custodians of their services and buildings, when these are controlled by private local monopolies?

Andrew Dundas

The New Homestead

Parish Ghyll Drive

Ilkley

Backing by-law

Sir,- Very soon now the Ilkley Skateboard Park will be opened.

This is thanks to the residents of Ilkley who, by individual donation or through representative bodies such as the Parish Council or the Rotary Club of Ilkley, have provided the necessary funds.

These donations have been made in anticipation that the skateboarders will use a facility that they have been given and will reduce the nuisance and danger to others by not skating in other places.

Whether this will come about, remains to be seen. But the incidents around the town of some skateboarders arrogating to themselves the right to skate wherever they please, and in particular their reported threats of violence to a local shopkeeper, do not augur well.

Particularly as the police have issued public warnings that they are ready to take action and indeed have done so and succeeded in reducing the use of the Rotary Bandstand as a skateboard arena

I am glad that the skateboard park will be built for the young of the town. I am also glad that our parish councillors and the police have agreed to monitor the situation.

I support the proposal to create a bye-law that would enable the police to take appropriate action.

I understand full well the concerns that the police are hard pressed in responding to other law and order calls and may not be able to respond to all calls.

However, the comparison equating crime busting and skateboarding is not fair.

The skateboarding community is not all bad and, unlike other miscreants, once the first few have been pulled and a few boards confiscated, the lesson will soon be learned by the others.

In the meantime and in the wider interests of the Community, I hope the Parish Council will give the police the means to deal with the problem and agree a by-law banning skateboarding on the streets of Ilkley.

Philip Chinque

Parish Ghyll Drive, Ilkley

Silly season is here

Sir,- Once the silly season was reserved for the media. It appears City Hall have joined in.

Modern vehicles produce enough light to illuminate a small town.

So why are them over t'ill planting motorway style lamp standards along Bolling Road?

Ilkley is a rural community not a 'pong proof patio in suburbia'. It would appear our little backwater is to be a side road to some, as yet unnamed, motorway.

We have more than enough light in this valley. So bright, it is possible to read The Times near Willy Hall's Spout, at twelve thirty.

Twelve thirty in the morning that is when all respectable creatures are trying to sleep. May I remind Bradford council of the dangerous fence beside the cemetery footpath which, after numerous calls from Parish Councillors, is still un-repaired.

Does this have to appear on the Internet before something is done too? Time has come to pull the plug on Bradford before they waste even more of your money.

FRAZER IRWIN

Deaconess Court

Ilkley

Charity's thank you

Sir, I would like, through your paper, to thank all those people who travelled to foreign parts from Leeds Bradford Airport during June and put their spare coins in the collection boxes available.

I have just received a cheque for £391.03 from the Customer Services Manager at the airport which will go to the work of the Arthritis Research Campaign.

There are over 200 types of rheumatism and arthritis, so many of us are affected in some way in our lifetime. Many advances have been made and continue to be made, butall this costs money (about £25 million each year).

Several new projects have been launched in Leeds recently; one particularly focusing on arthritis in the feet, which will hopefully bring relief to patients all around the country.

Elizabeth Hoyle

Otley Branch Chairman of arc,

Shaw Lane Gardens,

Guiseley

I'm so ashamed

SIR,- Does anyone else feel ashamed and disappointed that beautiful, affluent Ilkley is not prepared to welcome and support a small number pf needy young people in the proposed new children's home?

SUSAN STOREY

Kings Close

Ilkley

Record straight

Sir, - It has come to my notice that I was quoted as referring to the roundabouts at Burley as "a disgrace". These comments were not made by me nor did I attend the meeting at which the comments were made. They do not reflect my views because whilst I would accept that they are due for a trim I am heartily in favour of the wild flower roundabouts. I would be grateful if more care were taken with attributions.

Councillor CAROLINE JONES

Heather Rise

Burley-in-Wharfedale