Readers Letters

A Bradford council's bin men.

Once again, after the bin men have done their morning rounds I am faced with the streets being stewn with rubbish. This is due to many of the bin bags which are left in large piles being open, so allowing the wind to blow the contents away.

The piles are either left blocking pavements, forcing pedestrians and children to walk in the road, or left in the road where they are run over by traffic further spreading the contents around.

I have also seen rubbish falling out of the back of the bin wagon as it drives away, and seen bin men standing on the back of the lorry watching it do so, leaving rubbish lying in the road. The piles of bin bags are left lying around for two to three hours before collection so allowing plenty of time for their contents to be distributed around the village and countryside.

No wonder Keighley and its surroundings look like rubbish tips. The bin men look as though they are in a race, no doubt due to a bonus system but what is the point if the system of collection does not do the job intended, which it manifestly fails to do.

MICHAEL SMITH,

Westville, Oxenhope.

Alan Baff, City Cleansing and Transport Officer, replies: In 1997 Bradford council introduced refuse bags with handles so that customers can tie the tops of the sacks before collection. Unfortun-ately people are not tieing their bags which means that rubbish often blows away when staff come to collect them. Collections are on set days each week, except on bank holidays and public holiday or if vehicles are blocking access, and we make every effort to stick to the same collection days. It would be helpful if Mr Smith could let me know which particular street he is referring to so that I can investigate his complaint.

I apologise if the actions of our collectors have caused him concern. I can assure him that appropriate action will be taken to address them.

SIR - I read in the KN on February 6 in an article by Tom Smith that MP Ann Cryer was inviting views about her concerns for Keighley's own Carnegie library. I hope to give Ann my support through your letter page.

I think that the elegance of the library's architecture stands to prove that Yorkshire towns are not all grim, nor are they all modernised into loss of identity. I have heard visitors to the town admire the library building, and also other North Street buildings. The view from Low Street to Skipton Road, looking along North Street with the library as a focal point, has an appearance which includes both a sense of space as well as examples of architecture which are of historical value.

We were lucky to be one of the towns to have a Carnegie library and we should be proud of this. The North Street view, with the hills rising beyond, shows Keighley's timeless character.

Anyway, an old library is a special place for all, alive with literature and information, yet a place where memories of the past linger like gentle ghosts. Memories of the war years, when the only romance available to some women was found either on the bookshelf or in the cinema.

Yes, buildings such as this are our heritage, like the countryside, woodland, theatres, mills, terrace houses and old pubs. We have lost buildings in the past but the library has survived. I hope that, through the concern of people like Ann Cryer, it will continue to do so.

KATHLEEN SCATCHARD,

Windsor Crescent,

Oakworth.

SIR - So the National Lottery decision makers put a low priority tag on funds for Keighley Library refurbishment. One wonders what flash of insight led them to release cash to buy condoms for prostitutes. It is obviously a question of priorities.

TREVOR ATKINS,

Lynton Drive, Keighley.

SIR - The bombing of Iraq opens some interesting questions, not least that of unstable regimes holding the means of mass destruction. (Have you ever tried Belgian food for instance?)

With Iraq at least we have a whisp of an excuse to carry out legitimate blitzing, that of non compliance with the UN weapons inspectorate. It's just as well. Because if we were reliant on defending democracy as a reason then we would be blanket bombing from Marrakesh to Damascus.

Why can't we be honest here? If Robin Cook were a Saudi national then lately the Mullahs would've had him tied up to a support and whipped. Instead he's been over there trying to whip up support - much good it did to him!

Our fraternal Europeans were as much use as a vicar at a barmitzvah. The Germans offered the use of their airfields - what on earth for? Granted they would be handy if we were intent on trashing say Poland but they are next to useless for a drop on Basra. The French 'pooh, poohed' the idea with customary Gallic contempt and the Italians surrendered just in case. As usual it's down to us, the Yanks and the Stern gang in Tel Aviv.

If killing Sadaam is not the point then what is? Everyone knows he is an evil piece of work who thinks mercy is weakness.

He daily butchers his own people, half a million have died because of him, he carries out massacres as if they were country fetes - he has to go. He will soon have, if he already hasn't, the capability to strike anywhere - and he will do just that.

Never mind all this twittering about bringing him to heel, get him rubbed out. You never know you might get Lord Lucan into the bargain.

FRANK BRAMMAH,

Address Supplied

SIR - For the record, your reference in last Friday's KN regarding me finding gold both in the Caribbean and on the John Barry are figments of someone's overactive imagination. I wish it was true. I took no part in the recovery operation that managed to recover a number of silver Ryals from the John Barry (Sorry).

KEITH JESSOP

SIR - Regarding Keighley area planning subcommittee, January 29. I attended the meeting and spoke on behalf of the applicant for the development at Laithe Close in Silsden. I appreciate reporters need to paraphrase to get across the sense of a story, but in this instance I wish to comment, 'for the record', on the way in which my statements have been reported.

You quoted me as saying that "Hayhills Road is not privately owned". I was in fact commenting on the status of the road in terms of the rights of access across it. I do not believe that I said that the road was not privately owned since this would be incorrect.

Hayhills Road is an unadopted public highway, with full rights of access, as opposed to being a private road. There is a difference.

Perhaps more significantly, you have quoted me as saying that "Any damage to the unmade road would be put right once the building work was completed".

What I actually said was that he would undertake to clear up any dirt or mess from the surfaced sections of road which was caused by the construction vehicles. Your reporting suggests an obligation for my client to carry out some work to this road.

The condition of this road is a very sensitive issue with local residents and it would be wrong to imply that the use of the road by my client in connection with the development would necessarily worsen its condition.

I hope that you do not think I am being overly fussy in bringing these inconsistencies to your attention.

I write to you solely to protect my client's interests and to avoid any possible misunderstanding with the local residents who have been so concerned about the development.

MARK WOGDEN,

architect.

SIR - I am surprised at Mo Newman's attitude towards car drivers bringing their children to school (6.2.98). What does she expect? It was she, and the Education Authority, who have drawn up the catchment boundary for the school which excludes children who live in walking distance of the school.

My son will be in the school intake for 1999. The boundary set will exclude him from his local school, even though we can see it from the window of our house, the distance is measured in yards. What does she propose I do?

He will be excluded from the school I can walk him to which means I will have to drive him to another school, further away and so giving them the trouble of car parking and pollution.

Mo Newman even admits in the article that some parents come from a long distance. If she wants to solve the problems of car conflict, why doesn't she and the Education Authority set sensible boundaries where people can walk their children to school.

The solution is in their hands.

IAN PALMER,

Greenfield Terrace, Haworth.

SIR - Regarding Hebden Road. We are told that it will take 12 months to repair 500 metres of road at great inconvenience to all the local residents. While as an engineer I can see the problems but, compare with the building of the railway between Bradford and Keighley which took nine months and included a tunnel, various bridges and cuttings.

Bearing in mind the modern technology and equipment available I can only think the performance of our council and their engineer is pathetic. As for 150 years of progress I give up.

PETER H YOUNG,

Moorhouse Lane, Oxenhope.

SIR - I was surprised and disappointed that the Worth Valley Conservative Party spokesperson, Kris Hopkins, has limited his efforts in the Schools Review to the retention of Oldfield and Stanbury schools, as the principal objectives of the review are much broader:

1 Raising educational standards.

2 Making all schools attractive to parents and progressive and forward looking.

3 Making better use of resources so that deficits are eliminated and there is more money to spend on pupils.

4 Supporting staff in raising levels of achievement.

5 Regeneration and social harmony.

Readers may wish to know that I attended all three public meetings in the Worth Valley, called to discuss the review in the autumn, two of which I chaired. Over 250 people attended.

Mr Hopkins did not speak at any of them - I don't believe he attended. We were there to give information and to hear the views of parents and members of the community. It would have been quite improper for me to give assurances to any school at that stage or now. Decisions will follow the receipt of the professional Review team's final report next month.

The evidence gathered in the interim report shows that the present system does not achieve the quality of education which residents are entitled to. Diana Cavanagh, the Director of Education, was asked to provide more information on:

1 The three options for change set out in the interim report.

2 Pupil admissions.

3 Phasing of possible changes.

4 Capital receipts and capital costs.

5 Transitional costs.

6 Special education provision.

7 Early years provision.

8 Staff recruitment.

9 Post 16 provision.

Parents, headteachers, staff, governors and others are being consulted about their views on the interim report and these will inform the final outcome.

The final report will be presented to the Education Committee on March 24. At that time information will be available to make valid judgements on the full picture and not on incomplete details. I want to be as certain as possible that all the pieces of the jigsaw fit together, such that it attracts the maximum of support from the Department of Education and Employment, both educationally and financially.

The Schools' Review is vital to our children's future. We owe it to them to do all we can to equip them to deal with the world in the 21st century. I want to support, in any way possible, every child in the Worth Valley and throughout the District to fulfil their potential.

CLLR JOHN COPE,

Labour Worth Valley,

member of the

Education Committee.

SIR - A little over 12 months ago Ann Cryer, MP for Keighley, was castigating Gary Waller, the then Member for Keighley, about the level of Government funding for Bradford Metropolitan District council. It is now apparent that the Council tax payer in Keighley is going to fare far worse under this new Labour Government!

One might ask who she will blame now, and will she vote against the government's proposals on Local Government funding, to show her support for her Keighley constituents?

In the meantime may I welcome Mrs Cryer's comments in the Ilkley Gazette, on her concern over the Unitary Development Plans and the effects it will have on the infrastructure and environment on both the Aire and Wharfe valleys!

The UDP was formulated by the Labour controlled Bradford Authority and finally sanctioned by this Labour Government, a Government which one may assume is supported by Mrs Cryer.

Dare one suggest a case of double standards?

CLLR ERIC C DAWSON,

Parkway, Steeton.

Ann Cryer responds: "I am fundamentally opposed to the erosion of green belt land, especially in areas such as Silsden, because it will not benefit local people. A lot of the problems stem from the Conservative government, who put pressure on the UDP to sanction areas for building on local green belt land. The problem is that the government cannot overule to withdraw the UDP in Bradford and Silsden. Any building on the green belt wouldn't help the people of Keighley and it will not help the people of Silsden. I still believe in a green and pleasant land."

SIR - I was very concerned by the tone of last week's front page story, headlined 'Mystery Cameraman puts an end to Mark's work experience'.

A more appropriate headline could have been 'Employer caught in breach of Health and Safety regulations.'

Health and Safety laws and regulations are not just made up for fun, they are there to protect people like the young lad from accidents and injury. What kind of example is Councillor Atkinson setting by encouraging a 15-year-old lad to flout the law?

Is the Keighley News really saying it's alright for employers to disregard Health and Safety legislation when it suits them? If so, I am appalled.

B WATERS,

East Parade, Steeton.

SIR - I recently attended the funeral of an old work mate. He was in the Dunkirk Evacuation, the D Day landings and was wounded four times. Recognition from his country - nil. The chauffeur driving Princess Di's funeral car is in the Queen's honours lists. Is this Mr Blair's caring society?

C GREENWOOD,

Park Avenue, Sutton.

SIR - there are no man-made solutions to all the evils of this world. The only way forward is to turn back to God.

MARY WEATHERLEY,

Gloucester Avenue, Silsden.

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.