SIR – Coun Val Townend (Conservative) is currently doing the rounds in Baildon complaining to all and sundry that Baildon Parish Council has raised its precept this year by 104 per cent.

Coun Townend is quite correct in stating this fact. However, what she does not say is that the precept has (for a band D property) been raised from £7.50 per annum to £15 – a rise of just £7.50.

Equally, she fails to mention that the Parish Council in the last year has significantly raised its game and is possibly delivering more than double the level of services compared with previous years. The huge success of the Farmers Market in Baildon – sponsored and led by the Parish Council – is just one case in point.

A second instance is the refurbishment of the children’s playground at Southcliffe Drive, where public expenditure of £26,000 by councils has drawn in additional outside funding to the tune of £52,000.

It is particularly rich that Cllr. Townend turns up for the T&A photograph at the Southcliffe Drive playground, and then bad-mouths the Parish Council which has led on the scheme and drawn this outside funding into Baildon.

Her narrowness of thinking is breathtaking!

John Cole, Oakroyd Terrace, Baildon