Letters to the Editor

SIR, - Two of your readers last week referred to me as coming from Harrogate and it is true that I work there.

What they may not realise is that I need to work to earn a living and I need to live near to my place of work because I am a veterinary surgeon.

The work of a Parliamentary candidate for the Conservative Party is unpaid and voluntary. In order to fulfil this commitment I am taking some time out from my practice and paying for extra veterinary cover out of my own pocket.

I could not afford to do this full time as I would have no income. However, I have pledged that I will live here if elected as MP as I would not then be working in the practice.

The obsession some people have about where a candidate lives is petty politics at its most pedantic.

Also, I am surprised that the MP has nothing better to do than spend his time researching my personal details. Politics should be about the issues.

It's about time we had someone with veterinary expertise in the House of Commons.You only need remember the fiasco this Government made of the foot and mouth crisis to realise this.

One of your readers suggested that I may have tried to mislead by using

two different terms for my job title. Please allow me to explain. The term 'prospective Parliamentary candidate' means that local Conservatives have selected me to contest this seat at the next General Election.

Some people simply use the term candidate as this is less long winded. Both these terms are used interchangeably with Parliamentary spokesman by many candidates because we are, in fact, our party's representative in the constituency. I hope this clarifies the situation.

Whether I am referred to as candidate or spokesman does not really matter. What matters is that Aireborough residents will have a strong voice in Parliament.

Pamela Singleton

Conservative

Parliamentary Candidate

and Fellow of the Royal

College of Veterinary

Surgeons.

Pool point

SIR, - Everyone understands the concerns of those living in Otley about HGV traffic. But Philip Coyne is wrong to take Hazel Lee and her parish council to task over their worries about potential extra HGV traffic through Pool-in-Wharfedale.

He does not seem to know that Pool already suffers more HGVs passing through the village on a daily basis than does Otley, excluding the by-pass. The impact of such traffic volumes on a small settlement like Pool is far more intensive than on Otley.

Adding more HGV traffic to Pool's already massive burden would be unthinkable yet that would be the inevitable consequence of what he is seeking to do in Otley.

Phil's solution is to build the bypass round Pool as proposed, he says, in the Leeds UDP some years ago. I have news for him - there was never any proposal for any Pool by-pass in the UDP beyond a modest relief road linking Pool Bank with Pool Road built at developer expense only should houses be built west of Pool .

Under the UDP Review that green belt housing proposal has rightly been dropped. This means there are no plans for any Pool by-pass anywhere to be funded by anyone.

Given the housing development in Pool in recent years, the topography of Pool itself and the massive building costs including a major new river crossing it is hard to see that the Government will ever fund such a project.

Just as a final point, a number of people have suggested various new by-passes for Otley, Pool and elsewhere to solve the problem of HGV traffic. I sometimes wonder where they think the aggregates for all these new roads will be sourced from - and indeed how they will be transported and along which rural roads. Any suggestions ?

Coun Clive Fox

99 Breary Lane East,

Bramhope.

Silver Cross

SIR, -As a resident of Rawdon who travels through Guiseley every day, I attended the recent public meeting on the proposed development of the former Silver Cross meeting.

I was therefore astonished to read Pamela Singleton's account of the meeting in the Observer of October 14. Councillor Latty approved the development in committee and only called the meeting after pressure from local people.

At the meeting, he was clearly out of his depth with many of the issues raised. Pamela Singleton, who does not even live anywhere near Aireborough and has no idea of the effect that this development will have on the already congested A65 corridor, is clearly seeking to deflect the failings of the local councillors and make a name for herself through her cynical and opportunistic comments.

Michael Denison

54 Larkfield Avenue,

Rawdon.

Society facts

SIR, - In reply to Mr Wood's letter of the October 7, 2004.

Aireborough Civic Society was formed in 1976 by ex-Aireborough district councillors when urban district councils were abolished.

The main purpose of civic societies is to monitor planning applications and, if necessary, make written observations on the applications. We do not and never will make decisions on behalf of other people.

We review more than 400 applications a year, and we are not accountable to anyone but our members, or to The Civic Trust at national level.

Anybody can make written observations on any application made by any applicant to any planning authority in the country and are not just restricted to developments in their own back yards.

Aireborough Civic Society will continue to exercise its democratic right to freedom of speech in what ever form this takes, whether it is in form of written observations, verbal observations or letters to the local press or articles in the local press on any planning we feel there is need for comment on.

I strongly recommend Mr Woods looks up the word 'democratic' as it appears his knowledge of the meaning of this work is as limited as his knowledge of planning procedures.

Peter Middleton

Chairman,

Aireborough Civic Society.

Tribute

SIR, -Thank you for your fitting tribute to the late Norman Threapleton.

I have a treasured memory of Norman on an evening last August when his family invited his cricketing friends to meet him at Guiseley Cricket Club, perhaps for the last time. A junior match was in progress and, I recall, Norman, despite his illness, umpired for two or three overs.

His records show he was an outstanding all-rounder. He had many other qualities and his contribution to Senior and Junior League administration more than compensated for the pleasure he had received as a player.

A quality, rarely seen these days, was his loyalty - loyalty to his club, Guiseley. I am sure, as a leading player, he could have advanced to professional status in a higher league.

'Threp' was indeed a fine example to all sportsmen and a privilege to know.

About the same time as Norman's passing, obituary notices appeared regarding Keith Miller, the famous Australian. A thought struck me - in their own particular field, we were saying farewell to two cricketing giants.

Jack H Kell

1 Low Hall Close,

Menston.

Expenses

SIR, - Figures recently published for expense claims made by MPs make interesting reading.

Claims made by representatives of local constituencies covering the Parliamentary sessions from 2001/02 to 2003/04 show that :

Harold Best's expenses increased from £76,380 to £116,760 a massive increase of some 53 per cent.

Ann Cryer's expenses increased from £88,780 to £122,734 a huge increase of some 38 per cent

Paul Truswell's expenses increased from £91,349 to £127,351 a huge increase of some 39 per cent.

Over that same period I have not noticed increases in my pension at such obscene levels and I believe they would all claim to be fighting the pensioners' cause with the utmost vigour.

Amongst other items the expenses cover is first class travel but one is prompted to ask why does it always have to be on the gravy train ?

Anthony Hopkins

2 Carlton Drive,

Guiseley.