Watch out - scumbags about

Monday night, about 7.30pm, I was sitting at the kitchen table half way through my tea when someone, unknown to me, tried to come in at my back door. I could see that he had a light coloured woolly hat on, but unfortunately for me it wasn't Santa and unfortunately for him the door was locked.

You see, we learnt our lesson a few years ago when at about the same time of year one of these sneaky scumbag thieves pounced. We were all in the front room watching the telly when, uninvited, he walked straight in to our kitchen, swept aside the mince pies and dry sherry and helped himself instead to nice well stocked handbag!

Now my ageing back door security light is a temperamental little thing, it can sometimes pick up a common garden snail at ten metres and beam down brightly on him for hours till he gets comfortably ensconced in my herb garden, but ask it to come on when a 5ft 10in, human being appears and that's another matter!

But just this once it did the job and I got a quick look at his clothing through the glass panel and ran to open the door, but he was away and boy could he run, which, after studying his balance and his frightening turn of pace gave me an idea.

When these late night shoppers are apprehended, instead of the usual fine, community service and a slap on the wrist, let the magistrates give them a six month membership for the local gymnasium and athletics club. I'm sure with the correct coaching they could do us all proud at next year's Olympics.

And I'm sure that if they failed to bring back a medal they could always pinch one!

Now the police come in for a lot of criticism at certain times, some justified and some not, but in this case it's the latter. I phoned the police immediately, my call was answered in seconds. And, by the way, I rang the Skipton police station number and not 999. I explained what had happened, left my telephone number and was told a patrol car would be sent to scour the area.

I went outside to see if I could spot this late night shopper when not one but two police patrol cars arrived, and within five minutes of my call, now how's that for service!

At the time of writing I have no idea if the shopper managed to fill his sack or if he was actually apprehended, but congratulations to the efforts of our police force; it's certainly restored my faith in the up and coming increased council tax!

The only downside to the evening was that one of the patrol officers I spoke with had a very distinctive southern hemisphere accent and I forgot to mention the rugby!

Kirk Humphreys

Hurrs Road, Skipton.

SIR - A couple of weeks ago you published my letter concerning the damage done by lorries when entering the town hall car park.

The week following a trucker gave his personal view regarding the need to come off the bypass to get a packet of cigarettes and a paper. Not quite what I was referring to, but no matter, he had his say.

The Craven Herald (October 21) has another trucker, Mr Tyson, from Colne, getting upset at my comments, yet it is he who refers to second rate, low life lorry drivers. Who put that comment into the discussion?

Sure these guys look forward to a shower and a shave, I'm glad to hear it. Is this possible in Skipton car park? I think not, as the public conveniences are locked up at night.

Mr Tyson refers to not being allowed into most towns overnight. My point sir. My letter, directed at the council, not the drivers, asks why Skipton? OK, you may be prepared to pay, but who would collect the fee? That cost would outstrip the revenue.

If the council is obliged to offer this as a service it should be done properly. A lorry park with facilities. Maybe this is an opportunity for the auction mart to create a truck stop at the arterial junction A59/A65, shower block and all.

When one sees the number of trucks in Skipton that have travelled from the Clitheroe Cement Works, half an hour away, one realises there is something not quite right.

I am sorry Mr Tyson, my comments stick. I would not like to spend the night being buffeted by other trucks down-draught, but nor do I like it past my house. Doubtless other residents on route in and out of town feel the same. I personally travel around 20,000 miles a year and in doing so I do observe truck stops. However, I cannot recall what must be the nearest to Skipton, but feel it must have better facilities than we are offering.

B Wright,

Otley Street, Skipton.

SIR - I am waiting and hoping for a movement to rise up within the Craven District similar to the one in Devon where people are threatening to refuse to pay any rise in council tax above the annual rate of inflation.

In Devon it is the pensioners but why only them? They are, indeed, stuck with their annual pension increases whereas many of the employed have, as we often witness, the power to make themselves heard. I'm sure I speak for the majority when I say that we are all so annoyed by the prospect of yet another large rise in council tax and surely the time has come for us all to rise up and object.

Where is our Leader? The prisons are already full so where would the "system" put the population of Craven?

Mr T Hall,

Haw Park, Embsay.

SIR - The National Pensioners' Convention has warned that the Government's announcement of next year's 7.3 per cent average increase in council tax will leave millions of older people unable to pay.

The state pension is due to rise next April by just £2.20 a week for a single pensioner and £3.50 for a couple, but according to the Government's announcement council tax is unlikely to be significantly higher.

Is it not long overdue that our local councils unite with councils nationwide to demand that central government pay any increase over and above the annual rate of inflation?

Enough is enough. We have just spent in excess of £5 million on protecting the unelected President George W Bush from the British people. The money is there. Let it be spent on those who lived and served in the Second World War.

Brian Ormondroyd,

Brindley Court, Skipton.

SIR - Mr T Hobson (letters November 28) attacks North Yorkshire County Council for big council tax increases and accuses me of blaming the Government instead of attacking the county council.

Mr Hobson is wrong: the Government must carry the blame for big council tax increases. The figures show why: the county council budget this year is £488 million. The biggest chunk of this (£275 million) is for education of which teachers' pay accounts for £160 million.

The next biggest department is social services spending some £98 million. The spending is largely determined by the Government and leaves very little local discretion.

The problem is that the Government does not provide enough grant to cover this spending. This year the Government grant is £310 million, leaving over a third of spending to be raised from council taxes.

To raise the money to cover a one per cent increase in public spending not covered by grant, the council has to raise taxes by about four per cent (this is known as the "gearing" effect.) So councils are faced with the unpalatable choice of raising taxes or cutting services. This year the choice was so extreme that some councils were ordered to increase spending on education alone by more than the entire increase in grant for all services put together.

Of course the people who suffer most are those just above the benefit level and people on small fixed incomes like pensioners. In fact those on benefit also lose out because the council tax benefit is so inefficient that more than a million people who are eligible to claim do not do so.

Even the Government has recognised this by announcing a review of the way the benefit system works - a demand I made in my speech in the Commons on the Government grant to local councils.

Next year's Government grant to Craven is up by 2.2 per cent- below the rate of inflation. So if Craven has to increase its council tax whom is Mr Hobson going to blame - the council for trying to maintain services or the Government to meet necessary expenditure?

David Curry MP,

House of Commons,

London.

SIR - I wrote to your paper some time ago to bemoan the state of the footpath that connects the junction on Cavendish Street adjacent to Tesco supermarket and Skipton Railway Station, known locally as 'Black Walk'.

It is sad to say that many years later the walk is indeed black !

As well as the majority of streetlights not working, it is still deeply unpleasant due mainly to being overgrown, as well as being persistently covered with litter and dog dirt.

In fact recently users have had horse manure to navigate as well.

Top prize at the moment though must go to whoever is responsible for the enormous skip full of rubbish that has appeared directly outside the Railway Station entrance. What a marvellous welcome for everybody getting off the train !

Chris Lund

Brougham Street, Skipton

SIR - You sometimes print letters from readers expressing appreciation of, and gratitude for, the excellent care and treatment they have received from Airedale Hospital.

I fully endorse these sentiments, but I would also like to praise the home carers who offer a wonderful service. They perform both personal and everyday tasks so willingly and with such kindness and good humour.

I, for one, am immensely grateful for their help following an accident.

Avis Powell,

Goldielands, Settle.

SIR - Your editorial of November 28 throws a grim light on the opposition to the Embsay Tannery site as you conclude that it is likely that the application will succeed.

But is it really too much for the residents to ask for something better for this site?

For years, as the owners and their experts have pointed out, the tannery business has been smelly, noisy and a general nuisance in the village, but of course this has been a legitimate industrial use.

However, the business and the buildings grew up before any planning or environmental legislation was thought about and the result is a contaminated, industrial eyesore.

Why then, would the developers and the National Park want to replace an industrial monstrosity with an urban one?

This development of 72 dwellings is just not viable for a village in a National Park. Where else in any National Park would you find a large block of flats (bigger, incidentally, than the existing building) and three to four storey town houses, all hutched up, cheek by jowl, to maximise the value of the site?

In effect, a village the size of Eastby would be plonked in the centre of Embsay.

Other industrial units remain in Embsay, which may be capable of conversion without demolition, and the possibility of further housing on these sites must pose an increased threat, particularly if the tannery application succeeds.

One of the main issues is what protection are we going to get from the Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority? After all, its statutory purpose is to conserve and enhance the natural beauty, wildlife and cultural heritage of the national park.

Not only is this site in the Park, but it is also in a Conservation Area. These designations have to count for something, otherwise there would be no point to them.

Even though the Park planners quote national guidance on density of housing on brownfield sites, even John Prescott can never have imagined that it would be used, blithely, by a national park to destroy the character which it was created to protect.

Can I remind the national park that it successfully refused a number of planning applications for up to 53 houses, a nursing home and light industrial units on the Grassington Hospital site, a much larger area than the tannery.

A development was eventually agreed for four houses. Moreover, the Park itself offered, in 1991, to pay the costs of clearing the site to resolve the problems of the hospital becoming a serious eyesore should consent for redevelopment not be forthcoming.

What about grants and European funding (not available in 1991) for clearing up the site? Is it too much to dream that the tannery is replaced by Embsay Park which would fit well with the adjoining nature reserve? Now, that really would be something better!

However, if this particular development goes ahead, Embsay, which has had more than its fair share of development over the years, will be set to overtake Sedbergh as the largest place in the Park.

But this part of Embsay is on the southern boundary of the National Park: could it be possible that the Park planners would sacrifice Embsay to government guidance and the developers so that it can meet all its targets for housing, brownfield development etc while the rest of the park remains picture-perfect for its other village inhabitants and the tourists.

Jean Robinson,

Pasture Road, Embsay.

Editor's note: The national park not yet expressed any opinion whatsoever on the Embsay development. It may recommend refusal for planning reasons.

SIR - This letter is not, you will be relieved to hear, an attempt to sideline the promise I made to shut up on the issue of Settle's appalling traffic problem; it is intended as a tribute to someone who has tried, for many years, to keep the problems posed by modern traffic in a high profile.

Many many years ago, when I first came to live in Giggleswick village and to drink at the good old Black Horse, I was approached by an elderly grey haired gentleman who attempted to elicit my support for what I then thought was a hare-brained scheme to alleviate a local problem.

I was at the time a prolific writer in the field of semi documentary drama and, as I later discovered, he was noted for nobbling anyone who might have access to the media in pursuance of his laudable objective to improve the quality of people's lives.

I often took issue, not entirely with his objectives but with his means of pursuing them, which at times resembled the tenacity of a terrier that scents moles.

Now, even more elderly, and white haired, he can still be seen vigorously treading the highways and byways of the Dales. His tenacity, though I rarely come across him these days, puts me to shame. He has spent a lifetime trying, in his own individual way, to address some of the ills of our society.

Anyone who has lived for just a few years in the area will by now know that I could only be referring to Bob Leakey. His reputation has crossed local boundaries, and I have heard stories of travellers in far off places who, on revealing that their home village is Giggleswick, are met with the query, "Isn't that where that chap Leakey lives?"

Locally, in earlier years, he was probably regarded as an eccentric as he propagated ideas which even the average Yorkshire brain had difficulty in assimilating.

At public meetings, when he stood to speak, you could see polite smiles frozen on people's faces. Until he did speak, they were waiting with obvious apprehension for it to happen. His fans probably included many who could appreciate the intention without fully understanding the means.

In more recent years many of those who were formerly critical can be heard to say, "He's right, you know...He's got a point there," or even "It's a pity we didn't listen to Bob."

Even now, in his latest offering to Settle Community News, he offers the solution of tunnelling to address Settle's traffic problems.

There will be those who say, "What nonsense," but on reflection might qualify the remark with, "but there could be something in it. He could be right, you know."

He could indeed. There is no reason why it, or something like it, could not be commonplace at some time late in the present century, for like many of Bob's solutions, it is well ahead of its time.

This I feel will be of small comfort to him, for like anyone else I'm sure he would like to see his vision a reality in his lifetime. The man who could also be clever enough to see the publicity value in the tradename "Leakey Boats" deserves what life will not afford him!

I hope he reads this, for I would like him to know that despite all our past arguments and disagreements there has always been considerable respect, and I'm sure that in this I speak for many others.

John Finch,

Settle.

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