Letters to the Editor

SIR, - Your article in this week's Gazette (July 31) regarding the road humps in Burley Woodhead was excellent.

My husband was born and bred in Menston and I was born and bred in Ilkley, both more than 50 years ago, so you can imagine the number of times we have used this road in that time.

There has never been a major problem with speeding cars, speed is 60 plus not 30. This road has never been suitable for speed, nor has there ever been a major accident of any kind. Yes, of course there are more cars using this road now, as on most roads.

I have just spent the last four years travelling on this road, both first thing in the morning over to Bingley and returned at lunchtime. In all that time, in all weathers, I have never encountered any speeding or problems at Burley Woodhead.

This whole situation has been blown out of proportion. Who are these Burley Woodhead residents who have managed to ruin this wonderful moor road? They can't be born and bred here as most of us who were just enjoyed the road as it was.

Do they live on the road side? I wonder just how many do, as most of the houses are set back from the road except for the few cottages after 'The Hermit', where speed is not an issue.

I feel very sorry for the local farmers particularly. Their working lives must have been made impossible, and what about the poor animals? My mother died in May this year and up to that time I took this very frail old lady on rides over this road. There is no way that I could do that now. The elderly must be losing out considerably.

I have a serious back injury and on the odd occasions when I do use this road now, it is unbearable. It has certainly ruined my pleasure.

Have these residents of Burley Woodhead ever considered what would happen to them if a fire broke out and the fire engines were unable to get over the humps, or they were taken ill and the ambulances, as the ones quoted in the press at the moment, could not get over the humps, are they prepared to take the consequences?

Pedestrians? What pedestrians? Never have I seen any apart from the odd group of hikers here and there. This road was never meant for pedestrians.

Hopefully with the backing of your paper and other concerned local people, this issue will be resolved with the removal of these dreadful humps.

PATRICIA SHEFFIELD

Copperstones,

11 Hollingwood Rise,

Ilkley.

Residents 'selfish'

SIR, - This is my first ever letter to a newspaper. It has been prompted by the speed bumps at Burley Woodhead.

I still cannot believe that they have been introduced on this part of the moor road. I have been using this route to Bradford for almost 15 years. In this time I have not seen a single accident or even a bump on this part of the moor road.

During the past eight weeks I have seen two minor bumps and one almost head-on collision. The former were both caused by drivers almost stopping in order to drive over the humps at a speed in which not do damage the vehicle thus causing following, less cautious drivers to plough into the backs of the almost stationary vehicle.

I have also seen many drivers overtake the slower cars on the humps only to find traffic coming towards them on the opposite side of the road.

I personally consider the residents of the Burley Woodhead area being totally selfish in their quest for the hideous 'lumps' in the road.

If you are readers of the national press, you will have no doubt seen the articles about 'removal' of 50 per cent of all speed bumps in the Greater London area.

It has now been proven that humps can actually cause accidents, road rage and injury to people with back and neck problems.

Many thanks for producing a superb newspaper.

Mr R Curtiss

Skipton Road,

Ilkley.

Over the top

SIR, - Are the speed bumps over the top? They certainly are - don't we have enough obstacles on our roads nowadays?

Where Burley Woodhead is concerned the speed bumps are totally over the top. I am waiting for the next crisis on the A65 when the traffic is all diverted over the moor road and has to contend with the new traffic calming at Burley Woodhead - I hope the residents of Burley Woodhead in favour of the speed humps (not all of them, I understand) will enjoy the ensuing noise and congestion their speed bumps cause!

N. WATSON

Bucham Gate,

17 Ben Rhydding Road,

Ilkley.

Humps overdone

SIR, - I travel fairly frequently to Ilkley over the speed bumps in Burley Woodhead. I do not park and check if anyone appears to be speeding.

The speed limit of 20mph is too high, I always drop to 15mph. The whole business is grossly overdone - the effect would be he same if only half the number of bumps were used.

I once read that such bumps cost £1,000 each and it is not the bureaucrats who pay.

NORMAN ENTWISTLE

8 Westfield Terrace

Baildon.

Buffoons wrong

SIR, - Yes the speed humps are over the top!

Yes, it is a narrow country road and traffic was going too fast on it - so slow it down by putting a speed camera up there, not 11 speed humps designed to wreck people's cars. I can understand the use of these things (humps) in and around housing estates and other areas of high pedestrian activity, but not on a country road.

If this example was to be followed then the whole rural road network would be littered with speed humps rendering it useless to all but those who choose to drive tanks and tractors.

The buffoons at the council seem to have got it wrong yet again. Instead of making sure that highways and byways are kept clear they seem to be spending the extra ten per cent council tax in making sure that highways and byways are obstructed. Perhaps they've been sponsored by Kwikfit, who knows?

I sympathise with the hornblowers, (although being a considerate individual I have not yet resorted to it myself). If the area is so dangerous that it needs such drastic measures to slow down traffic then it seems wholly appropriate that drivers help the locals by sounding a warning sign of their presence.

So yes, as I drive to work over 11 humps each day, I do wonder who can be sued for consequent damage to my car, my back, my neck and my high blood pressure raised through venting my dismay at this ridiculous situation.

Put a speed camera up there instead. Who knows, it might even make someone some money!

R I King

Addingham.

Skate park issue

SIR, - It comes as no surprise to see a negative write-up about the new skate park in Ilkley. It angers me to see that you choose to focus on the litter problem in Ilkley by photographing the skate park.

I am unsure which day you chose to photograph this as on the occasions I have been down, I have seen three rubbish bins, which the skaters have put there themselves, full of rubbish. If you had extended your lens into the park and surrounding riverside, especially on a weekend, you would have found just as much rubbish lying around.

As a mother of two skateboarders who are enjoying being able to skate for hours without bothering anyone, I have visited the skate park on many occasions and I have to say I have been impressed by the way most of the users have been taking care of it.

Both my sons and their friends have been trying to ensure that rubbish is put into the bins, as they are aware how much Pipedream has done to enable the skate park to be built. I am aware that not all users will follow this practice.

I have seen for myself in the same area you photographed, a dirty nappy left on the grass bank - are we to believe the skaters are responsible for this?

Ilkley is a popular place during the holidays, especially on a warm day, with crowds of people making use of the park and river areas.

Some of these people, along with the anti-social behaviour which seems to take place on a night time in Ilkley with take-away food boxes and beer bottles etc left were consumed in the park and surrounding river area.

These people have to take some blame for the litter problem. I find it hard to believe that those residents who chose to speak to the Gazette are blind to the rest of the litter scattered around Ilkley's grassed areas and only seem concerned with highlighting a litter problem around the skatepark.

Ilkley's litter problem should be looked at as a whole not a smaller picture. I would like to take this opportunity to say a big thank you to Pipedream on behalf of myself and I'm sure many other parents for the hard work in making the skate park happen.

Mrs R Aldridge

Ilkley.

Romany rubbish

SIR, - It seems to me those seeking tolerance for travellers don't have to put up with generators going through the night, rubbish being tipped into the river, in fact rubbish everywhere - and forget the 'Romany Idyll' of the camp fire - it's tyres more like.

It is strange, too, how general vandalism and theft reduce as they move out. Presumably, as traveller supporters, they will also ensure the welfare of the animals these people bring and will be offering a good home to those animals that are still here.

Perhaps Mr Irwin and his supporters will be forming a very short queue of volunteers to remove the rubble that still remains as evidence of their visit to East Holmes and will be donating a large sum of money to pay for clean-up operations so that it doesn't come out of my taxes.

I would suggest that instead of sitting looking at web sites they would get off their backsides and see just what devastation is left.

M RAYNER

Four Firs,

Leeds Road,

Ilkley.

Policy a recipe for road rage

SIR, - To provide quality and better social services, health services, education, etc, the Government relies on the prosperity and growth of the economy.

People who prosper outside cities like London, but particularly in Yorkshire, tend to buy cars and do not want to travel by bus or train, not least for convenience reasons.

In their wisdom, the socialists decided not to build a bypass around Ilkley, creating a funnel through the traffic lights at the junction of Leeds Road and Brook Street.

That obstruction often causes people coming from Skipton and travelling in the Skipton direction to use Victoria Avenue. No doubt these people, escaping the funnel, cause statistics at the junction of Victoria Avenue and Skipton Road to demonstrate to some authority the need for traffic lights, which is the latest treat and obstacle that we are going to be privileged to experience.

A small filter land built into the field would have been much more useful.

In the run-up this little treat we have had huge delays whilst the work has been undertaken during the day, rather than when it would have been a lot more convenient, during the night.

This, together with all the other traffic lights that have been installed, will make Ilkley an even worse bottleneck after damaging the economic prospects of the town and causing more inconvenience to the public.

They call it traffic calming: it is public aggravating.

M Whitaker

Addingham.