SIR - This letter is just to say a big "Thank You" to whoever looks after the gardens on the roundabouts throughout the town.

The lovely displays this spring, whilst travelling from Oxenhope through to Silsden, have been a pleasure to see, even on a miserable day. I am now looking forward to seeing the displays in the summer.

MARGARET BOOTHROYD

Upwood Park, Blackmoor Road, Oxenhope

SIR - May I be allowed to clarify the context of a report on the front page of KN 20/6/03 so as not to cause any offence, either to fellow councillors or to transport industry colleagues?

The proposed pilot scheme for cameras in taxis is the brainchild of Keighley Transport Watch, which is not a committee of Keighley Town Council but is an independent forum supported by bus, taxi and train operators, West Yorks Police and BT Police. It is attended by representatives of Bradford District Council and Keighley Town Council.

What your reporter heard in the Town Council Chamber last Thursday evening was me, speaking as an ordinary councillor, not as a committee chairman, reporting on an external meeting which I had attended.

CLLR GRAHAM MITCHELL

Dockroyd Lane, Oakworth

SIR - Having read the comments of G Foster of Steeton in regard to dental charges being introduced by local practices, I would congratulate Mr Foster in stating his case so well, but would also like to take his point of ability to pay to another level.

My wife too has been quoted a fee of £201.16 for the first year plus a registration fee of £16.80. This imposes a further stress on our pensionable income.

The present government is very concerned as to the image and improvement it is making to the NHS, yet no-one appears to care what the state of the dental services are and where they are going.

Dentists backed by what are called "Health Care" companies have only one object, which is financial gain.

Perhaps this is an issue which our local MP Mrs Cryer should be raising with the Dept of Health and questioning how much a dentist entering into these schemes expects his/her annual income to increase at the expense of people on low income and those who do not have the ability to pay. Many thousands who have worked all their lives, paying National Insurance contributions, expect far better treatment than this.

R WEATHERALL

Blackhill, Keighley

SIR - I am writing in regard to the petition for a crossing at Lees School.

As someone who has had two children go through Lees (my younger child left six years ago) and, as a nearby resident and car owner who uses Haworth Road several times a day, I can testify that over the last four or five years the number of cars around the school at start and finish times has increased many fold.

They are parked all over the pavements, (I use the term 'parked' lightly as some seem more abandoned!), on both sides of Haworth Road - even totally on the pavement between the chip shop and Lees Methodist's.

I used to have quite a big pram when my children were small. If I had it now I wouldn't be able to push it along the Haworth Road pavements from Vale Mill Lane to the shops at peak times as the cars are parked on them.

From the previous paragraph you may guess my feelings towards a crossing - we don't need anything more except when the children are arriving or leaving school as it is their parents (or whoever takes/collects them) who make the road unsafe and difficult or impossible to cross.

They also make it difficult or impossible to drive along too. From 9.30am to 2.45pm every school day it is so quiet you could almost have a dance in the middle of it. No, sorry - I'm wrong. Every few minutes there's a bit of a back-up behind the bus when it stops opposite or near the school.

It lasts about thirty seconds. To check my theory, venture up to school at the usual start/finish times when the children are not in - where is the problem then?

Having been a member of the Village Association (now the Gala Committee) for quite a few years, I know that various pushes have been made for a crossing here or there.

Basically, if there's a crossing at the school, it may get used at the busy times, not really at any other time as it's not needed, and not unless the pedestrian is actually going to/from the school or the flats across from it.

So, I'm sorry, but I cannot support the petition for a crossing. Something needs to be done though. More walking/getting the bus to school (so fewer cars), and try and acquire a crossing woman/man with the old 'lollipop'. As it's only at school times, it seems the obvious solution - to have someone there then, and only then. A concerned parent or governor maybe could do the job. Mind you - I wouldn't like to wend my way between those rows of parked cars.

Kath Gower

address supplied

SIR - Reading the news that PC David Sands was having to work on within 15 months of his normal retirement after 30 years service, despite having cancer, could I offer the following advice?

Move to North Yorkshire instead of West, David. In North Yorkshire most officers cannot make 30 years service.

Many pensioners might look enviously at police pensions, after all, a mere 30 years service can allow you to retire at 48 with (on average) a £90,000 tax free lump sum and an index linked pension of (again on average) just under £20,000 pa for life.

But in North Yorkshire those 30 years are not usually possible. A quick check of the North Yorkshire Police Authority's website reveals that the 'norm' is that three out of five officers can't make those 30 years, and have to take early medical retirements.

Not for cancers, but for... wait for it... Depression!

Yes, conditions in such as Settle and Ingleton are so stressful that officers in their 30s have to retire through this life threatening condition, and no, I'm not joking, depression is a reasonable reason for retirement for officers in their 30s in North Yorkshire.

Retirement for life. Except they're free to take other jobs, of course. Of course this condition of depression takes its toll, especially on ratepayers.

Why, last year the ratepayers of North Yorkshire saw a 42 per cent increase in police precept! But that of course was a one off, life cannot always be so easy. So this year it's increased by 76 per cent, just to let us know that life is stressful.

Go to North Yorkshire, David, and any officers in a similar situation, but if you feel that you'd like to do a little work, then join North Yorkshire Police Authority!

Why? Because after the arduous business of almost trebling police precept in two years they had to increase their own expenses by 60 per cent in order not to feel left out!

Alan Perrow

Bannister Walk

Cowling

SIR - Oh dear, what a shame! All powerful, overmighty Bradford Council, after plundering the rents and rates of Keighley for thirty years now cannot find the comparative pittance required to refurbish and maintain our historical buildings, fix our failing newer ones, and thus discharge their responsibility to the electorate of this once proud, self governing town.

The buildings and services they seek to lease - for profit - were taken over for nothing in 1974, plus all Keighley's cash surpluses. We were told it's all for the best. Well, it obviously is not. They cannot cope.

I am told that Keighley Town Council, our own locally elected people, known to many of us, requested information months ago from Bradford, referring to leisure, amenities, markets, the library, allotments and a host of other local services. This was with the aim of taking them back under local control.

Bradford has singularly failed to supply most of the relevant information. Now we know why - don't we!

I am quite outraged by this proposed sell off or lease off of Keighley's heritage and services from under our feet.

On a list held by Keighley Town Council more places are itemised to be considered for this scheme than were noted in last week's Keighley News.

One of these places is, again, Keighley Market. Interested parties have until July 2 to register their interest.

However, Keighley market traders' June meeting with the Council Market Department was deferred until July 9. We at the market have not yet been informed of this scheme, or its effect on us should it ever come to fruition. Would we have been informed in July, or at all?

It is only thanks to the diligence of certain town councillors that I was made aware of the scheme and the market's inclusion in the list to be 'asset managed'.

I do not believe that the Markets Department at Bradford Council were aware of our inclusion. Since the withdrawal of Morrison's offer to buy Keighley market, the Markets Department have worked diligently so secure funds for the upkeep and improvements for the market, and to agree a schedule for use of those finds. I, for one, appreciate that.

Maybe Simon Cooke and other involved councillors should come to our town hall and explain themselves publicly to the people of Keighley, soon.

Maybe your paper will issue such an invitation on our behalf and, should it take place, report it fully - as you always do.

Finally, interested town councillors could also be invited and given equal time with Bradford to put their views and concerns.

Could the Keighley News run a campaign for the return of Keighley assets to Keighley? The town council could certainly do no worse than Bradford Met.

ALLISTER WATKINS

Chairman National Market

Traders Federation -

Keighley.

SIR - Your concerns about the Asset Management Plan proposed for Bradford are quite right.

Bradford Council has a history of bone-headed neglect of its responsibilities. Faced with the complexity of a long-term financial plan, it is likely to be incompetent again.

But for Keighley there is an extra problem. While other towns and cities that are being clogged up by endless motor vehicles change their layout to provide more use of bicycles and trams, Keighley with its steep hills will prove more difficult than most.

We shall need a more radical solution. This may well mean demolishing some properties to allow new bus-cycle combinations. Not only the old and ugly public properties, but some houses too.

We need to manage our public assets and our public liabilities and our transport needs in a combined way. To look only at the 'asset management' would be a silly mistake. Another silly mistake.

Michael Yaffey,

Keighley Green Party.

SIR - Why are we, citizens of Great Britain, so opposed to joining with a 'United Europe' when we accept without hesitation the selling off of vast portions of the country's infrastructure and industry to foreign concerns?

The electricity and water utilities seem to be almost exclusively owned by French and American concerns, BT is contracting out work to an entity calling itself 'Skanska' , which does not sound very English to me, the railways are largely foreign-owned (God bless Richard Branson), ship-building is but an empty joke, the once-proud car industry is now run by Americans and Japanese whilst the steel industry has become a victim of a Scandinavian company known as Corus, who, as I recall, took over the ownership with the assurance that the steel-making capability of Britain was not at risk.

This nation, once a mighty world power, is being systematically stripped of all its wealth and influence, and no-one bats an eyelid.

At least in the days of the Vikings, Normans and Spanish we had a damn good go at fighting back, but now we just lie down and let it happen.

Keith Sunderland

Exley Avenue, Keighley

England (but for how much

longer?)

SIR - We will soon be asked to vote in a referendum on whether we would want a Yorkshire Assembly.

Why on earth do the local Labour MPs think people want another layer of government and bureaucracy?

A Yorkshire Parliament would be an expensive white elephant, full of failed political cronies. If Labour believe things should be decided more locally they should hand more powers to the local councils, not make decisions more remote at a regional level.

The greatest irony is that the local Labour MPs who are so keen for an expensive referendum on a Yorkshire Parliament that few people want, are the same people who oppose a referendum on the new European constitution which transfers vast powers out of this country altogether; so much for having decisions taken at a more local level!

Philip Davies

Hartlington Court, Baildon

SIR - The MEP's calling for a Regional Assembly are just being obedient to their masters in Brussels.

The European map shows Scotland and Wales as separate countries but England is just a series of regions. It is the old story of divide and conquer. I prefer united we stand divided we fall. If more power is to be given locally it should be given to local Town Councils, together with the money to make things work, not another layer of bureaucracy with jobs for the boys and another rise in the council tax.

The last council of EU ministers were sacked for corruption. The auditors will still not pass the books. Neil Kinnock, who was retained to keep his eye on any corruption, has sacked a member of his staff who dared to point out what was happening. Article 191 of the Nice Treaty allows for the abolition of any political party that is anti-EU. So much for democracy.

H L HOLMES

Paget Street, Keighley