SIR - Ken Lakin (Craven Herald Letters March 1) does not seem to think much of the traffic calming measures which are being put into effect in Grassington but his apparent deep concern about the waste of public money would carry more conviction if he were not engaged in the sale of alcohol, the use and abuse of which costs the NHS tens of millions of pounds every year.

Set against this the cost of installing traffic calming measures is just, shall we say, small beer. And that is before we consider the amount of human suffering resulting from accidents caused by drunken drivers.

We do need to reconsider our attitude towards drinking and driving even though that will cause difficulties for rural pubs, as well as to the impact of cars on pedestrians, particularly young children.

As for the bus shelter, I would have thought that any steps taken to get people out of their cars and on to public transport should be a matter for congratulation, not condemnation.

The dales are choked with traffic in the summer months and at weekends and the forecasters are predicting a huge rise in the number of vehicles to be catered for. We cannot go on like this. Good quality and reliable public transport has an important role to play in preserving the quality of life in an area like this. Travelling by bus still requires more time and planning than just jumping into the car because of the limited availability of buses but matters have improved a lot over the last five years; it is now even possible to travel from Grassington to Skipton on a Sunday!

I for one would prefer to live in a village where the rights of pedestrians are given clear priority over those of motorists and where it is possible to travel about the dale by public transport without adding to the congestion and pollution of the countryside.

Tony Vittery,

Wood Lane, Grassington.

Sage words

SIR - Prior to becoming the jovial mine host at the Clarendon, Hebden, your correspondent of last week, Ken Lakin, the area's largest - sorry, longest - serving landlord hailed from a village near Wetherby and was known to locals as "the Sage of Spofforth".

The ravages of time have obviously not diminished his talents as everyone to whom I have spoken since his letter appeared in the Craven Herald has given it their wholehearted approval and support. Mine too.

If one totals the cost of the notorious highway work to the cost of the equally notorious bus shelter, supposedly £180,000 and £120,000 respectively, one has £300,000.

I am sure if it were possible to share such a sum between local organisations such as chapels, churches, school groups, local societies, football, rugby, cricket and bowling clubs, those canny folk will have utilised the funds much more effectively for permanent local advantage and benefit.

Indeed, the powers that be could not even see their way to permit the rugby club a much-needed spare field. It would have cost the ratepayers not one penny.

One of the reasons given for refusal was that the field would have been too level! Like Grassington's new road and footway perhaps?

I have always adhered to the principle that if all else fails - and the Grassington saga is a total shambles - resort to laughter.

Could it be that the chaos in Grassington is a direct result of our Threshfield cats' eye and morris dancer complainant of a couple of weeks ago, Simon 'Lochinvar' Abbey and Rachel 'Roux Bros' Younger?

Have they turned the tables on us and "fixed" the authorities to dish out some treatment across the water? Have they unwittingly started another Burnsall-Thorpe maypole feud? We shall see. In the meantime a plague of flag crackers on you both!

John A Eteson,

Hebden Road, Grassington.

Quiet time

SIR - I am aware that your correspondent from Hebden (Craven Herald, March 1) is not alone in some of the comments he has made about the traffic calming works being carried out in Grassington. However, it is worth repeating some of the answers given to such questions during the much publicised public consultation meetings held in Grassington Town Hall.

Since becoming a councillor for Grassington over 12 years ago I have had constant calls/letters asking for something to be done about the road hazards which pedestrians have to endure daily in Grassington, and particularly requests for a 20 mph zone.

It is only two years ago since Government announced the relaxation of traffic regulations which allowed a 20mph speed restriction to be put into rural areas. At the same time funding was made available for the sole purpose of traffic management in villages. The county council, with the national park, put forward the whole plan for Grassington in a bid for funding and was successful, the price of the tender was £86,000.

For a 20 mph speed restriction to be successful there is a need for specific features to make the scheme virtually self enforcing. In other words to have a 20 mph speed limit there was no alternative but to conform to certain regulations for such a limit.

The Craven Herald printed articles giving information about the work, public notices about road closures were also published. Only two weekends of Hebden Road closure were needed. Materials used were chosen to minimise noise and yet to complement the special village environment of Grassington.

February is the quietest time of year to do the work. A meeting was held with business people so that special arrangements could be made to ensure that there were ways round the closure of Hebden Road. A notice was made at the entrance to Duck Street (near Pateley Bridge) saying there was access to Stump Cross Caverns and businesses on the B6265. A light vehicle diversion was also displayed from Threshfield.

Hebden Road is heavily used by pedestrians and the council's aims are to give precedence to those people, particularly those who are less mobile, including wheelchair and pram users. Already I have received good comments about the new footpath from residents from Elbolton and another from someone who needs a zimmer frame to walk into Grassington; that the level footway the length of Hebden Road is a real boon.

The whole aim is to make Grassington a safer place for the young, older residents and visitors to walk about the village. If it saves one life it will have been worthwhile..

Shelagh Marshall,

Bow Bridge Drive, Embsay.

Compromise

SIR - I read with some sympathy the letter from Mr and Mrs Ansell with regard to Silentnight Plc and Victoria Road residents. The letter was in regard to the light and noise pollution of their area due to the location of the loading bays.

As is fairly well known, Mr Ansell and also Mr Brown have asked for assistance regarding the same problem from the area committee of Pendle Borough Council several times. All they have received from this committee, of which I am a member, is a load of waffle.

Nobody, to my knowledge, can have more respect for the achievements with regard to innovation and provision of employment than me for this international company. Having joined in meetings with the management of Silentnight, I also appreciate that they are concerned about the environmental impact they are having on these two particular residencies.

Several people have contacted me saying that these people knew about the factory when they bought the houses. This, of course, is the truth, but not many people a few years ago would have thought that a management in this region could show the drive and enthusiasm shown at this particular company.

Their success is well deserved and, as I say, of great benefit to the area. Success can also create its own problems, this one being the additional hours necessary to meet orders. What used to be an eight-hour operation is going to be 16 hours, with the lighting required having additional impact in the neighbourhood.

At one of the meetings I attended there was a tentative suggestion with regard to the company purchasing the two properties. This, to me, seemed an ideal solution. The houses could be used as either residential space for visitors or extra office area.

Having spoken to the residents concerned I am quite sure they would be agreeable to this. The caring side of big business would be shown to exist and the two families could enjoy what, after all, is the name of the game - a silent night.

Coun Frank Neal,

Chairman of Barnoldswick Town Council.

No improvement

SIR - On February 24, together with other rail passengers, I was very disappointed in Arriva trains. The saga continued on the first day of the second revised timetable and like many others, I thought, surely today, first day of the much missed and longed for last train from Leeds (16.49) would run as scheduled.

The past four months had been a nightmare of travelling, late arrivals home, negotiations at work to leave early and work from home, leaving me and the others I have talked to, physically and mentally battered.

Surely, in terms of customer service and restoring faith in the trains, this train would be running.

However, on arrival at Skipton station, the all-too-familiar display was on the board. Cancelled.

Back to the bus journey home for many weary people who pay for a service that is completely unreliable and only want to travel north from Skipton and to arrive home at a decent time of day.

This situation was made worse when we were told that there was a train and driver at Leeds, but no conductor.

Shame on you Arriva. Get your act together or you will have no customers left.

Christine Hodson,

Harley Bank, Low Bentham.

Happy ending

SIR - Like most people who live in the Grassington area, I have heard of the many stories emulating from the activities of some (and I emphasise only some) of the over-active, interfering national park officials.

One example being the proposed new information centre (how many more do we need?) at Kettlewell, wanted by virtually none of the locals (it could in fact be detrimental to some local businesses) but because the empire builders at the national park command centre want it, no doubt it will be built.

Then we have local people, too numerous to mention, who have been put through hell for wanting to make the simplest of changes to improve their properties and way of life. Only to be obstructed time and again by national park jobsworths.

So, bearing all this background information in mind, when I in turn wanted some work carried out on our property I thought it best that I called down to the national park offices, in person, to explain the situation.

At this point the reader may well be wondering just what work I wanted doing? An extension perhaps? Swimming pool, tennis courts maybe, helicopter pad even. Oh no, nothing quite so simple as I explained to the officer.

We have two old sycamore trees in our front garden and one, which is very close to the gable end, is getting tangled in the telephone wires, filling the gutters with leaves, making our steps very slippy and I fear could cause damage to the foundations as the main trunk is only 15 feet from the house.

Would it be possible, I asked, to have some of the offending branches cut back? Or, as these are two large sycamores close together maybe one could be removed altogether?

If you could put your request in writing Mr Potter, it will be dealt with as soon as possible, I was told. On my return home, I duly complied with his wishes.

Sure enough, a few days later, two officials appeared, complete with clipboards and, surprisingly, a camera. After a coffee, which I jokingly pointed out, wasn't intended as a bribe, they took numerous photos, wrote things down, gazed at the tree for a while and left.

A few days later, we were notified by letter, as indeed were all our neighbours, that a tree protection order had been placed on the sycamores so heaven help us if we touched them, or words to that effect (wouldn't it be so much better for public relations if these people could maybe ring or call and discuss the problems, instead of being so damned officious)

However, this story does have a happy ending, because after almost two years, more letters and visits by the clipboard brigade we were finally informed by letter that, provided I employed the services of a "recommended" tree surgeon, the offending branches could be cut back.

As a footnote to this story I would like to point out that the very limited amount of work we were allowed to have done could easily have been carried out by myself and a friend.

However, not wanting to cross swords with the national park I paid the £130 plus VAT to have the work done.

Presumably, if I was infirm or poor, the telephone would now probably be cut off, the gutters leaking and the steps too dangerous to walk down.

Or does the national park have a service to suit the poor and infirm with a troublesome tree? I fear not.

R Potter

Low Lane, Grassington

Generous gift

SIR - I would be grateful if it was possible to thank the gentleman who very generously donated a brand new wheelchair to our organisation in the last few days.

Unfortunately at the time the gentleman called at our shop the staff were rather busy and not able to obtain his name and address.

It is through the generosity of members of the public that Skipton and Craven Action for Disability are able to provide the service enjoyed by its many members.

I would be grateful if you could help us to put on record our appreciation to all those good people who support us in so many ways.

Edna Birtwhistle,

Chairman,

Skipton and Craven Action for Disability.

A community use

SIR - I was very sad reading your news item about the windows smashed at Burnside Children's Home (Craven Herald March 1).

In the last six months this valuable building and its extensive grounds have been "for sale" then taken off the market and now vandalised.

During that time community groups have been trying to establish a permanent presence in the town.

Why have not the owners of Burnside House seen fit to allow community usage which may not have brought the required monies to North Yorkshire County Council but would have occupied the building and hopefully prevented the vandalism?

Is it not too late to act now?

E Jaquin,

Princes Drive, Skipton.

Elitist minority

SIR - I read with dismay the report in the Craven Herald re the decision to delay the motion to spend £11,000 on equipment for the proposed skate park in Glusburn Park. Once again it would appear that an elitist minority are to stop the children of this area having something other than a couple of swings and a slide to play on.

I note Councillor Barrett's comment on the Human Rights Act which I counter with my right as a local rate paying resident to have somewhere safe, for my child and large numbers of other children in the area, to skate, rollerblade and bike. These sports are not going to go away and cover all age groups and presently children are having to use the local school, co-op car park, public roads and pavements.

The residents of Baxter Wood, who strangely choose to live next to a public park, are worried about current noise levels, litter and youths congregating after dark. As the proposed skate park is not to be lit, skating etc would not be possible after dark. At the recent open meeting the unruly element presently using the park was broached and youth counsellor Andrew Sharp along with others pointed out that the majority of skaters were well behaved and polite, and in Mr Sharp's experience when such a group moves into an area the unruly elements tend to move on.

With regard to Mr Armitage's comments on the elderly in the area, it is my experience that the elderly enjoy having something to watch, and the youths currently involved with the skate park have always been kind and courteous to the elderly throughout the area.

I agree with Coun Seward that the park is not the ideal location for the skate park but, as the council have neither the land nor the cash for another location, Glusburn Park (and let us remember it is a park for the general public to use, not an extension to people's private gardens) is the obvious solution.

As a resident of this area for over 40 years I have seen the needs of the young in this area swept away time and time again. The young people don't pay rates and may not have a vote but their parents do.

It's about time this issue was addressed and proper facilities provided and I for one will not let it go without a fight.

Jane Delmege,

Ryland Street, Cross Hills.

Huge rise

SIR - At long last, after the misery of foot and mouth and terrible weather, we who live in Craven have something to cheer about!

Yes, it's true, our rates are now higher than neighbouring Bradford!

It's taken a few years of inflation busting price rises, like the present one of 12 per cent, but hats off to our brave councillors for showing the way to do it!

Noticeable too is Bradford's grovelling apology for increasing police rates by 24.5 per cent due to the race riots and large increases in police officers. We in North Yorkshire have no need of race riots, nor grovelling apologies, for we're getting a handsome 41.5 per cent increase in our police precept!

So well done to all you brave North Yorkshire price setters, and more strength to those bold initiatives which have turned Skipton into the charity shop and kebab centre of Britain!

Alan Perrow

Bannister Walk, Cowling.