Readers' Letters

I am extremely concerned to note that the developer and also his cousin (who has bought Central Chambers on North Street) have applied to the SRB. (Single Regeneration Budget) for grants to help with the refurbishment of both properties.

If monies are granted to these businessmen, and indeed it may already have been, then I feel we are losing sight of what the SRB is really about.

For anyone who does not fully understand the role of the SRB, it is to issue grants (using money allocated by Central Government to help improve and revamp run down inner city areas) which can be used to help refurbish rundown properties, improve small businesses, in order that they in turn are able to provide jobs for the unemployed, provide play areas etc and generally improve the appearance of these areas.

In a nutshell, the money should only be used to help improve the lives of poor people, in poor areas and not to help businessmen, who I would also point out are now the proud owners of two prime, town centre properties, in prime locations.

Edwina Bland

Oldfield

SRB RESPONSE

SIR - Thank you for forwarding the above letter and giving the SRB Partnership Board an opportunity to respond.

Firstly, it is important to state that the Board has received no applications for grants for the properties described in Mrs Bland's letter.

Secondly, it is also important to stress that the Board has a proper and open process for dealing with and approving grant applications.

The Property Investment Fund is open to applications for grants from any business. There are criteria laid out for which a grant may be given, and specialist expertise is available to provide advice to prospective applicants.

Each grant application is presented to the SRB Property Group and the SRB Economy Implementation Group. These groups assess the application according to the criteria and make a recommendation to the SRB Partnership Board.

It is the Partnership Board which then decides to recommend approval or not, based upon the grant application and the recommendations made by the aforementioned groups.

The Board would also like to point out that these groups are made up from a wide cross section of the Keighley community and are open to anyone with an interest in that area of the SRB programme.

Should anyone require further information regarding property development grant applications or the groups described above they should contact the SRB office at the above address.

Roz Hall

Keighley SRB Co-ordinator

66, North Street

Keighley

BD21 3RY

Sir - At a meeting that I attended on October 19, at City Hall in Bradford, I was amazed to find that I was the only one sat up in the Gods to watch our paid councillors go through their act.

I suppose the fact that as usual these meetings are always started during working hours, appear to be full of pomp and ceremony that would send many a time and motion expert into early retirement is the fact that not many people attend.

Part of the debate was about the New Labour, it's openness, honesty and commitment to local people.

I struggled to hold this thought in my head when I looked down on the Labour Party to find members engaged in tasks such as reading the newspaper, organising a stamp collection and playing with their personal organisers.

No interest, no leadership control and no inspiration to an onlooker who hoped to see more from a modern government in control.

It is our right to view these proceedings for ourselves, so come on down and take your place in the public gallery and judge for yourselves - and try not to be too disappointed.

Andrew Mallinson

Aireburn Avenue

Steeton.

Sir - I am sorry that some residents, near Birch Tree Gardens at Long Lee, felt that they were not been given a fair hearing at the October planning sub-committee (Letters, Keigh-ley News October 22).

As the scheme has appeared on every sub-committee agenda since May 13, 1999, I believe the sub-committee will have spent more time on this scheme than any other since I became chair.

At the October sub-committee, as the resident's submission was circulated to committee members beforehand, it was agreed it wasn't necessary for a resident to read out what was already in front of members. Furthermore the scheme will return to the sub-committee in future months.

It is important that we act in a business-like way so that other people whose schemes are further down the agenda are treated fairly.

Unfortunately there are occasions when such people have to leave before we come to their item, and as the vast majority of schemes only appear once, they do not get an opportunity to address the sub-committee or hear how the scheme is presented.

There is no infallible way of handling the range of issues that can arise at the planning sub-committee, but I and other sub-committee members try to be reasonable and even-handed in getting through the agenda.

Cllr John Cope

Labour Worth Valley,

Oakworth.

Sir - I am writing in support of the letters to you in last week's Keighley News from objectors to the building site at Birch Tree Gardens, Long Lee.

This building site does not in any shape or form resemble the planning application for this land which was passed in 1993.

To add insult to injury it has now come to light that the 1993 planning application did not show cross sections and levels that would have been helpful in giving a fuller assessment of land level changes.

How can planning decisions be made without detailed plans? Yet on asking for an explanation about the lack of details on the plan we are told that the lack of such information is not considered to invalidate the planning permission.

The problems and concerns of residents living adjacent to this site have been ignored for far too long. At the Planning meeting on Thursday October 14 we saw a copy of a letter sent by the Principal Planner to Skipton Properties' solicitor specifying remedial works to be carried out "to ensure the short to medium term stability of the site".

For the "long term stability of this site, perhaps as part of a re-negotiated planning application" Skipton Properties have been asked to provide "a detailed engineered solution perhaps as part of a re-negotiated planning application".

The unsafe gabion wall and infill is still there, flooding occurs in my garden every time it rains, water seeps into my conservatory and yet the planners expect us to go along with the idea of a "renegotiated planning application" by Skipton Properties.

Planning laws have been flouted and yet nobody seems to accept responsibility, and we are just expected to accept the mistakes that have been made.

Anne Warburton

Cherry Tree Rise

Long Lee

Sir - I was somewhat confused on reading Russell Yeo's article (October 15) on the Keighley police chief Supt Derek Bonnard.

According to the article the police chief stated that Keighley does not have a significant drug problem.

Is he referring to a 'Keighley' on another planet? The dealers must be laughing all the way in their luxury cars, designer clothes and gold jewellery.

In one breath he states there is no significant problem and in the next admits that much of the crime is drug related.

What does he class as significant? One dealer is one too many and is, in my opinion and the opinion of many others significant. Until this is accepted and until stiffer sentences for dealers are introduced then, due to the large amounts of money involved, the problem will escalate. I am not being alarmist, just realistic.

He is so right when he refers to drugs and drug related crime being a community problem, but when the public want to talk - will he listen?

Yes, this is an emotive letter, but with just cause.

Statistics do not illustrate pain and suffering.

Celia A Wilkinson

Nan Scar

Cowling.

Editor's Note: We have asked Supt Bonnard for a detailed response.

SIR - Good morning from Canada. I found the name of your newspaper on the Internet while doing some searching for some of my ancestors.

I am hoping that you have a section in your paper for people looking for relatives. I know that we do here. Hopefully you can help me somehow.

My grandfather was Frederick Wainwright Smith, his father was Joseph Smith and his mother was Alice Wainwright. He also had a brother Herbert as far as I know.

He married Henrietta Lloyd in the Church of St Peter, Bramley, in the county of Leeds, York. I applied for their marriage licence from The General Register Office.

The date was December 25, 1897. At that time they were both 22. They had two boys, one Clifford and my father John, who was born in 1904 in Bradford.

I have a picture of them taken at A Lage,. North Parade, Bradford and Keighley. I expect it was taken just before they came to Canada. My father was born in 1904 so I expect they came here the following year.

I have recently received a birth certificate which I applied for, for my grandmother, but unfortunately they could not locate my grandfather's. From what information I can gather they would have been born in 1875.

My grandfather Frederick died at age 58 and I was only six months old at that time and I do not have any information on relatives that are in England.

If you could pass this on to someone or put it in your paper, I would appreciate it very much and would hope that someone related may see it. Thank you ever so much.

Diane O'Neill

(nee Smith)

151 Cameron Drive,

R. R. # 2, Cameron, Ontario,

Canada K0M 1G0

1-705-359-1143

Sir - I think your readers may be interested in some information about the level of taxation in 1522.

Total tax (property tax) in Staincliffe Wappentake was £26.11s pence, Villa-de-Kyghtley (Sir Henry Kyghtley) contributed 32 shillings.

There are some interesting Kyghtley names in the list. John Brigge, Dwelling house of his awne 40 shillings, Thomas Laicoke, dwelling house of his awne £5, Robert Butterfield to Sir Henry Kyghtley 20 shillings, John Sogedan, dwelling house of his awne 20 shillings, Robert Roper to Walter Passeley 6 shillings 8 pence.

These are in the Loan Book of the Staincliffe Wappentake. Cost of houses seems to have gone up a bit!

Harry Barrans

Westview Way

Keighley

Sir - I have been out of the country and have only just heard the sad news of the death of Mr Smith Midgley.

I would like to pay tribute to his unstinting support for the Residents Association and his invaluable contribution to the success of the Parish Council campaign.

His loss will be keenly felt by all who knew him. He had all the old world qualities and was always ready to help the community in any way he could.

To me his kindness and support will always be remembered.

We grieve for him and offer our condolences to his family. We also give thanks for having him amongst us.

C.Simmonds

Sec.Residents Assoc

Sun Street, Haworth.

Sir - British farmers have implemented every regulation and precaution required of them to ensure that British beef is amongst the safest in the world.

Our efforts have been supervised and approved by the EU Commission every step of the way.

As a result the Commission agreed to lift the ban on August 1 this year - National British Beef Day.

The French Government's decision to maintain its ban is a blatant breach of EU law and a cruel blow to British beef farmers.

The French Government have no new evidence on which to base this action. Their national ban is illegal and must not be allowed to stand.

British farmers insist that:

The French Government lift the export ban now

The EU authorities enforce EU law

The British Government continues to fight our corner

How can you help our beleaguered farmers? Write to your MP and MEP to express your support for British beef and your disgust at the French action. Tell your supermarket and local store, hotel and restaurants that you are backing British food and will not be buying French produce

Ben Gill

NFU President

North East Region.

Sir - Please can I draw your readers attention to Imperial Cancer Research Fund's new breast cancer shower hanger, specially produced for Breast Cancer Awareness Month.

Breast cancer is much easier to treat if it is detected at an early stage and this is why Imperial Cancer Research Fund has produced this easy to read hanger, detailing how to spot the symptoms of breast cancer.

The new shower hangers outline how to check your breasts and what changes to look for. If you would like one please phone 0870 1611600 or write to Imperial Cancer Research Fund, PO Box 123, Lincoln's Inn Fields, London. WC2A 3PX

Frances Milner

ICRF Northern Fund Raising Centre, Leeds

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.