Your community needs you

The future economic regeneration of our town has never been more critical than it is today in 2006; Settle over the decades has struggled through momentous change, the loss of local industry and the catastrophic foot and mouth epidemic have both played a part in the problems we face today.

Yorkshire Forward is continuing to support our economic re-birth having put in place the means through the Market Towns Regeneration programme and assisting to bring on line the community led group to work to this end: StART.

But you will be saying this is not news to us so what am I driving at? Just this! May 4 is local elections day when we have the opportunity to either vote for some fresh councillors or to return those who already serve the town and district, but we do need to see an election.

We need to see members of the community with skills and interests in the town and in its welfare ready to stand, willing to work for change and for the good of the townspeople, seeing old barriers come down embracing new ideas, working alongside StART and with the Settle and District Chamber of Trade, making inroads toward a prosperity that is not a million years hence but is achievable in some measure now in 2006 and is sustainable in the years ahead of us.

Yorkshire Forward has commissioned a report to assess the business needs for Settle. Early indications of the questionnaire show that Settle must invest in its town centre in order to attract fresh business and jobs and to maintain those already here.

As custodians of the town, Settle councillors have an important role to play and must therefore rise to the challenge.

We have, as a town and community, much to offer that is positive so I urge all of you use your vote, stand for election if you have those attributes the town needs. Don't lose a golden opportunity to serve the community in which you are an integral player and remember nominations close on Monday at noon.

You have little time left to make that decision. Forms are available from the Returning Officer, Craven District Council or the clerk to the Town Council, Settle.

I have been there, worn the tee-shirt as they say and been proud to serve my Town. Will you say the same?

Deirdre Cokell,

Falcon Close, Settle.

SIR - I should like to take issue with the awful review Chris Tomes gave the Old White Bear Cross Hills in last week's issue.

Having been a regular at this establishment for 10 years, I believe Mr Tomes' comments to be grossly unfair.

My family and I have found the whole dining experience to be nothing short of superb and the food to be absolutely delicious. Indeed, we have had many comments from friends and relatives of how good they thought it was.

I don't know what Mr Tomes' was expecting from a family-run public house on the edge of the dales but it seems to me that next time he should try a restaurant more suited to his own Michelin-esque standards.

James Ramsden,

Beanlands Drive, Glusburn.

SIR - As a regular diner at the Old White Bear who has always found the food to be excellent may I make the following comments to your reviewer.

A steak pie containing fruit is quite likely to be a bit sweet.

If you don't like prawns in shells then ask for them to be taken out.

The fact that two of his party could not manage dessert is indicative of how much of their "uninspired" food they had consumed.

As for his comments on smoke they are simply untrue. I am a rabid anti- smoker and have always found the dining room to be delightfully smoke free.

The unfortunate combination of food and a pen leads some people to think they are Gordon Ramsey. Might I suggest that in future Mr Tomes sticks to reviewing beer.

Jean McLennon,

Wighill Street,

Sutton-in-Craven.

SIR - We regularly dine out at The Old White Bear in Cross Hills, sometimes ordering from the specials blackboard, sometimes from the regular menu.

From the lunchtime bowl of soup to the three-course meal in the restaurant quality, choice and value are always exceptionally good - so what's wrong with your Chris Tomes?

Maybe I'm enjoying myself too much to notice if there was a whiff of tobacco in the restaurant, but as a non-smoker myself I'm sure I'd pick it up if there were.

Strikes me your reporter needs to lighten up or stop at'ome.

Penny Ebden,

Harefield Close, Eastburn

SIR - Michael Bewes complains about the cost of the council's glossy publication enclosed with our ever increasing council tax demands.

Craven Ratepayers' Action Group also objects to this publication, a publication which carries a smiling message from the leader telling us that "the council enjoys high level of customer satisfaction!"

Really? Not from members of CRAG it doesn't.

This council has squandered colossal amounts of money over the last three years, not least because staff numbers have increased by almost 25 per cent in less than those few years.

The glossy handout blithely tells you that employee costs are only 5.7 per cent of council expenditure, at £1.3 million. Not very much, and the figures are plain and unequivocal, surely?

Well no. Much of the cost of employees is neatly tucked away under Support Services, for some reason.

The truth is that employee costs now stand at around £7 million, an annual cost in excess of total budget requirement, and those staff carry with them a pensions deficit of £17 million, £62,000 per employee, and around 3 times the annual budget.

Add the extra staffing costs to the Renaissance fiasco, where over £3/4 million was spent with not one brick laid to show for it, and the truth is that without that wastage of our money council tax could have decreased by 60 per cent instead of the annual increase we have learned to expect.

Alan Perrow

Chairman,

Craven Ratepayers' Action Group

Bannister Walk, Cowling.

SIR - In the letters section of last week's Craven Herald was a letter referring to Ermysted's Grammar School winning the Keighley and Bradford heat of the Magistrates' National Mock Trial Competition, when the school is in North Yorkshire.

The Citizenship Foundation's aim, is to allocate every state school entry to a local magistrates' court.

Sixty five courts participate in this national competition and they endeavour to link schools to their nearest court.

However, not all courts run heats, or there are uneven numbered schools in a heat, therefore, allocated schools may breach boundaries. However, there is no relationship between the competition's allocations and local education authority boundaries - our primary objective is to accommodate as many schools as possible.

Kevin J Reilly JP

Co-ordinator

Bradford & Keighley Magistrates'

National Mock Trial Competition

SIR - I would like to reassure the people of Skipton that racing pigeons is a very low risk regarding "bird flu" and to date there has never been a racing pigeon with this disease, even though it was tried under laboratory conditions to infect them with it.

Also, the Skipton Council has stated to allotment tenants with racing pigeons that they must register them with the council. The council is spreading unnecessary panic among uninformed public.

Please note, Defra states at the moment racing pigeons do not have to be registered. The wild birds that are spreading the disease are swans, geese and ducks.

Dino Reardon

The Grove, Skipton.

SIR - What's the world coming to when a gal has her age revealed for all to see (Craven Herald article 'Much loved pram stands test of time' March 24)?

I live a few doors down from your subject and would never have guessed at your revelation of the number of years she has been living on the planet. Just goes to show the quality of the air in downtown Barlick.

The pram would make a great prop for children to be photographed in as long as they are not positioned in the middle of the road as your photographer has done with Jean.

I'm sure drivers and horse riders using Manchester Road would see the pram and Mary Poppins-like figure, but what would cause the accident would be that peek of that delicately turned ankle proudly displayed for all to see.

Stuart Lewis (aged 54!),

Esp Lane, Barnoldswick.

SIR - With reference to your article on page 6 of last week's Craven Herald regarding the removal of the "flue eyesore" at Sam Houston's restaurant I would like to point out that Coun Marcia Turner was mistaken to say that we installed the flue - we did not.

We didn't use the building in question and vacated the adjacent premises just as what was formerly Skipton Bed Centre was converted to Sam Houston's.

Ben Cook,

TN Cook Ltd,

Close House Farm,

Otley Road, Skipton.

SIR - Forgive me for having very little sympathy for those local government employees who went on strike. I can understand them being "miffed" that some public sector workers have had their cushy, retire-at-60, pensions protected and others haven't.

That is unfair as it treats one set of workers differently to another - but it is also unfair on those who do not have their pay packets funded by the state.

I blame the cowardice of this Government to have backed down in the first place. It is quite happy to tell private sector workers that they must work until they are 70 (and hope that their pension does not disappear in smoke) while demanding they fund those public sector workers lucky enough to finish at 60.

Public sector workers form more than half the UK's employed, relying on the minority in the private sector to fund these "retire at 60" pensions.

Don't give me that "private sector workers earn" more bull either. The average public sector pay packets have now been above the private sector for five years.

Get real folks, the country cannot afford it. There just are not enough of us creating wealth to subsidise the pensions of those who spend it.

Those who went on strike this week are far from the only ones to be told "sorry, there's no money to give you the deal you thought you had". The Government must stand firm - and treat us all in the same way. Bring back Maggie!

Mr S Dobson,

Keighley Road, Skipton.