No place for a new business...

SIR - The radical regional master plan for the Aire Valley sounds wonderful and if all goes well could indeed transform the area.

However, as someone who is in the process of starting a unique new business in Shipley, I have my reservations.

Together with another businesswoman who runs an established and popular cafe on Market Street, Shipley, I had planned to take on the lease at premises in the Arndale Centre.

Our intention was to go into business selling locally hand-made crafts, offering holistic treatments and also incorporating a Fair Trade cafe.

It was all systems go until we were informed the lease had been awarded to just what Shipley needs - another charity shop.

We have talked to town centre management staff but unfortunately there is nothing they can do. Charity shops offer guaranteed rents to landlords and will take on long-term leases.

In the meantime, those of us attempting to start new businesses are forced to look elsewhere.

I had hoped to offer something new for Shipley, a business which would have played a part in its regeneration. I guess Shipley, and the Aire Valley, isn't the right place after all.

Lorraine Behrens, Moorland Avenue, Baildon.

Leave well alone!

SIR - Regarding proposals to demolish Bradford's Central Library (T&A, March 9), there is no need to pay ridiculous sums of money to so-called consultants as there is nothing wrong with the building, so leave it alone!

I certainly do not wish to see a library here, there and everywhere. I have used the library since the early 70s and to be honest it is the only reason I come into the city.

With regard to the Buy It In Bradford campaign, have you considered the fact that many people (like myself) enjoy travelling to other places to do their shopping?

David Reynolds-Hanson, Soaper Lane, Shelf.

Unnecessary mast

SIR - Your cartoon (T&A, March 11) depicts people sitting around a table at Shipley Town Hall holding mobile phones saying: "Has anyone got a signal yet so we can complain about this mast?". It refers to the mast that Vodafone propose to install on a nearby chimney and the row that has ensued by this being sneaked in without anyone (residents, councillors, workers - including many from the Council - and shoppers) being told anything about it.

The irony of this is that anyone standing at the base of the chimney, or indeed anywhere in Shipley Town Hall, with a Vodafone mobile will find that they receive absolutely 100 per cent perfect reception.

So why do we need another potentially harmful mast in a densely-populated residential area?

Councillor Martin Love (Shipley, Green Party), Farfield Road, Shipley.

Master plan riddle

SIR - Although Bradford Centre Regeneration is keen to stress that they are open-minded about the type of development for the Odeon site, one can be certain that it will be a building of some size - how else could a 'developer' be expected to make a profit?

The competition launch pack includes Alsop's master plan and there it shows the Odeon site to be a beautiful sensory garden with the Odeon towers retained as features accessible to Bradfordians to look out over their city.

So what has happened in between completing the master plan and this competition launch? Is it the realism that no matter how brilliant this and other aspects of Alsop's plan are, it cannot be implemented hence Bradford's understandable U-turn when confronted by the reality of who will pay for the regeneration of our city?

Simon Warren, Park Grove, Saltaire.

Thanks to store

SIR - I would like to express my gratitude to the staff at Marks & Spencer in Darley Street for their help and kindness to me after my purse was stolen in the store on Tuesday, March 1.

I particularly want to thank the lady who stayed with me, gave me tea, contacted the police and saw me into a taxi, paid for by Marks & Spencer.

Mrs R Grace, St Mary's Square, Wyke.

SIR - The personalised and politically-motivated attack on Marsha Singh MP without even one MP, Tory, Labour or Liberal who was actually there, confirming the report should not have been repeated by the Telegraph & Argus without actually saying that it was unconfirmed.

The T&A to its credit did give credence to the fact that Marsha (pictured) is to legally challenge the original newspaper involved.

Marsha is a conscientious and hard-working constituency-based MP with a very heavy caseload generated from Bradford West. I wonder if the scurrilous allegations have been generated by people who disagreed with Marsha's well-publicised and strong parliamentary campaign against the Iraq War?

Jim O'Neill, Sandholme Drive, Ilkley.

EDITOR'S NOTE: Throughout the report we made it clear that these were allegations and the whole essence of the article was to allow Marsha Singh an opportunity to respond to claims which had been placed in the public domain by a national newspaper. Not reporting them would have been to do a great disservice to our readers and his constituents.