Letters to the Editor

It quickly became an eyesore, litter everywhere, and grass completely worn away due to people taking short cuts.

The present landscaping was, to my mind, a vast improvement and presents a very attractive picture of the parish church when travelling along North Street.

Beryl Dodsworth.

Hob Hill,

Stanbury

SIR - Having belatedly seen the correspondence relating to the condition of Keighley's public library, readers may like to know that I am preparing a book on Yorkshire's public library buildings.

As Keighley's library was England's first Carnegie-funded library building and also because it is a building of outstanding and distinctive design, I intend to give it prominence.

Not only is Keighley's Carnegie one of the finest historic library buildings in Yorkshire, it is one of the finest in the UK and beyond!

I do hope that in this era of increased awareness of our built heritage that this jewel in the crown will get the recognition it deserves.

It should be on every visitor's itinerary.

BOB DUCKET

Vice-chairman

Library and Information

History Group

Chartered Institute of

Library and Information

Professionals

SIR - We were both horrified and distressed to find out more about our planning permission refusal, not from Bradford Council, but by reading the Keighley News. We refer to your article of 10.10.03 "Biggest garage in world" is refused. Particularly upsetting was the fact that our integrity and honesty was being called into question.

We utterly refute any suggestions that our plans for a garage could be masquerading as a building that could be used as a teenager or granny annex. While we recognise that your paper was merely reporting what was said at the meeting, we had always understood that a fair report should be given to both sides of the story. We were never given such an opportunity.

The plans were put in for a garage and garage only. They do not include any provision for such essential services as drainage, water and gas, all of which would be needed if the intention was to construct domestic accommodation.

And we were not being "clever" by wanting one door: this was simply because the land itself would not cope with two doors due to the incline of the hill it will be on and the kind of security we wanted.

I have to say that we feel completely humiliated by the article in your paper and extremely angry at the comments made by councillors who have clearly failed to get their facts right: they might be better served by objecting to some of the really flagrant abuses of planning permission that have gone unchallenged by rather bigger applicants than ourselves.

We should also like to point out that in paperwork we have received from the planning office, it clearly states that personal opinion, speculation of future developments and applicant reputation, which have all been aired in this article are classed as "irrelevant" to planning consent.

Mr & Mrs J M Leighton

Oak, Grove

Riddlesden

SIR - I am laughingly surprised at the perception of the Lund Park Community Group, which is that the Keighley News makes front-page news that is of a negative nature.

I, and possibly others, take the opposite view in that it is believed that the Keighley News does not print enough of the news, which others such as myself would find significant and relevant but which others would construe as being belligerent, or negative.

I am continuingly in conversation with members of the public who stop me in the streets of Keighley and make complaints about Keighley issues.

Keighley has been named number 40 of England's worst places to live in. Why? Could it possibly be the criminal lack of parental control that parents have over their children, with the out of sight mentality that curses communities throughout our society? Possibly anecdotal, yet I am aware of other issues regarding the perceived lack of police support causing concerns in this town.

There are apparent racial concerns, by both sides, allied with the culture of drugs and crime many believe are not fully reported to the police or to this newspaper, simply because of the belief that nothing will be done.

Society can't deal with concerns by propagating the view that black is white or any other colour when it is not. Riots and juvenile crime has proved that point time after time. No amount of doctoring the news will blow away what many see as truth, not negativity.

David Samuels

Station Road,

Oxenhope

SIR - I am writing in reply to the letter from "The Lund Park Community Group" regarding "negative reports."

These so called "negative reports" that the LPCG is so incensed about are the reality of what is happening in the area.

The "positive aspects" of Lund Park are that racial abuse and assaults are happening and sweeping them under the carpet and pretending they are not happening is just making the problem worse.

I have a young baby who, until recently, I took for a walk around the park every evening at 6 o'clock, that is until I was followed by a gang of youths shouting abuse and making sexual comments and generally trying to intimidate me. I left the park angered and upset by this and have not entered the park since.

The week after my incident, the front page of the Keighley News carried the story of the young girl with the buggy that was tipped over. This was not bad press, these things are happening and the public need to know.

How dare the LPCG say these occurrences are myths. Maybe if they stopped burying their heads they would realise these are real problems not myths.

M WARRINGTON

Lawnswood Road,

Keighley

SIR - I sympathise with Mr Smith, who has difficulty in negotiating his mobility scooter along pavements in Halifax Road. Perhaps we should admit defeat and call them off-street parking zones?

His letter begs an important question. Why is this section of the road a 40mph zone? Other less built up areas have been reduced to a much safer 30mph; the Airedale Hospital road is an example.

What possible justification can there be for maintaining the higher limit on this residential stretch?

At the maximum permitted speed the saving in time on this section of road is just 18 seconds as against a 30mph trip.

In an accident the maximum speed of 40 mph is, however, almost certain to be lethal to Mr Smith, Ms Corcoran or any other unfortunate pedestrian.

Why do we think 18 seconds are worth that risk?

George Speller

Hill Top Road

Keighley

SIR - The idea of tearing the centre of Bradford up to make a lake is beyond belief.

In the last few years they have paved Centenary Square, built a new police HQ and court building and two dual carriageways costing unknown millions.

These now have to go (where?) to spend £200m making a lake. This will create a moat around City Hall's castle with maybe a drawbridge to keep electors out. We can fill it from Bradford Beck, which would probably require a large filtration plant to remove pollution.

They already have Litttle Germany so we could possibly offset some of the cost by naming the city centre Little Venice.

A few gondolas could give pleasure trips to the thousands of tourists who will arrive from all over the world to hear our gondoliers singing "On Ilkley Moor Baht 'at."

CLLR G M EARNSHAW

Prospect Crescent,

Keighley

SIR - Following your feature on the East Ward Unionist Club (Leylands Club).

I wish to disagree with Mr Albert Crossley's comments.

I have been into the club on various occasions, both with my father, my husband and my all-male pool team-mates to participate in matches against the Leylands Team.

I have been escorted from the snooker table as the club object to females playing snooker due to an accident which happened years ago.

Surely the days when women had to throw themselves under racehorses for women's rights are long gone?

There is no family orientation, unlike the old days when there were regular trips to pantomimes, cinemas, etc.

The only people that have a laugh and a chat are those in the "in crowd" and let's face it anybody who says "You can't sit there, that's Joe Blogg's place" needs to open their eyes and move with the times.

Gone are the days when clubs are for "men only".

On closing I think the advertisement for this lovely social club should be: "Male OAP's interested in drinking and betting on the gee-gee's only need apply".

KATY DUNN

Longhouse Lane,

Denholme

Editor's note: The following was the response received when we asked the club for a reply.

SIR - In reply to the letter from Mrs Kay Dunn about The East Ward Unionist Workingmen's Club, I would like to make it plainly clear that the club is a workingmen's club.

Also I would like to state the rule about playing on the snooker table, the table is for men only.

This has been the rule for 119 years and it also states that the table is for members only and non members are not permitted to play on the table unless invited to do so with a member.

Mrs Dunn was not physically escorted from the table, Mrs Dunn was actually told she was not allowed to play on the table by the president of the club.

I would also like to point out as a female social member of the club, which I have so far been using for about ten years, there is no "in crowd" at the club who sit on their own and have a laugh and a chat.

The people who use the club are all friends and make everyone feel welcome. It is a nice friendly club where I, as a 30-year-old woman, feel at ease walking in on my own.

As a female member, I would also like to state that Mrs Dunn does not know anything about the club because she does not use it. Children are also welcome at the club at certain hours, of which all the members are aware.

I would also like to make a point to Mrs Dunn that the club is not a men-only club, the club also caters for women.

At the moment there are quite a lot of female social members, aged from 18 to 65, plus of which Mrs Katy Dunn is not or never has been a social member.

TRACEY TURNER

(female social member)

SIR - To date 1,800 local people have signed an on-going petition objecting to the proposal that the Braithwaite and Branshaw special schools are replaced with new schools co-located with Greenhead High School and St Mary's Primary School.

The presentations gave information, but no alternatives. Everyone agrees that changes need to be made.

The petitioners support an alternative proposal that would build a special school provision on the housing site adjacent to Braithwaite Special School, that would join both the above schools, either as one all-age school or as separate but adjacent primary and secondary schools.

Petitioners were particularly concerned about children with special educational needs being co-located with Greenhead.

There are already children in the mainstream who find it difficult to cope with the huge numbers in upper schools and ironically some of them are transferred to smaller schools like Braithwaite Special School.

Traffic congestion is serious in Greenhead Road, especially at the end of the school day. This is a safety issue.

Marley was reported in the Keighley News as a possible future site for Greenhead only a few weeks ago. Yet when asked about future plans, at Braithwaite Road Forum, the speakers said that they knew nothing about this. This seems strange.

Keighley people need to know future plans for the children who attend Keighley schools.

The "consultation process" was well established before consultation with parents, staff and communities took place. This needs to be revisited before major decisions are made.

MAUREEN GIBSON

Braithwaite Road,

Keighley