Letters to the Editor

Turning the city centre into a giant lake? A "sensory garden"? An "urban wetland" in Thornton Road? What on earth is all that about?

Two practical suggestions: To close the inner ring road would create traffic chaos. At the moment it only goes three-quarters of the way around the city. A workable solution would be to complete the circle and provide car parking, with park and ride facilities, at strategic intervals.

Within the old Odeon lies the ghost of one of the largest theatre auditoriums outside London. Surely the skeleton of this building could be used to create a magnificent central concert venue. The twin towers, which are now unique to Bradford and echo the Alhambra, should be incorporated in the design.

Most of the ideas put forward are superb and will be an enormous boost for the city, but please let's keep our feet on the ground. Don't allow the planners to be carried away with pretentious, pie-in-the-sky ideas which will become the rubbish-strewn embarrassments of the future.

Malcolm Wood, Westercroft View, Northowram

SIR - There are two trains of thought regarding the envisaged future of Bradford which was announced last week. One is: "Wow! What a lovely grandiose scheme - let's get the show on the road."

The second, and I suspect this will be the majority view, is: "Looks good; who is paying for it all?" And I feel the cost will be regarded as too high.

I don't anticipate I will be around to see the finish of the project and at the speed this council moves the beginning either! I think the scope of it is fine but who will clean up the huge lake when we cannot even keep the tiddler pond that we have now tidy?

All council tax payers should go down to the former Dillon's book shop (Brown, Muff/Rackhams) and view the exhibition to make up their own minds.

Phil Boase, Elizabeth Street, Bradford 12

SIR - In view of the parlous state of St George's Hall - and the fact that it really is not a very good concert hall - might it be better to spend money on building a state-of-the-art venue similar to the Bridgewater Hall in Manchester, rather than on the proposed lake etc in Centenary Square which would probably finish up as a dumping ground for litter?

Neil Williams, Lower Constable Road, Ilkley

SIR - So they want to redevelop parts of Bradford city centre and are praising the architects of this multi-million pound expense.

My question is: "Are we as ratepayers making any contribution to this mammoth spectacle? Or is it all being funded from the private sector?"

Living as a single person, I contribute quite enough to services and education that I personally have no need for whatsoever. If any of my rates are being spent on better health facilities and the elderly, then I am perfectly happy to know I'm contributing to worthy causes.

Quite frankly the diagrams and simulated cartoon film looked very interesting, but it mustn't cost the good people of Bradford a single penny.

Carl Gresham, Hallfield Road, Bradford.

SIR - My curiosity was aroused by Bradford Council's reluctance to name the areas where street cleaners were withdrawn after being abused by yobs (T&A, October 11).

Could this also affect other visitors to these streets such as postal workers, milkmen, gas and electricity officials and even ordinary people going about their lawful business?

Is this some type of phenomenon that could be likened to the "fierce dog syndrome" where the animal either resents incursions on to his territory or is under the impression that something is being stolen - such as a dustbin.

Should the ordinary public not be made aware of these risk-laden areas? Elsewhere, the Council seems inordinately conscious of its responsibilities with a plethora of notices for speed bumps and suchlike. I have even seen notices warning of wild deer.

To be consistent, I would suggest signs should be erected with pithy statements such as "uncontrollable urchins".

After all, I could easily be driving down a street and possibly encounter such a fusilade. This would surely render the Council culpable if they had not informed innocent passers-by.

A K Biggin, Bostock Boyce Welch, Chartered Accountants, Angel Way, University Precinct, Listerhills.

SIR - The plan to make bus stations non-smoking is very welcome. When you get off the bus in Keighley the smoke chokes you. It will be nice not to have to sit with fumes all around you. It will be good for the children and babies too.

Veronica Farnell, Market Street, Thornton.

SIR - If a dealer tried to sell you car and left petrol out of its running costs, you would think he was having a laugh.

But, if he also left out the cost of replacing tyres, you would certainly think him a bit of a crook. So what are we to make of Gordon Brown trying to sell us a new prices index to measure our cost of living, which leaves out the cost of housing and the cost of mortgage repayments, the largest single expenditure in at least 70 per cent of households? Having a laugh? I'm not laughing.

But, when this same new prices index also leaves out the cost of council tax, which affects every household and is the fastest-rising tax under a government which is obsessed with increasing taxation, sensible people should at least start wondering about the motives.

We are told pensioners needn't worry as he'll use the old system for their pension increases. Oh yeah? And for how long? Until the next 75p increase looks like a good idea?

Suitably named HICCUP (Harmonised Index of Consumer Prices), this new cost of living index is surely a burp too far!

Alan Carcas, Cornmill Lane, Liversedge

SIR - For almost 30 years the residents of the Undercliffe area have petitioned Bradford Council about the dangers of the roads in this predominantly old people's area. Crossing the roads at the junction of Harrogate, Killinghall, Otley and Dudley Hill Roads is, to say the least, a hair-raising experience.

One excuse - and there have been many - from the learned committees who pontificate at City Hall, is that these roads are trunk roads and, as such, cannot be altered.

Now we have a resident of the area tragically killed at this junction. No doubt this is a sacrifice which our City Fathers feel is worthwhile in pursuit of progress.

Get your fingers out down in the corridors of power and keep the residents of this area safe.

Mrs Kathleen Wilkinson, Charnwood Close, Bradford 2.

SIR - We, the indigenous people, are being asked to accept more and more genuine asylum seekers.

That is all very well, but how can we do so when the Government, lawyers and judges are betraying us by allowing such people as "Captain Hook" - Muslim Cleric Abu Hamza, who has defended the actions of Osama Bin Laden - to stay and claim benefits in this country, making them better off than we pensioners.

Also Tony Blair says we "cannot" have a referendum on Europe. So instead of replacing Iain Duncan Smith let's replace Tony Blair, or get rid of this Labour government and replace it with a government something like the UK Independent Party, which may do more for us. Otherwise more people are going to vote BNP that's for sure.

N Brown, Peterborough Place, Undercliffe.

SIR - I would like to say a few words regarding the demise of William Eric Friar, otherwise known to his friends as "Sonny" (T&A, October 16).

Sonny, of Bolton Woods, was a one-off, an irreplaceable character known both in and out of the horse fraternity. A friendly, likeable man with a rare sense of humour, he had a story for every hour of the day and every day of the week. He was well known in Wrose, where he kept horses and would sit in his car for many an hour just watching them.

He would pass the time of day with anyone who cared to talk to him. Sonny never complained although he may well have had good cause to.

I don't know why he was given the nickname of "Sonny", but to hazard a guess I would put it down to his beaming smile and his ability to get on with people of all ages.

I am sure I speak for many people when I say that Wrose will not be the same without him. Goodbye, Sonny, and God bless!

Trevor Williams-Berry, Bredon Avenue, Wrose.