Why £300,000 council loan makes sound sense

The Labour councillors submitted their budget to council on January 28, 2002, which was for a precept of £227,082, which included provision for a loan of up to £300,000 for improvements to Otley Civic Centre. This would have been spent on meeting all our responsibilities under the Disability Discrimination Act, (which included four electric stairlifts for people in wheelchairs) and also for redecorating the main letting halls and rooms, to make them rooms we could be proud of.

It would also allow the doubling of the capacity of the main hall for audiences from 200 to 400. This would make it attractive for concert promoters, and would of course increase our letting income considerably.

Colin Campbell, the Liberal leader, submitted an alternative budget on the night, which no-one, not even the Town Clerk, had seen before. He would spend only £100,000 on the DDA requirements, which included ramps of one in 12, instead of stairlifts. How many wheelchair users could push themselves unaided up a slope steeper than Billam's Hill?

There would be no decorations as the Labour group wanted. He would raise this money over two years, at a rate of £50,000 per year. The Liberal precept for 2002/03 would be £244,611, which is £17,500 higher than Labour's.

His group and his two Tory allies (eight members), passed his budget, and the Labour Group (with seven members) lost their budget and a vote of confidence, and so lost control of the council. The precept, which is being charged on Otley Council Tax payers, is the higher Liberal figure which John Parkin complains of - £244,611.

Only later, when I examined Councillor Campbell's figures, did I find that they did not add up, and his spending commitments were in fact £250,611.

I had advice that the budget might not be lawful, and therefore our group called a special council meeting on March 11, 2002.

At that meeting (which the Wharfedale Observer described as pure entertainment) the Labour members were in a majority, and its original budget was passed, and its members regained control of the council.

The taxpayers of Otley are saddled with the Liberal precept of £244,611, while Labour intends to spend only £227,082,and will put the balance to reserves and reduce the precept next year.

The loan will be for a maximum of £300,000, at a fixed rate of interest, over 25 years. The initial repayments will be approximately £27,000 per year, but with annual repayments of capital, the actual amount payable will reduce each year. The total cost will be almost £500,000.

Against that will be set increased income from letting the halls, and the possibility of using the centre as a wedding venue. Of course over time, with inflation, the real cost of the repayments will fall.

Can you remember how expensive your mortgage seemed 25 years ago, and how small those same repayments seem now? The same applies to this loan.

Coun Gerald McGowan

Labour,

Manor Ward.

Rates lament

SIR, - A steam roller job, Turn again Whittington to London - don't go, instead go to Leeds.

For didn't you know, the streets there are paved with pure solid gold. There are flowers in profusion, or so I am told,

Whilst here on the outskirts where the tumbleweed blows, the roads full of holes, where no Tarmac goes.

Here they are paved with dog muck you see, but that's another story, I'm sure you'll agree.

The building of houses out here can be found, so watch your front lawn, they'll have that I'll be bound.

Soon Banksfield Mill chimney, will crash to the floor, we wont see the likes of that any more.

So when the day dawns, and it's been blasted down, can we send for Fred Dibnah, a man of renown.

May I call on the glorious powers that be, to realise, we pay our rates (can't you see).

Mrs J M Chaffer

Haw Lane,

Yeadon.

Political smoke

SIR, - The denial expressed by your correspondent, Councillor Ray Dunn, over Tory Labour's welfare policies with respect to carers, is typical of those who still remain in the Party.

Was Ray's response, which sidelined carers issues, just political smoke to discredit me and divert attention from Labour's despicable treatment of carers?

Whatever Ray says, Tory Labour did, on one occasion, increase pensions by only 75p. To deny that would do justice to the Ministry of Truth in Orwells '1984'.This is common public knowledge.

Even Blair admitted this was a mistake. Maybe it was not last year, but it did happen. Only after an outcry were further increases made. And with this flimsy excuse, Ray denies the truth of this year's carers 70p increase, the Council Tax 7.5 per cent increase, the Home Care 43 per cent increase and the crisis in care home places.

I repeat, the increase this year, in the Invalid Care Allowance is just 70p per week (last year 45p) and subject to the conditions and means testing I described. There has also been a fall in the numbers of paying users of the service by 269. The evidence for this has been presented to the Wharfedale Observer.

Ray should be ashamed of this attempt to discredit me for political advantage and an apology is due. But then, this is no more than we expect from Tory Labour politicians who take their leader as a role model for their behaviour.

As a councillor, Ray should be aware of the accuracy of my statements on the increases in Council Tax and Home Care charges. However, he chose to ignore them presumably to avoid voters dwelling on unpalatable facts. Incidentally, he may also wish (not) to know that as a result of the closure of 1,500 care homes (latest figure now 2,000) during the last five Tory Labour years, 50,000 care home places have been lost.

No doubt he considers these facts wrong as well. I refer him to Age Concern.

What new services are provided in Leeds for carers are cosmetic in nature and designed for propaganda, not care. In Otley we are to have a 'carers drop-in' centre which will provide free aromatherapy. This starts in May, nicely timed for the elections. We can have free unnecessary services like this but have means tested essential services like Home Care whose costs are increased massively. There is also to be a respite grant award for the 'lucky' few who meet certain criteria.

This is done to maximise propaganda and minimise cost and, in other words, is a subtle form of rationing.

Tory Labour will do everything but raise the basic rate of Invalid Care Allowance just as they refused to raise basic pensions.

Everything is done for effect, not effectiveness. The phrase 'all fur coat and no knickers' comes to mind to describe the dreadful deceit of Tory Labour.

We cannot expect councillors to be experts at everything and it is a good thing, they have limited responsibilities. We do however expect high standards of public life and that we are failing to get.

One must ask, are Tory Labour council candidates people we can trust, especially when they exhibit the same spin as the Leader of the party to which they belong.

Mr M Naylor

21 Grange View,

Otley.

Animal welfare

SIR, - The committee members of the RSPCA Craven and Upper Wharfedale branch make the following appeals to help us promote animal welfare: We ask everyone thinking about acquiring a pet to carefully consider the serious and long term commitment that this represents.

When owners find this commitment unmanageable, we are often asked to try to rehome their animal. Sadly, there is always a waiting list for admittance to our kennels as it seems there are too many unwanted and/or neglected animals and not enough homes.

We strongly encourage owners to have their pets neutered to help limit the large number of unwanted animals. Veterinary surgeons will be happy to offer advice on neutering, so do please consult a vet.

During RSPCA Week, April 29 to May 5, several vets around our branch area will be participating in a microchipping campaign in partnership with the branch. We hope that many people will take this opportunity to have their pet microchipped.

Beverley Leeson

Secretary,

26 Wheatley Road,

Ben Rhyddding.

Seeing obvious

SIR, - In connection with the current concerns about road safety in the area of Manor Park bends on the Burley to Ilkley road could it be that people are not seeing the obvious!

I recently drove from Otley to Addingham via Manor Park and was consciously distracted by the enormous advertising hoardings on the approach to the bends. These are clearly serving the purpose for which they are intended i.e. advertising firstly the forthcoming Bradford Bulls fixture and secondly drawing one's attention to sale items available at the nearby trade warehouse.

These hoardings by their very nature demand valuable seconds of the motorists' time and thereby distract from the concentration required to negotiate the bends safely.

Joe Ginty

Addingham.

Show thanks

SIR, - As a winner of the Wharfedale Observer's Chicago competition, may I take this opportunity to thank you for providing me and my husband with a most enjoyable night out at the Alhambra. The seats were excellent and the show was lively and entertaining. Thank you.

Anne P York

St Martin's Avenue,

Otley.

Kind person

SIR, - May I express my thanks, through your newspaper, to the person who three or four weeks ago, kindly picked up a letter of mine dropped somewhere in Yeadon - and posted it!

I really am grateful for this act of thoughtfulness.

Mr G W M Britton

St John's Way,

Yeadon.