Sir, - Where are they now? The self-proclaimed protectors of our unsullied moor appeared outraged at the appearance of a few harmless if colourful pieces of wood.

How is it then that a deafening silence prevails over the works of an apparently deranged scaffolder who has 'planted' his poles with gay abandon all over the moor and attached, by means of ecologically friendly and particularly aesthetic, jubilee clips, mind-blowingly uninformative signs pronouncing 'Public Footpath".

Not for us the environmentally sympathetic wooden colour-coded waymarkers, so that those unfamiliar with the area can embark on an expedition with a reasonable expectation of finding their way back to their starting point, we have something imposed on us of the same order of usefulness as the proverbial chocolate fireguard.

Can we now expect equally informative 'street furniture' at either end of The Grove and on Brook Street announcing 'Public Thoroughfare (Grade 2)'?

Where to? How far? Might this not be useful information? Apparently not.

The siting of certain of these monstrosities beggars belief. Take a stroll up Keighley Gate and, climbing the hill after the stone bridge, gaze at the wonderful skyline of the moor rising above you, punctuated only by a completely incongruous metal finger directing the unknowing to nowhere in particular. Get rid of it!!!

I applaud the work undertaken in upper Middleton Woods (unlike some of your more regular correspondents) as this has provided a year round facility that can be enjoyed by all.

However, I have to say that all the work being carried out on the moor, in the name of conservation, has the hallmark of a job creation scheme designed by someone who once read a book on urban parks management.

Nigel R Boot

Stonecroft,

4 Beechwood Grove,

Ilkley.

Not impressed

SIR, - Whilst I have tremendous sympathy for the 'genuine' young skateboarders who are desperate to have their own 'patch', I am not impressed with the minority who are damaging areas of Ilkley town centre.

The area around the car park toilets has been turned into, not only a dangerous place to walk through, but also a total mess. I walk through that area most evenings and on many occasions have been narrowly missed by a collection of youths leaping from steps into the walk-way at great speed and with a great disregard to the public.

If one comments to the youths you are given abuse. It is only a matter of time before someone is badly injured. Some of these children are climbing on to the roof of the toilets and jumping off on to the recycling bins in a most dangerous manner.

The men who have to clean the town each morning are fed up with the dreadful mess they have to deal with each day. Is this skateboarding or just mindless irresponsibility?

Inevitably, they have also targeted the new bandstand area, which before long will no longer be the focal point for The Grove for the right reasons.

Do the parents of these children know or care where their offspring are or what they are doing? Perhaps they are too busy doing their own thing and it's a case of 'out of sight out of mind'.

We need a police presence back on the streets of Ilkley as quickly as possible with the power to do something about the mini-lawbreakers before our lovely town is ruined by a minority of irresponsible youths.

Norma Hallas

(Full address supplied),

Ilkley.

No real surprise

SIR, - Well what a surprise to read last week's headlines regarding the alleged damage done to the bandstand by our youngsters of Ilkley! I am surprised that it has come as a surprise.

Skateboarding has really reached a height of interest again over the past few months and I thought that there would have been an outcry before now about the 'nuisance' they are causing where they are skateboarding.

I believe that a handful of people in Ilkley have been working for about two years to try to build a skateboard park for the young people.

The solution is simple. Construct a fence in Riverside Gardens alongside the play area and build a few ramps with some safe ground and hey presto, one skateboard park. However due to the fact that all the

parish councillors have rigor mortis, they are incapable of making a decision!

I don't believe for one minute that it is about cost. It is just that there are too many people in Ilkley who think that the young do not have a place in our society. They should be seen and not heard and as long as they are not skateboarding near their precious homes then there isn't a problem!

Come on all you residents who pay high council tax to Bradford! Have them do something for Ilkley for once. After all, we don't get our

streets swept!

Show your support for the young people in our town. After all, they are going to be the voters of tomorrow.

Skateboarding can be very entertaining to watch.

Jane Coupe

Wheatley Road,

Ilkley.

Reason for trip

SIR, - I write to correct some errors of information given by a correspondent in your letters column last week about the purpose of Ilkley Grammar School's World Challenge Expedition to Namibia in Summer 2002.

The Secondary Heads' Association (SHA) which has set up the charity 'Campaign Namibia' is working with the Namibian High Commission in London and with schools in Namibia to ensure that the projects that students will be involved in are genuinely needed.

The expedition will spend two weeks working on a project, yet to be specifically identified, such as constituting sports facilities or an adventure playground - something within the capabilities of yes, unskilled but enthusiastic and committed young people.

They may also purchase materials and equipment with funds raised by the SHA Namibia Campaign to take to pupils in Namibian schools who, on the experience of the pilot groups, will meet them with warmth and happiness. Surely, this is a wonderful example of international aid?

Seventeen students have decided that, alongside their considerable commitments of examination work and other school activities, they (not their parents) will raise funds themselves to take part in this expedition.

They certainly do need the generosity and support of the good people of Ilkley who I hope will be proud to do so.

Ian Gasper

School Expedition Co-ordinator,

Ilkley Grammar School..

Cause of floods

SIR, - November 3 2000 - Severe Flood Alert. North Yorkshire hit by record flood levels.

I am reminded of something once quoted while a student: 'Little things grow into big things and big things cost money'.

Listening to a flood debate with the Environment Agency on Radio York, it struck me communities up river were in part responsible for last year's disaster in the Vale of York.

In years previous, copious amounts of water would be taken up by the land and dispersed slowly into our rivers. Now however, much of the same land is covered with housing and industrial developments, hard landscape and new road schemes.

We live beside one of the country's fastest flowing rivers. While drawing much water from the upper dales, quantities are magnified when passing through developing areas. Various groups are looking for ways to halt or reduce the amount of development in the Wharfe Valley.

The above problems should be raised whenever new plans are brought before relevant planning committees. Numerous small, by comparison, developments soon add up to many thousand hectares of roof and hard standing, diverting water into already full rivers.

Residents of Ilkley, nearby towns and villages have a duty to help stop future disasters down river. How many new developments have the sustainable drainage systems alluded to by the Environment Agency?

Will future planning applications require such drainage systems? And if not, why not? Remember, little things grow into big things and big things cost money. Your money.

FRAZER IRWIN

Queens Road,

Ilkley.

Slow it down

SIR, - I totally endorse the views so admirably expressed by Colin Speakman (November 1) regarding the so-called Manor Park Bends.

I have been negotiating this section of the A65 for some 50 years. The only hazardous moments I can recall have been caused by drivers who not only drive too fast - 50mph plus - but who also seem to have a rooted objection to 'staying in line'.

Recently, a thoughtless fool shot past me on the double white lines. Why? In order to gain a few yards and to satisfy his built-in aggression. I suggest that these two factors are the prime cause of serious accidents.

Until all drivers show care and consideration and (most importantly) restraint the rate of accidents will not decline. I don't believe a costly bypass is the answer. Surely a 30mph speed limit, coupled with CCTV cameras, is.

R L PYETT

23 Margerison Crescent,

Ben Rhydding,

Ilkley.

Out of line

SIR, - I find it difficult to believe that you reported accurately or fully on the comments made at the Ilkley Parish Council F and GP committee meeting.

Too many smack of special interests and fly in the face of many of the demands made by a sensible majority of people in the town over many years.

Traffic lights at the Wheatley Lane junction with Leeds Road, for instance, have long been felt necessary by many local residents and our district councillor has also often supported the idea.

Unfortunately the words of the town's best known resident of Otley - the chairman of ILKLEY Parish Council - could only too easily be translated as 'I'm much too important a personage to be held up for even an extra 30 seconds on my journeys between Otley and Ilkley'.

I do hope you think carefully in future before alarming many of us poor pensioners who think that at long last something practical will soon be done to protect us from all those deranged motorists who insist on using too many of our roads as speed tracks.

SANDY MACPHERSON

33 Wheatley Lane

Ben Rhydding

Ilkley.