Important issues on Weston Estate

Firstly, the West Estate is not an area of high unemployment, nor is it an area that is massively deprived. In reality, the Weston estate is a diverse area with a range of housing, income and property ownership.

It is an attractive and socially cohesive place to live with good schools, an excellent social club and a strong and active sense of community. That said, there are many individuals and families with real needs on the Weston Estate that are not being met.

Whereas in other parts of the Leeds authority similar needs have long been recognised, and provision made for them, on the Weston this has not happened. The purpose of the Community Involvement Team's (CIT) Weston Development Project is to identify these real needs and to raise them with service providers so that support and services can be put in place.

In the autumn I intend, through the CIT, to set up a Weston Estate Community Forum, so that the local community can identify and express its own needs.

In parallel, I have already started the process of bringing together council departments and other service providers so that once needs are identified there is a board of service providers in place to address them.

By bringing together community and service providers we should be able to make a real difference to the support and services on the Weston Estate.

Typical needs that we can start to tackle are; health; the quality of council housing; the quality of the physical environment; public transport; access to life-long education; support for children and young people, young families and older people; and support for getting back into work.

I believe that out of the best of intentions, your report misrepresented the Weston Estate. But it has usefully highlighted the fact that need exists in our midst, and that as a community we need to do something to tackle it.

Coun Philip Coyne

Chairman,

Otley and Wharfedale Community

Involvement Team,

8 Newall Mount,

Otley.

Call for survey

SIR, - I was interested to read the report by John Baron on the traffic problems in Hawksworth (Wharfedale Observer, July 19).

These problems are by no means unique to one village in Aireborough - they affect most schools and housing estates. The main problems around schools are caused by parents bringing their children to school by car. It seems a normal, rational parent changes to someone possessed with getting their child as close to the playground as possible.

They stop on yellow lines, on the pavement and corners, and the words 'Keep Clear' do no appear to mean anything to them.

I would appeal to all parents who take their children to school by car to take five minutes on a Sunday evening to think how they can make the journey safer.

The other problem with the amount and speed of traffic on back roads and estates is that it cannot move freely on main roads such as the A65. If we only accepted the traffic is there and helped it to move more freely to and from our major centres of business.

For example, more sections of dual carriageways and the computer controlling of sets of traffic lights such as the ones between Guiseley and Rawdon which were promised by Leeds City Council some years ago. Many of these problems of rat runs would dissolve on their own and the others could be controlled by 'access only' restrictions.

I would appeal to Leeds City Council to do a total survey of the roads in Aireborough to ascertain what improvements are needed and what it would cost as soon as possible.

Paul Wadsworth

2 Woodlea View,

Yeadon.

Consultation

Sir, - The points Mr Dunn makes in his letter, 'School closure', Wharfedale Observer July 12, require clarification. Education Leeds have not made a decision to close All Saints Junior School; they have only proposed it.

That is why they are holding a public consultation (now in its final stages), which has been healthily debated, not least through the Wharfedale Observer.

The process must observe statutory guidelines, at the end of which councillors will make the decision. A decision to demolish the North Parade building would be unlikely. More probable is that it would lie empty for years, just like the other buildings Mr Dunn mentions and more besides, perpetuating the unjust image of our own town centre that many have.

Government guidelines encourage owners of listed buildings to keep them in use, ideally for their original purpose- and Education Leeds should set an example.

I question whether the 'arm and leg' it would cost to make North Parade compliant with the Disability Discrimination Act should be allowed to cripple the reasoned judgment of Education Leeds.

Modernisation would, of course, include 'reasonable steps to remove physical barriers that make it impossible or unreasonably difficult' for disabled teachers, children and visitors using North Parade. The government makes it quite clear that the Act does not override other legislation, otherwise every existing building over one storey high would be at risk of demolition by 2004, through uninformed or even deliberate misinterpretation of the Act.

To update a traditional, well-built, worthwhile, two-storey school building would nurture effective and sustainable use of urban land and valuable resources, and retain one of Otley's most noteworthy listed public buildings for its original purpose.

Ian Andrew

11 Ramsey Terrace,

Otley.

Shot down

Sir, - I was greatly saddened and disgusted to read in The Times recently a report which alleges that our future possible monarch shot and killed a bird in Africa.

'In an instant the Prince .. pointed his 12-bore and fired. The bird never had a chance'.

How and why can people obtain some pleasure by firing at innocent creatures and then be applauded? I am no member of any animal rights concern. As an individual it simply concerns and astounds me that there are people within our society who, in positions of leadership, show both a very worrying blood lust and a callous disregard for others' feelings.

That there appear to be people within national organisations,such as the National Trust (of which I have been a regional committee member), and in the parts of our society who govern others, exhibiting a base instinct in the enjoyment of killing innocent creatures, should concern each one of us.

Mark Jepson

21 Kings Road,

Bramhope.

Parking abuse

SIR; - I'm delighted to read that Yeadon Morrisons are finally getting tough on people who abuse their restricted parking bays. I've been trying for some time now to get them to do just that or else to provide more disabled parking facilities.

Just one little quibble. Do they have to target 92-year-olds? Because, unless the employee who put the note under Mrs Handiforth's windscreen actually witnessed her mother's struggle to get out of the car, how did he or she actually know that the car was not being used by a 'parent with child'?

And why do the words 'soft target' keep coming into my head? I have two little quibbles. Where was that eagle-eyed employee with his or her bits of paper this morning when all the disabled bays were taken?

I had to park in an unrestricted bay and experience all the consequent difficulty and pain in getting out of my car, only to find half the disabled places occupied by non-badge holders, one of whom almost mowed me down as he reversed out.

I'm sure this problem is not insoluble, once Morrisons are prepared to admit it is a problem, and it needs addressing seriously - not by rapping the knuckles of 92-year-olds when they park in the only available place from which they can manage to get out of the car and into the store.

Mrs Pat Blackledge

11 Carlton Mount,

Yeadon.

School thanks

SIR; - As members of the parents action group for All Saints C.E. Infant and Nursery School, we would like to thank everybody who supported or contributed in the campaign to oppose the closure of our children's school, to favour a change of character. The overwhelming response to the petition, which may I add was signed by 99 per cent of parents/carers, and also the second petition which was signed by relatives and friends.

These were then forwarded along with covering letters to George Turnball (LEA), the Diocese of Bradford and Councillor Graham Kirkland. This clearly showed the strength of feeling we have for the school, teachers and governors.

We would like to take this opportunity to praise the staff and governors, who under difficult circumstances have acted in a totally professional manner. Also to state that when the action group was formed at the end of May, our main concern were the children.

So we unanimously decided that what action was taken by the group was on behalf of the children, not through them. So their participation we felt, should not only be with parents full consent, but also be kept to a minimum, so not to unduly upset them or in any way disrupt their education. So on a final note, if under the proposal our school does become a primary school site, we hope common sense will prevail and a change of character is given, instead of closure this to reflect the wishes of the parents.

Mel Daniel

5 Side Copse,

Otley.

Festival support

Sir, - May I express my thanks to all who have supported the Guiseley Festival, Guiseley FM and the Guiseley in Bloom competition during the last few weeks.

We have had a host of attractive events which have been well supported by local people. The tremendous support of Guiseley FM has also helped to publicise the many events, as has the publicity given to us by the Wharfedale and Airedale Observer.

Scores of local organisations and residents have also been active in removing litter and weeds from our streets in preparation for the judging of the Guiseley in Bloom competition. Our thanks are also due to the support of our local city councillors and the various departments of Leeds City Council.

Richard Hughes-Rowlands

Chairman, Project Guiseley,

101 Park Road, Guiseley.