Council 'high handed over school plan'

So far the council has behaved in a high-handed fashion towards this town, allowing the news to leak before officially announcing it and then holding two enormous meetings that some people would have found too intimidating to make their views felt.

I am astonished that the city council is prepared to have these meetings and cause so much anxiety in Otley without having first assessed the likelihood of obtaining planning permission regarding road access to Otley All Saint's Infants School.

There is a clear possibility that, after this consultation process has finished, the final scheme could be refused planning permission and the whole process will have to start again. Whilst this is always a risk, I think that in this case, where access concern is so obvious, officers should have made attempts to clarify the situation before subjecting the people of Otley to this degree of stress.

The officer's comment at the meeting that planners will not decide on proposals, but only on final schemes might be strictly true, but it stretches credibility when you consider that we are talking about employees of the same council. Perhaps it's time for some joined-up government in Leeds.I have previously raised the issue of keeping the money generated by the closures in Otley. At the meeting it was made clear that capital receipts will initially be used for any capital expenses required to build or modify Otley schools.

However, on Thursday I want to raise the issue of current account savings that will be made in Otley year-on-year, I will be seeking assurances that these savings will be used to benefit children in Otley and not taken back into the LEA to be spent in inner Leeds.

Adam Pritchard

Prospective Conservative

Parliamentary Candidate,

Leeds North-West,

3 The Parade,

Breary Lane,

Bramhope.

Closure madness

SIR, - Whatever the eventual outcome south of the river, one thing should now be clear to the people of Otley. Leeds is seemingly intent of closing All Saints Junior School.

This is the height of madness. All Saints Junior School is the only school south of the river with easy access and parking.

It is the only school large enough to cope with that number of children. It is the only school with any facilities for older children and it is the only one of the three schools which is not more than 25 per cent empty in real terms ( ie, its admission limit is 360 and there will be more than 280 children on roll next September).

It is the most popular primary school in the area, and has had the highest average Key Stage Two SATs scores of the schools in Otley over the last five years, according to the figures published in the Leeds report.

It seems to me to be absolutely crazy to close a school which works so well for the community and to relocate its close on 300 children (not to mention the hundreds of Otley people who use the school facilities out of school hours) to the corners of the town where access is already difficult, and to schools which have no such facilities.

There seems to be some sort of political agenda here, not based on educational or even commonsense, which is distracting from the real issues - and those are our town and our children.

Jane Shaw

South Parade,

Otley.

Harming a town

SIR, - It is generally accepted that reorganising Otley's schools must happen, simply to accommodate demographic change. What concerns me, however, is how it can be done without harming the town centre.

Schools south of the river, particularly Westgate Infant and All Saints Junior, have served Otley for many years, and continue to do so successfully. Although Westgate's historic buildings would not disappear, there is a risk that they would be unsympathetically altered - but would the LEA's objectives deliver any better for our children than is provided now?

And worse, the loss of All Saints Junior School, in the Conservation Area and rightfully 'listed', would be yet another in a long line of town centre closures, further enticing people out of the town centre to the outskirts.

Removal of the LEA's last town centre school would certainly not be in the spirit of the Government's much-promoted 'urban renaissance'.

It must also be realised that the best use for a historic building will very often be that for which it was originally designed, and the continuation of that use should certainly be the first option when the future of All Saints Junior School is considered by the LEA.

The LEA cites 'cost effective use of limited resources' as why the proposal is made. But should 'cost' be the main consideration, noting that the vitality of a town centre already suffering closure after closure is unlikely to respond well to yet more cost cutting and loss of services? In return for closures, the town centre has gained only derelict buildings, gap sites, take-away shops, car boot sales and a supermarket - which interest few or simply attract the motor car.

The 'figure of eight' shape of Otley is unique. Parents' choice of school is promoted by the siting of All Saints Junior School, which by being near the bridge and in the town centre is at the waist of the 'figure of eight'.

The LEA must therefore look again at its schools south of the river - in particular All Saints Junior School, whose long pedigree has cemented it into the very fabric of the town centre and whose loss must not be taken lightly.

Ian Andrew

11 Ramsey Terrace,

Otley.

Unfair on Sophie

SIR, - As an apolitical person, who disgracefully hasn't voted since Domesday, I really can't see why 'Sophiegate' has been covered in detail on the front pages of the national Press recently, when by rights it should have been covered in a small paragraph on page 27.

We have here two young royals who are doing their best to make a living without support from the Exchequer, one of whom as a result of Press trickery, was persuaded to make remarks with which many of the population would agree.

"Our Prime Minister doesn't understand the countryside. Because of the foot and mouth situation they've been forced to take notice of the countryside. Cherie Booth continues to work. Maybe she didn't think her husband's Government was going to last so long, she'd have to go back to work anyway. The Tories are going to lose under Haigh. As for Labour it's all promises for something in two/three years time. We call him President Bill. Charles is too formal. Actually he's always been, he likes formalities but he's great fun."

Political power always passes and that is one of the great aspects of our democracy in this country. Today's Prime Ministers are tomorrow's back benchers and although President Tony looks like being re-elected, the next lot will be in power again in four years' time.

Princess Sophie appears to be a sensible woman expressing views which many of us would not disagree and, good Lord, if she were to enter politics I might be even persuaded to vote for her.

KEITH G HARTLEY

Hangingstone Road,

Ilkley.

Farmers grateful

SIR, - In addition to the letter I wrote the other week regarding the foot and mouth crisis, I would also like to say how much farmers appreciate the public's concern about the situation. We greatly value the public's support and are extremely grateful to everyone who is helping by avoiding public footpaths and farmland.

I know how annoying this is, as we ourselves enjoy walking and other outdoor pursuits in our spare time.

To the person who sent me an anonymous note asking if I was going to write a letter regarding the Tory handling of the BSE crisis, I would have replied if you had included an address. But it is not an issue to write about here at the moment.

Mrs Nyree Fearnley

2 St Helena's Caravan Park,

Otley Old Road,

Horsforth.

Price of greed

SIR, - The epidemic with foot and mouth is no accident. The variant E. Coli and of course BSE are basically man-created and however many tears are shed we are now paying a very high price for our greed.

Animals in close proximity doesn't help the matter making epidemics more likely. Feeding ground-up dead animals to vegetarian animals caused BSE - profit being the motive.

Due to the greed of intensive farming thousands are now suffering the consequences, and no antibiotics will stop the spread of foot and mouth in intensive rearing environments.

A recent correspondent to the Wharfedale said we live with BSE, foot and mouth, salmonella, E. Coli, destruction of hedges and woodland bird life, pollution of water course etc. All in the name of factory farming, massively subsidised for decades.

F DICKINSON

Larkfield Road,

Rawdon,

Leeds.

l Foot and mouth round-up: Page 8

Goalposts moved

SIR, - Re the letter titled 'Goalposts moved (April 5), Mr Chaffer is right to question the removal of Yeadon Banks to PAS Land status, but I must stress that when he refers to 'the Council" he is referring to the controlling Labour Group.

Whatever happens at present in the name of the council is actually what the Labour Group wants to happen. Until their commanding position in seat numbers is reduced, and we have to wait another year to see further cuts in their hold on Leeds, this will be the case.

With regard to Yeadon Banks, it may yet be saved. The DETR have refused to accept the Leeds Unitary Development Plan, in the light of its failure to address issues raised by PPG3 regarding development of the green belt.

This is a complete vindication of the Conservative Group's attempts to get the City Council to leave green belt alone, not earmark it for back door development as would happen under their PAS land policy.

At council only two months ago the Conservative Group called for the Council to defend the green belt, but no Labour councillors, nor the Liberal Democrats, voted with us. I leave your readers to decide who will preserve the green belt, and our countryside.

Coun Graham Latty

(Con, Aireborough).

Harrogate Road,

Rawdon.