A VICAR has called on fellow villagers to welcome newcomers to their community and not treat them with suspicion and resentment.

Reverend Frank Snow, of St Wilfrid's Church in Pool-in-Wharfedale and St Peter's Arthington is calling for existing villagers to welcome newcomers, despite widespread objection to the current

building of more than 150 new houses at Swallow Drive.

He was speaking as both Anglican churches and Pool Methodist Church joined together and began delivering a

welcome pack to newcomers in the village this week.

The pack includes details of the churches, a copy of the parish magazine, facts about local organisations and a packet of sunflower seeds to plant in their gardens.

Rev Snow said: "The packs are delivered to the new people as soon as houses are occupied - they have been well received so far and I believe that the parish council is also putting together a 'welcome' video.

"Doubts there may be about the wisdom of a large scale building programme but it is now taking place and the new people coming into Pool can't be blamed for those decisions.

"A friendly welcome will do more to

integrate them into the community than a hostile reception.

"My wife Catherine and I were tremendously impressed with the warm welcome we received when we came to Pool just over two years ago. It has had a reputation for being a friendly village and it would be a pity to allow the circumstances to change that."

He said that he hoped the welcome packs will go some way to making people feel

welcome in Pool and had been well received so far.

Rev Snow wrote in a recent issue of the parish magazine: "Any sizeable movement of population will always be accompanied by resentment and suspicion on one side and fear and apprehension on the other. 'They'll form their own community', 'our roads won't cope with the increase of

traffic', 'they'll commute to Leeds, just treating the village as somewhere to sleep' I hear these and other fears frequently voiced.

"Just recently I heard the other

viewpoint - from people who had recently moved to Pool. They asked 'will we be accepted? Are we always to be branded as 'newcomers' and resented for the requirements we make on local amenities?'."

l Meanwhile, Rev Snow will officially retire from his position as vicar at the church this summer after two years. His last service before retirement will be on July 1.