Concern as Heseltine seeks re-election

As members and former members of Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority, all of whom served during the chairmanship of Robert Heseltine it was with genuine concern that we learnt of his intention to seek re-election to North Yorkshire County Council for the Skipton East division.

It might be that even if elected Mr Heseltine does not intend to seek re-appointment to the National Park Authority, frankly we would be surprised if that were the case.

Last year, as a result of a joint action brought by Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority and North Yorkshire County Council, Mr Heseltine admitted 12 charges of false accounting at Teesside Crown Court. These amounted to more than £1,400; he also asked for 11 other offences to be taken into consideration.

Judge Peter Fox, who heard the case told him: "You are unworthy of public office because you are not to be trusted." He was subsequently ordered to carry out 240 hours of community service.

More recently, in January of this year the National Park Authority's Audit and Review Committee resolved to recover £2,500 from Mr Heseltine for expense claims submitted between April 1997 and March 1999. As John Blackie, chairman of that committee said at the time: "Mr Heseltine has been given every opportunity to bring this matter to a conclusion, but so far not a single penny has been paid back."

We do not consider Mr Heseltine to be a proper person to serve on any public authority and would respectfully ask the electors of Skipton East to take our concerns into consideration before casting their ballots.

Peter Addison, Askrigg;

Harold Brown, Grinton;

Stephen Butcher, Rylstone;

James Kendal, Reeth and

Kevin J Lancaster, Sedbergh.

* A national park spokesman told the Herald this week that Mr Heseltine had agreed, through his solicitor, to repay the amount owing to the authority today (Friday) or early next week.

Period of silence

SIR - Friday March 30 brought another edition of the Craven Herald and Pioneer, and yet another letter from Mr Robert Heseltine, plus the news of his intent to return to "dedicated public service", his recent crown court conviction for false accounting notwithstanding.

In August 1945, the then Prime Minister suggested to a colleague that "a period of silence on your part would be welcome". Would that Mr Heseltine heed the same advice.

Charles Sproat,

Meadow View,

Draughton.

SIR - To use Mr Ashton's phrase, I was disappointed that the Leader of North Yorkshire County Council thinks it a pity that someone should feel inclined to criticise the county council. Surely, irrespective of who that "someone" may be, any voter has a right to criticise Local or National Government, or has something happened to our right to free speech.

To proceed publicly to remind everyone of the background of the correspondent displays a degree of vindictiveness which beggars belief.

Robert Heseltine was not alone in thinking that money was wasted by this public relations exercise. In fact Mr Ashton appears to share the opinion in his reference to a Labour stealth tax.

I see from another report in your paper that Mr Heseltine intends to stand again for public office. Good luck to him - let the electorate decide who should hold public office, not Mr Ashton and His Honour Judge Fox.

Philip Margerison,

Townend Place,

Glusburn.

Wrong solution

SIR - So Mr Butterworth, chief executive of the Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority, is of the impression that by reducing the full-day parking charge from £3.50 to £2, it will thereby solve the parking problem in the village of Grassington (re the item in last week's Craven Herald), so alleviating the unnecessary parking of visitors' cars outside residential premises.

The case put by householders at the AGM of the parish council was that there was a need to reduce the short-stay charges, therefore enabling visitors to walk into the village, browse around the shops, and enjoy a cup of tea at their leisure. May I suggest that a reduced one hour charge of 50p and a two hour charge of £1 would enable these people to do just that for a modest fee?

Incidentally, who exactly are the business people with whom the authority claims to have had consultation on this matter? No such consultation has been sought with the Chamber of Trade which represents business organisations in the vicinity of Grassington.

Martyn Fretwell,

Chairman,

Grassington Chamber of

Trade.

Short-lived

SIR - In reply to the letters from David Greaves and Diane Waring, the Government is indeed now actively encouraging people to visit the countryside, and I am sure this will please guest houses owners, publicans, etc, but when the Dale is again full of people and the worst happens, and foot and mouth makes an appearance (having been most likely brought to the area by a tourist) and the scenes we have all witnessed in the media are repeated in Upper Wharfedale, what then?.

The short-lived resurgence in tourism comes to an end, the Dale is full of smoke from the pyres, leaving the area labelled "infected" perhaps for a long time. No, the Government's knee-jerk reaction to this problem has been the same as its reaction to all the other problems it has dealt with - one of sound bites and feigned concern from Tony Blair.

The only way to keep this area as unaffected as possible is to follow the advice from the district and county councils and the national parks authority and keep the footpaths etc closed.

I am sure Messrs Greaves and Waring will be pleased to read that the council is implementing a rate relief package for small businesses which should go some way to easing their financial worries.

As regards the comment that "tourism is worth more than agriculture" and therefore presumably not worth worrying about, it's that kind of attitude that's led to this country to no longer have a major manufacturing base, thereby leaving more people reliant on the vagaries of tourism and the service industry.

Mark Carter,

Low Greenfield,

Buckden.

Misleading

SIR - I write about the comments on foot and mouth disease attributed to Dr James Fleming in the Craven Herald of March 30 which are somewhat misleading.

There is no connection between hand, foot and mouth disease which affects children and the livestock virus foot-and-mouth disease. These two diseases are caused by completely different viruses.

Hand, foot and mouth disease is a viral infection of humans caused by a strain of Coxsackie virus. Foot and mouth disease of animals is caused by an Aphthovirus, a virus of the family Picornaviridae.

Hand, foot and mouth disease causes a blister-like rash that, as the name implies, involves the hands, feet and mouth. It usually occurs in children under 10, but occasionally can occur in young adults.

The virus is spread by direct contact with nose and throat discharges and faeces of infected people. The illness is usually mild and complications are rare.

In very, very rare circumstances humans can catch foot and mouth disease from animals. In the last big outbreak in 1967, one person was affected. Symptoms in humans, as the article points out, are mild.

Although the virus may survive in lymph nodes or bone marrow after rigor mortis, it does not survive in meat. The Food Standards Agency has stated the current outbreak of foot and mouth disease in the UK does not pose a threat to food safety.

The controls imposed by the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (MAFF) on the export of live animals, meat, and dairy products from the UK have come into force on grounds of animal health, not food safety, because meat and dairy products can be a vehicle for transmitting the virus to other animals

Contrary to reports in some newspapers, all fresh meat currently on retail sale will be unaffected by FMD, and there are no implications for meats which have been cooked or processed. Milk, cheese, and other dairy products may continue to be safely consumed.

Len Chamberlain

Northern Regional Manager,

Meat and Livestock

Commission,

Station Parade,

Harrogate.

In their prayers

SIR - Among the overseas links enjoyed by the Diocese of Bradford is one with the Diocese of Southwestern Virginia in the United States.

Last autumn, my wife and I had the pleasure of taking Bishop Neff Powell, the Bishop of Southwestern Virginia, and his wife, Dorothy, around this diocese including a visit to Skipton Mart.

Bishop Powell recently sent me the following e-mail: "Dorothy and I are very concerned over the outbreak of foot and mouth disease. You and the good people of your diocese are in our daily prayers here. Having been to the cattle mart makes it all much more personal to us."

Bishop Neff and Dorothy spoke warmly of the welcome that they had received in the area, sentiments often expressed by other visitors and holidaymakers staying amongst us.

In two rural parishes not far from the Blue Ridge Mountains, a prayer chain has been set up which seems to be extending all the time. Being country folk themselves, our friends understand what is at stake and have written to express their support.

We would like to encourage our American friends and others to visit this area in the very near future. Is it possible to promote a kind of tourism which does not pose a threat to our farmers? Many of us wish to support the farming world and the holiday trade and advice will be welcome.

The Rt Rev David Smith,

Bishop of Bradford,

Bishopscroft,

Ashwell Road,

Heaton, Bradford.

Obscuring the facts

SIR - Referring to the correspondence and reports on the future of the Devonshire Hotel in Newmarket Street, Skipton.

Letters and planning committee deliberations refer to the quality of the Georgian staircase in the middle of the building and the need to retain this feature at all costs.

It is my experience that JD Wetherspoon, the intending purchaser and applicant, has carried out many building conversions of this kind with considerable sensitivity and the architectural merit of the work has been recognised with many awards.

One could cite the chapel conversion at Brighouse and several banking halls in Glasgow, London and Manchester.

Little has been said of the advantages of having a pub in Skipton which sets high standards and low prices with quality air conditioning, good beer and wine, a policy of no music, no television and no children.

The retained staircase of Georgian provenance could, in future, be admired in a reflective silence and a clear atmosphere. Other pubs could retain their tradition of high prices, poor quality wine, music, Sky television and sometimes inadequate ventilation.

Perhaps a strategy of concern for a staircase is used to obscure a real worry about competition from a new type of pub.

D Boden,

Regent Crescent,

Skipton.

Beyond a joke

SIR - The parish-pump political conduct of Barnoldswick Town Council's Liberal rulers is getting beyond a joke.

In recent months, two vacancies on the town council have been filled by co-option but the process has been misused by the Liberal ruling clique on both occasions to bring in their "placemen and women" instead of giving a voice on the town council to independent local campaigners such as Jennifer Purcell, whose hat was in the ring on both occasions but has twice been turned down.

The town council should be representative of all aspects of our local community, not just those who are selected by political parties and that is why it is shameful for an independent voice on the town council to be denied Barnoldswick townspeople.

We all pay the precept and the council tax that goes to make up the monies which are used by the town council. Perhaps what is needed if this situation of political oligarchy is to continue is to get more transparency over what is being done with our money. Could we begin with getting details made public of the personal expenses of all town councillors and a record of their (full) attendances?

Jim Skinner,

Manchester Road,

Barnoldswick.

Questions asked

SIR - Regarding your article "Planner comes under attack" in last week's issue, I would like to make a few comments regarding this meeting and also the Keighley planning meeting on Thursday March 15 when these buildings were approved.

Councillor Dawson claims he "could only look at information put before him". This is absolute rubbish. I attended the meeting on March 15 as a Silsden Parish Council representative and was given permission to speak. The first question I asked of the committee was: "Have all members read the planning brief?", to which I was abruptly told "yes".

Had Councillor Dawson read the planning brief he would have had no alternative but to object to both applications as they are not built on existing ground level. This is clearly stated in the planning brief. Also the two buildings are over the six metre height restriction.

As for Councillor Dawson saying "This decision was made in a full open meeting. There was nothing decided behind closed doors", this is again rubbish.

Myself and the press were excluded for about one hour whilst these applications were discussed, after which we were allowed back for further discussion and questions. The vote then took place, subject to conditions. Could someone please tell us what these conditions are? As of today, April 2, we, the parish council, have still not received them and not for the want of trying, I might add.

At the annual parish meeting, a member of the public asked me: "Have any objections been received by Bradford Council's planning department regarding these applications?", to which I replied: "No, not according to the agenda given to committee members." He then replied: "That's strange as I objected to both these applications."

Chris Atkinson

Planning chairman,

Silsden Parish Council,

Oak View, Silsden.

Traffic dossier

SIR - I am compiling a dossier on the traffic "calming" humps in Settle.

Would any members of the public who have fallen over the humps in the road since their installation please contact me. Also, would anyone wishing these humps to be removed, then please come into my shop and sign the petition to this effect.

Sandra Price,

Artisan's,

Station Road, Settle.