Letters to the Editor

The first on August 16 was a double-page spread showing splendid dreams of what could be developed on the Provincial House site if Bradford had the ambition of other cities such as Salford and Walsall.

The second, in small print in the classified section, related to the re-submission by St James' Securities of a planning application, previously rejected by the Bradford Area Planning Panel, to demolish Provincial House and build public houses on the site.

The third, on August 25, was a news story about a vicious attack on a young man in the early hours in the area behind the Alhambra which now hosts many public houses with late licences.

Alcohol regularly gives rise to violence, particularly in city centres which attract large numbers of young people. This situation now exists in the so-called West End with more pubs and clubs to come with the Glydegate development.

Do we really want this in Centenary Square as well?

Paul King, Upper Piccadilly, Bradford.

SIR - It is unusual for me to see your Comment column as playing with fire but remarks about racial equality on July 24 must be challenged.

To insist that we must talk about non-specific equality is a long-established recipe for changing nothing.

As a participant in the consultation at St Peter's House on July 23, I can assure you that there were two points on which everyone agreed:

1. Bradford must not stay where it is on the racial equality front;

2. The district can only move forward with the united backing of politicians from all the parties.

To that extent the absence of politicians - and journalists - from the meeting is not really relevant. They will inevitably be at the heart of a review process which has not yet started.

If you have difficulty with racial equality, you might like to take a lead from the Bradford churches who on September 10 will be celebrating Racial Justice Sunday. Or is racial justice an equally unwelcome concept?

Rev Geoff Reid, Touchstone Centre, Merton Road, Bradford 7.

l EDITOR'S NOTE: On the contrary, we believe justice and equality for ALL is an admirable concept. The point we were making is that adding the word "racial" to every phrase has devalued the concept because many people take it to apply only to ethnic minorities.

SIR - The MP for Bradford South should take care when he pontificates about supposed "secret meetings" especially where the development of Odsal is concerned.

After all, it's not so many years ago when the said MP was leader of that secret brotherhood otherwise known as the Labour Group on Bradford Council.

It is clear to me that the agitation from Labour MPs and councillors is synthetic and hypocritical. How else can we explain how a senior Labour executive member was present at the reference group and made no suggestion that the matters under discussion should go to the Council's executive or any other public forum?

Oh, and that Labour councillor represents Odsal too!

Councillor Simon Cooke (Executive member, Economic Portfolio), Chellow Terrace, Chellow Dene, Bradford.

SIR - Paranoia has once again reached fever pitch with the results of the GCSEs. Pupils with good passes are bouncing off the walls whereas the pupils attaining lower or no passes are at their wits' end. Why?

I can remember a time when basic reading, writing and arithmetic stood all pupils in good stead for the rest of their lives. Now it seems our youngsters must have top marks, or be outlawed by the education authorities and also their peers.

I would have thought there was enough pressure put on youngsters today without this clap-trap. Let's face it, the GCSEs are only pieces of paper and with so many floating about, are worthless.

Bear in mind that not everyone can be a chief, but a lot of people have attained their rank with practical aptitude, not GCSEs.

T Williams-Berry, Bredon Avenue, Wrose.

SIR - Your correspondent Ben Borghuis, from Haworth, asked about the number of diversions from Leeds-Bradford Airport during 1999.

Civil Aviation Authority statistics reveal that, in that year, a total of 55 flights were diverted from Leeds Bradford to other airports. At 0.2 per cent of our total air transport movements, this is the lowest figure ever recorded at LBA.

E J S Anderson, managing director, Leeds Bradford International Airport.

SIR - I live in Guiseley, off Park Road, and until July 23 we had a bus every half-an-hour - the 625 and 653 down Park Road.

Now we only have one every hour. How is this a better service?

I am pleased for the people on the Pink Line, Red Line, etc, with a bus every ten minutes.

We in this area would be glad if we could have our old bus schedules back. Getting to Ilkley from here now involves walking into Guiseley for a bus or going for the train.

Mrs Joan Greenwood, Hawthorne Avenue, Guiseley.

SIR - It is important that the residents of Shipley are made fully aware of one of the actions of their MP Christopher Leslie (pictured).

Many of your readers will no doubt be aware of the recent notorious legislation of IR35, admitted by the Government to be unfair with its double taxation on many small businesses in the region.

This piece of legislation was bundled through Parliament with disregard to comments made from within the contracting industry. I would like to ask Shipley's Labour MP why he (listed by Robert Maas in Taxation magazine) consistently voted not to change this sloppy piece of law.

Although I am personally no longer a resident in the Shipley constituency, I would say that if I had the chance, I would use the ballot box to register my anger at these actions.

Marie Armstrong, Dragon Road, Harrogate.

l Christopher Leslie, MP, said: "I notice that Marie Armstrong doesn't actually say in her letter what 'IR35' is! This is a Government proposal, that I support, to close a tax loophole where a small number of individuals have avoided paying their fair share of income tax and national insurance like the rest of the working population. It is wrong that certain employees have concocted 'personal service companies' in order to receive their salary as a 'dividend', thereby avoiding income tax.

"Closing tax loopholes like this helps to keep all our taxes down and create a fairer tax system. The legislation was not rushed through and the consultation by the Government was not ignored. But I am not surprised when those made to pay their fair share of tax like the rest of us don't like it!"

n Would Seth Greenway, who submitted a letter about Apperley Bridge for publication, please ring 01274 705252.