Reader queries need for new school

Should this much discussed development actually go ahead, not only will Settle gain a foodstore, but the town also stands to benefit from a new primary school to be built with the proceeds of the sale of the land to Booths.

So far, so good. On the other hand Settle will lose a large, very valuable (in both environmental and social terms) area of open grassed space and playing field - to grey tarmac.

No one has yet proved that Settle would actually benefit from Booths' arrival, and many townsfolk still worry about the knock-on effect of trade lost by smaller retailers together with the possible subsequent closure of their shops. Does Settle really want a Market Place devoid of some of its traders? No one, however, doubts that Settle needs a new primary school. Or do they?

Letters received recently from the Education Department at Northallerton appear to indicate that the County Authority does not afford any priority to replacing the existing C of E school, and it is also evident that a proposal to replace the century-old (at least) premises has never been included in the County's long-term building programme. Officers, and possibly County Councillors, appear to be happy to sell off the Bond Lane site to fund a new school, but not to seek financial support from Government sources.

In this last respect, contrary to other indications I have seen, the present school does not suffer from sufficiently steeply rising numbers of pupils to justify Government funding via the Basic Need Programme, which is the main source of finance for replacing inadequate school buildings.

All this seems to beg the questions:-

1 Does Settle need a Booths' foodstore, particularly when the same company expects to open a new one shortly at Kirkby Lonsdale

2 Does Settle really need a new primary school, or should not the county authority simply seek to reorganise the two existing pre-secondary schools on to land at Bridge End? After all, the present three-tier system in North Craven is out of step with the system in place in the rest of the county. Surely some form of finance should be forthcoming to drag education in this area out of the 20th century and into the 21st.

N Lockley,

Albert Hill,

Settle.

Welcome to Grassington

SIR - At the end of last year we moved from Bradford (where we had lived all our lives) to Grassington.

We faced the move with a little apprehension, as we didn't know anyone but our seven months here has proved that the decision was the right one.

The people here are wonderful, our neighbours are fantastic and so through your paper we would like to thank them all for making us so welcome.

Anita and Ray Potter,

Girston Croft, Low Lane

Grassington.

No effect

SIR - Bollards are in place at the top of Skipton High Street to stop traffic turning right into the town hall car park. Are they going to stop drivers turning right? No.

On Monday afternoon I was sitting in the church yard and what did I see? A car turning right into the car park, between the last bollard and the small island with the road signs on.

What a waste of public money, and a disgrace to the High Street.

B. Beck,

Airedale Mews,

Skipton.

Scaremongers

SIR - I see that the scaremongers are at it again.

Not only are the Barnoldswick group trying to have a mobile phone mast removed from near a school, "In case a child dies" (What hysterical rubbish) but we have Mr R D Leakey ranting on about the A65 by-passes.

It is quite obvious to all but him that by-passes carry through traffic away from our village centres, thus making them safer, and more pleasant to live in.

The residents of Barnoldswick should read last Friday's Daily Telegraph which carries a report again, (repeat again) saying that there is no risk from these transmitting aerials, which run at a power of about 100 watts.

I note that they do not object to the local television relay transmitter, which transmits on frequencies adjacent to analogue mobile phones, with an effective radiated power of 10 kilowatts. (Ten thousand watts)

Geoffrey T. Theasby

Middleton,

Cowling.

Spread the load

SIR - We have lived on Craven Terrace, Settle for nearly 32 years and during this time we have seen (and heard!) a huge increase in the number of lorries along our road. You can't talk to anyone in the road when they pass and our visitors and we are disturbed at night.

They start rolling by from 5:30am and you can hear the odd noisy wagon one at a time in the night. We have a handkerchief of a front garden to separate us from the road but further away - Proctor's Row has no gardens, they could almost touch the lorries out of their front windows.

These same lorries have to go through the centre of Settle causing havoc and upset.

Nobody wants these lorries - we are landed with them and they are important as employers of local people. We need to share them out, as they are now a part of life. It is with relief that we hear of the strengthening of Penny Bridge and diversion off the by-pass along Station Road, Giggleswick to the industrial estate. This road is more suitable with greater width, huge grass verges and gardens set well back from the road.

We will still have the quarry lorries on Craven Terrace and others as well but its fair to spread the load a bit.

Penny Glanville,

Craven Terrace,

Settle.

Better presence needed

SIR - May I comment on numerous reports and letters regarding the input of Craven Ward Councillors to the work and meetings of Silsden Parish Council?

Mr Rushworth and former Councillor Hoare have corresponded on this issue, and both raise valid points. Sadly these contributions have generated more heat than light, and as Sir Bernard Ingham said, "when you find yourself in a hole, stop digging!"

Like former Coun Hoare, I have found the members and officers of Bradford Metropolitan Council to be unfailingly courteous, helpful and professional in all of the dealings I have had with them. I can also accept that with new administration in office at Bradford Met some uncertainty is to be anticipated.

This is especially so where members are assimilating new roles, or taking on additional responsibilities, and everyone, electorate and elected members alike understand and accept this constraint in the short to medium term.

Rightly or wrongly however, there is a perception that the interest and involvement of Bradford Metropolitan Council ends at the Saltaire Roundabout, the Craven equivalent of "The Watford Gap" for administrative purposes.

It is in everyone's best interest to acknowledge and address these perceptions when they have foundation, and dispel the myth when they do not. Recent events have highlighted the need for bridges to be built, and they also provide the opportunity to do so.

Co-operative and harmonious working across all local council activities can only be to the benefit of everyone, and especially the electorate, whom we are all delighted to serve.

Without being too 'parochial' however, the well being of Silsden people is, and will remain the main concern of Silsden Parish councillors' activities and duties are carried out on a purely voluntary basis, and arise out of a truly altruistic desire to serve local people.

Council services and support are perceived to be lacking in the Craven Ward, despite the fact that some twelve thousand people live and work in the Silsden and Steeton area.

These could be enhanced, and many barriers overcome, if there was a more visible council presence in the area, perhaps in the form of a 'Council Shop'. This would provide a much needed local resource, and a point of focus for the work of Council Departments, and Parish and District Councillors.

Geoff Whittaker,

Chairman,

Silsden Parish Council.

Fine display

SIR - After going to Horton-in-Ribblesdale Millennium Flower Festival at St Oswalds Church, last weekend, I feel obliged to put pen to paper to congratulate all the many people from all walks of life who had given their time and labour to organise such a fine display of all the various activities that take place in such a small community.

Namely, St Oswald's Church, Horton School, Horton Football Club, Penyghent Gun Club, The Manchester Anglers Association, Horton Show Committee, Yorkshire Dales National Park, Redland Quarry, Horton Flower Club, Horton Playing Fields Association, The Crown Hotel, Horton Thursday Club, Horton Post Office Stores, Horton Quarry, Village Hall Committee, Golden Age Committee, Bradford Pothole Club, Horton WI, The Parish Council, The Golden Lion, Craven Pothole Club, Horton Local History Group and the residents of Selside, Newhouses, Studfold, Brackenbottom, Helwith Bridge, Blind Beck and the Mothers' Union all had their individual exhibits.

I'm sure I am not alone and many people wish to join me and congratulate and thank everyone who took part in any way to put on such a glorious exhibition.

George Perfect,

Crag Hill Road, Settle.

Mountain climbing

SIR - Congratulations to Mr Bob Fairs of Addingham, who was reported in the Craven Herald as having raised a considerable sum for charity climbing Kilimanjaro in Africa.

I was fortunate enough to get the chance to climb it a few years ago, so I appreciate that it is a very arduous slog to the summit, it is one of the hardest things I have ever done,

The report described Kilimanjaro at 19,340ft (5896m), I believe that at one metre taller, Cotopaxi is the world's highest active volcano. I would be interested if anyone knew of any active volcanoes higher than this. I am aware that Chileans claim their volcano Tupungato is higher, but its active fumaroles are not on the top, so I don't think it can be considered.

Tony Rushton,

Thacking Lane,

Ingleton.

Negative response

SIR - I was disappointed to read of Earby Parish Council's rather negative response to the arrival of the new Earby community minibus.

While I was a borough councillor I tried very hard to work with the parish council on projects for the town, with some success.

But I regret that the rather nitpicking attitude of some members of the parish council still seems to be setting the tone. It's like the mending of the clock again!

Anything that anyone else attempts to achieve in Earby seems to get knocked, if not blocked.

It's all very well to say you support something but, unfortunately in this case, the parish council could not bring itself to give support when it was really needed, ie when money was required to purchase the minibus and pull in the matching funding to do it.

Other public and private bodies could and did do exactly that and deserve the credit for it.

I'm not blaming the parish council for handling their money (or rather our money) in the way they think is best. No-one expects them to do everything.

But when other people achieve something worthwhile isn't it a pity they can't be glad?

Alison Brewer,

Bawhead Road,

Earby.

Heartbreaking news

SIR - It is with great disappointment that I have read about the proposal from NICE, the Government's advisory body of health treatments, that it is proposed to stop prescribing the new beta interferon drugs for people with multiple sclerosis.

This is heartbreaking news for people who have been waiting for treatment, sometimes for years, as a result of the NHS postcode lottery.

NICE does not argue with the scientific evidence that these drugs work by cutting the number of attacks that people with MS suffer. But it says this is not enough to justify the cost.

True, the drugs are expensive but so is MS and NICE does not recognise this.

Most of the cost of MS attacks does not fall on the NHS but on local social services and housing, on employers, social security and on the families of those affected.

I think this ruling is a great injustice: there are no other treatments for MS that alter the course of this terrible disease and the Government has played cat and mouse with them since they were first licensed five years ago.

Therefore I would request the support of our MP David Curry in persuading the Secretary of State for Health, Alan Milburn, and that he does not want to go down in history as a person who didn't care about people with MS.

Howard Riley,

Member of Skipton and Craven branch,

MS Society,

Burnsall.

Unfair treatment

SIR - I read with a great deal of interest your article concerning the council's "stock losses" in the edition of June 9.

I wait with baited breath to read of the next batch of officers suspended pending disciplinary action. I wouldn't expect too much now from the council as the two senior officers at the helm during the period under audit scrutiny have left for pastures new.

It is clear the council is happy to "gloss over" the issue, particularly as the losses are significant.

On the other hand, when a senior manager is dismissed over an issue of an incorrectly issued council tax bill in the princely sum of £25.88, the full force of the council's disciplinary system was deemed to be appropriate. I was dismissed from the council, sought redress through ACAS for unfair dismissal and subsequently gained a financial settlement from the council.

I then received notification that the council tax bill had been cancelled as the council accepted that no amount was due. My name was plastered all over the Herald as if I was a criminal.

It disgusts me that I can be treated so harshly but no-one is brought to book over this fiasco.

T Longworth,

Lodge Street, Glusburn.

Unfailingly cheerful

SIR - I would like to express my grateful thanks to the district nurses of Grassington for their unfailing professionalism and medical help during a prolonged period when my partners was treated for a leg wound from the donor site after heart bypass surgery.

They were unfailing in their cheerful support and understanding and did much to hasten the recovery of my partner.

I would like to think that district nurses are valued everywhere for their skills and for doing a first class job.

DM Lodge,

Threshfield.