SIR - Re the letter from Mrs Jean Law on smoking in the shopping centre. If Mrs Law chose to sit down for five minutes she would realise with the opening and closing of the doors there is a constant stream of air flowing through. Most of the shops have their doors permanently open, including WH Smith and Boots. As regards people of 70 or 80 wanting a rest, they do and have a smoke at the same time.

I think Mrs Law like other protesters do it to draw attention away from the filth of their car exhausts.

N WEBB,

Sun Street, Eastburn.

SIR - When the contractors were working on the new water scheme in Damside and along the Worth river, they established their HQ on a plea-sant piece of greenery at the junction of Damside and Oak-worth Road. Previously this area had boasted some very pretty rose bushes and flowering cherry trees, all of which were rooted up and destroyed. When the contractors left the area was regrassed but the trees and shrubs were not replaced.

In early September 1997 I was assured by the engineer's department at Bradford council that part of the contract required the contractors to restore the site to its original state and that the roses and cherries would be replanted, possibly in October. October came and went with no sign of the planting, I spoke with the council again in December and was assured me that the plants would be restored in time for this year's flowering. Needless to say they have not been.

It was bad enough having to put up with all the filth generated by the contractors but to not have the bushes replaced is adding insult to injury, I get the distinct impression the officials at Bradford are not going to bother pursuing the matter.

DAVID VOWLES,

Sunnyhill Grove, Keighley.

A council spokesman said: "We are sorry for the delay in reinstating this site. The trees will be restored on Friday and the rose bushes replaced by the end of this month."

SIR - Thank you for using my contributions to the debate in Parliament to celebrate Inter-national Women's Day. The piece is accurate, summing up my speech and the very thorough and worthwhile campaign by Mr and Mrs Wadding-ton to gain recognition of Kathleen Waddington's severe deafness for industrial injury benefit. However, the heading is misleading.

I am certainly not 'looking to Europe over deafness claims'. On the contrary I am seeking a changing and widening of the regulation which is now limited to weaving and high speed false twisting. I have yet to meet any Keighley textile worker who knows of, let alone has worked with, high speed false twisting. When this regulation changes to include other noisy processes in textiles which clearly lead to deafness, then people such as the Waddingtons would not need to seek re-dress through the European Court.

ANN CRYER (MP)

Ashfield Avenue, Shipley.

SIR - Good-looking Garage Seeks Handsome Porsche. A local garage has enlisted the help of the KN after hearing of the plight of a Porsche whose present accommodation is a tad too tight, so here goes.

I am a drop dead gorgeous double garage with a stone exterior and pitched slate roof and I come complete with a remote controlled petticoat - sorry I mean door. My internal vital statistics are quite impressive measuring 20 foot wide by 18 foot deep. My complexion could be described as quite brilliant being white to my walls and ceiling with a subdued but nonetheless complementary grey painted floor. The lucky Porsche invited into my palatial interior would not be expected to share me with lesser modes of jealous transport such as kids' bikes or lawn mowers which might be tempted to scratch your beautiful coach work. They can be accommodated in my en-suite workshop measuring nine feet by eighteen feet which has the same pleasing complexion as myself and has its own separate external entrance.

While I am prepared to meet on a casual bias, if both parties felt inclined to commit to a closer relationship (such as allowing you to stay overnight) I would have to point out that I am not entirely unencumbered. Although detached I have a seven year old house with a superior specification living in my garden, but I am sure we could all be happy together.

As I do not wish to appear to be of a flirtatious nature or indeed encourage advances from vehicles running on only half a tank I will not reveal my exact location just yet, except to say I live on a quiet cul-de-sac in Steeton.

PS Photo appreciated.

NAME AND ADDRESS

SUPPLIED.

SIR - I was interested in R P Beale's, Steeton, remarks (Wings and Halos) concerning Craven's council tax. While it is true this is only rising by 0.3 per cent, North Yorkshire's share and our village precept mean an increase nearer 10 per cent. Also we have to buy a bus pass at £7.50 and pay half the bus fare as well, no free rides here.

MARGARET ALMOND,

Scott Close, Sutton.

SIR - Do you fancy a walk on the wild side? Well sorry it's just a forgotten dream, at least it will be if the Swine Lane development gets the green light.

No green fields, just a red painted 'carpet' over the bridge. This is the pedestrian path unless of course a site wagon, or a bus is crossing over at the same time.

The developers propose using the people of Riddlesden as guinea pigs in an unproven scenario of traffic management. There will be a significant increase of traffic and pedestrians manoeuvring blind corners.

Let's hope the voice of local people will be heard loud and clear and the proposed development will be refused.

M RICHARDS,

Riddlesden Action Group

(RAG).

SIR - How did I end up in a televised pub debate in Silsden you may ask? It was by invitation.

I met with five residents who wished to have a frank debate on planning issues and that we did far from a committee room. Don't forget that 17,000 homes have to be allocated elsewhere in the district.

Throughout the planning debate I have been polite and helpful inspite of endless rude phone calls and hate mail I have received over the five year period.

Panorama screened a balanced programme and that's the thing that angers some people. They have been seen by the nation to be self centred and having one hand on the drawbridge.

Society is about equality for all, not the fortunate few.

David Samuels may think the predict and provide is a wrong concept but as usual the Aire Worth group give no facts to explain their case.

They use their only asset, that is other people's ideas.

Predict and provide has always underestimated the number of homes that will be required nationally and no one has indicated that this time it will be wrong.

The latest census figures (1995) have updated the Tory figure of 4.4 million homes to 5.2 million homes required in the plan period to 2016.

What is wrong is the way that land allocations are made and Labour will change this.

Gone are the 18 years of market forces in the housing market that have seen the green belt destroyed for profit.

People still need homes and John Prescott will see that the right sort and quantity of homes are built. Social housing makes up 40 per cent of the predicted figure and a further 40 per cent of housing is needed for single people.

We need to move forward on the reusable land (brownfield) debate.

This cannot be done without large investment in the urban areas. Cutting £60 million of Bradford Council's spending did much to prevent us doing even more social and single people's accommodation in the City thus reducing the total elsewhere.

It will be Labour not the Aire Worth Group or the Silsden Town Action Group that will change the national planning rules.

It will take many years and millions of pounds to undo planning damage caused by Tory rule.

CLLR JACK WOMERSLEY,

Queensbury.

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.