Boat boss rubbishes 'park and float'

I will split this letter into two parts. Part one will deal with the above proposals, and part two will deal with coach parking in Skipton.

Part one

The idea of a park and float scheme sounds wonderful - until you think about it just a little.

You would require at least four boats - which will have to be manned with crews who hold the required qualifications. Plus relief crews and shore personnel, say 20 staff.

You would have to dig out a winding hole at the auction mart end and build a wharf; shelter, steps/ramp etc say £1.5 million plus £125,000 per boat. And maybe the cost of a toilet block? As most people need to use one after a long journey.

What happens when Brewery Lane swing bridge breaks down, which happens fairly frequently? And what about the queues of traffic due to the bridge opening extra times ie five minutes per boat each way equals 40 minutes open per hour (plus other boats opening it).

The round trip would take approximately 50 minutes, with one boat every 15 minutes. One boat would take 50 passengers, so if three coaches arrived in the same 15 minutes, one group of passengers will be waiting for three quarters of an hour to get a boat - and 25 minutes to get to town.

Five minutes to get up to the High Street to the shops - and that's 90 minutes one-way! And possibly 90 minutes back - three hours gone in their day out.

The governing body for passenger boats is the Maritime and Coastguard Agency, which is part of the Ministry of Transport. The rules and regulations that have to be followed are very strict, and cost an operator quite a lot of money. For example, to have the boats lifted out of the water, which has to be done every two years, costs £3,500 before any work required. This is on top of the six month inspections.

Part two:

I have been trying to make the council aware of the fact that the owners/operators and drivers of coaches regard Skipton as a "coach unfriendly" town.

I have discussed with many owners/operators, the problems they have with Skipton, and possible solutions, most of which would cost very little and increase parking for cars in the Town Hall car park.

The main objection to Skipton is that the passengers of the coaches (many of them elderly, and some disabled) find the walk across the car park a challenge, both physically and mentally, because of the amount of vehicles moving about.

It would be much better to have coach dropping off points outside the Town Hall and in Coach Street or Swadford Street and then send them up to the Auction Mart. The times of dropping off and picking up could be pre-booked, so you don't have all the coaches arriving at once. This works very well in many other towns. It would be the same as a Park and Ride for very little cost.

Another drawback is the cost of parking coaches. In Keswick they have increased their charges for coaches to £15, which I believe Skipton is close to. This town is now avoided by many coach operators because of this.

Scarborough and Whitby have reduced their charges to 50p per coach - those towns are experiencing a vast increase in coaches and the money their passengers spend in the towns.

I have had many letters from coach companies regarding this issue. One company says, about parking charges, that they used to send five coaches to Skipton and now send only one - due to the cost.

We should be looking after these drivers, who bring in so many customers for our local shops. We are in danger of cutting our own throats - or the council is. Many drivers would prefer to go to other towns, rather than Skipton, as they are treated so shabbily.

Skipton is 30 per cent down on coaches in 2005 (Craven Council figures) and this decline has to be stopped quickly as it will take a long time to build up again. A bad reputation is very hard to shake off, so a quick response is vital to stop the rot and turn it around.

One other matter mentioned in the article I wish to comment about, is the resident parking. The majority of people who use the parking spaces are commuters coming in from the surrounding villages and not tourists. I would propose a system that is used by some boroughs in London and possibly elsewhere.

That is to make residential streets into residents' only parking but between 8.30am and 10am (or a variation of these times), thereby forcing the commuter to either park in the car park or use public transport. This would save on the amount of wardens needed to police this system.

As I said before, urgent action is needed, or businesses will be going bust as Skipton will no longer be seen as a tourist attraction.

Nick Osborn,

Pennine Boat Trips, Skipton.

SIR - David Shaw's (Craven Herald 13th January) vision of a nuclear future is one that will at best provide a short term answer to our energy needs but with long term adverse consequences.

Nuclear power is not a carbon neutral method of power generation and will contribute to the greenhouse effect. The mining of uranium is an inefficient process with on average a 0.5 per cent return (e.g. 200 tonnes of rock needs to be mined to produce one tonne of uranium). This mining effort results in the emission of greenhouse gases as does the transport of uranium from mine to power station. Nuclear power is not the answer to global warming.

Like fossil fuels, uranium is a finite resource that will eventually run out. The known sources of uranium in the world are only enough to keep 200 power stations running for 20-years. Given the expanding energy needs of places like China and India nuclear power could, if we are lucky, only provide for our energy needs for the first half of this century.

We will then leave future generations with the cost and responsibility of looking after our radioactive waste for hundreds of years. I am not sure they will thank us for it!

Far more than 10 per cent of our energy could be supplied from renewable resources. The tides in the Severn Estuary have the second Largest tidal range in the world. Studies for a Severn barrage have consistently shown that this scheme alone could provide 20 per cent of our energy. Although the capital costs of renewable energy schemes are expensive, their ongoing running costs are relatively cheap. The French have shown that over its life the tidal barrage at La Rance has provided cheaper energy than either conventional or nuclear power stations.

When finite energy resources run out, renewable energy will be the only option left. We may as well get used to the idea now and seriously consider how to sustain our energy needs not just for decades but for centuries.

Mark Bentley

Skipton Road, Bradley.

SIR - I wonder if any other Craven Herald readers who have elderly parents, relations or friends suffered a miserable Christmas as my family did. The diary of events for our family at Christmas 2005 is as follows.

On Wednesday December 21 I escorted my 88-year-old mother from Castleberg Hospital, Giggleswick to Airedale Hospital for her to have a pot removed from her left arm. She had fallen and broken her arm in November. Until the pot came off we did not know if her arm had healed, if it needed to be re-set. Her arm had healed but some infection had set in.

On Thursday December 22, as I was about to leave for work at 8.30am, I received a telephone call from North Yorkshire Social Services informing me that on Friday December 23 my mother would be moved to Neville House at Gargrave, a completely alien environment to her. She is partially sighted, does not know anyone in Gargrave away from family and friends. All to do with utilising beds.

On December 24 as a family we visited my mother who was understandably upset; on December 25 my mother was ill.

On December 26 my mother spent six hours in Airedale with a very badly swollen arm, due to infection and lack of use.

After the Christmas holidays I rang Social Services. I was told that my mother was sound of mind, yes I agree, and sound of body. She has an arm in a sling and walks with the aid of a Zimmer frame, she broke her hip earlier in the year. I was told about lack of bedspace and no room at Greenfoot, Settle. Greenfoot would have been easier for all concerned and she would have been able to keep her own doctor, who did not know that she had been moved out of the area.

I am given to understand that Greenfoot takes in residents from other local authorities. I have no complaint against Neville House, it is clean, light and airy, the staff are excellent and the meals are excellent. It is the way Social Services, meeting bed numbers, can move elderly people around to free beds like passing a parcel around in a children's party game and especially at Christmas time. Have any other Craven Herald readers suffered the same?

Judith Mason

Duke Street, Settle

SIR - I was surprised to read in your edition of January 13 that the area traffic manager, Bill Isherwood, commenting on the proposed speed cushions on Salisbury Street and Raikeswood Road had had no objections from residents.

As one who disagreed with the need for traffic calming (the extensive use of the roads as a car park is calming enough), I can only assume that giving the wrong answers to consultation documents leads to them being ignored.

M Bottomley,

Raikeswood Road, Skipton.

SIR - My husband unfortunately has been in and out of Airedale Hospital since late September with heart complications, into intensive care unit and then ward 1.

The parking fees have cost me over £25.

Two weeks ago, once again he was admitted into ICU. I was talking to the staff nurse about parking fees and she told me of a form 'request for concessionary car parking permit (form E2)'. The ward secretary gave me one, filling in some of the details. I had to do the rest and it has to be renewed each week for visitors to ICU and Special Care Baby Unit (this is free). This form has to be taken to the car park kiosk situated on the west car park of the hospital to get the permit (where they hold the car boots in the summer).

I went a few times but always found it shut; so what did I do with my form - displayed it on my dash board!

I say this to everyone: ask the ward sister or ward secretary about them. Those of you who go to Burnley hospital do the same.

Why are there no signs at all outside or inside the hospital about the form.

Lastly, I would like to thank from the bottom of my heart the paramedic, technicians and first responders they were fantastic.

Babs J Myers,

Cherry Tree Cottage

Kelbrook.

SIR - I read with interest the suggestion that so called speed cameras are needed in Cowling.

It is particularly the case that vehicles coming from Colne often do not slow down at the 30mph limit sign but I would be happier if the method used in Silsden was adopted.

This system illuminates a reminder if a vehicle passes travelling above the limit. It does so for all to see, not just the driver and I have noticed the immediate effect.

I realise these warnings produce no income unless there is a policeman on hand, but the object is road safety, not money raising.

Don't let North Yorkshire be encouraged to follow West Yorkshire's love of cameras.

The double white lines appear to have made the road from Glusburn safer and I wonder if the vehicles hitting the wall was a result of adverse road conditions to which the drivers had not adapted.

GA Hepworth,

Ickornshaw Mill, Cowling.

SIR - Last Saturday I made a very important visit - to the Town Hall Art Gallery after reading in the Craven Herald that the Roebuck Collection of pictures, or at least half of it, was arriving to go on show until sometime in March.

As the gallery opened at ten I was there about ten past, and after looking at all the pictures the only word I can find to describe the experience was bland. Nothing outstanding, though one small picture entitled 'Winter' painted in a sort of Lowry style was quite nice; nothing inspirational at all.

I tried to find out why only half of the collection was on show (no room perhaps?), if the other half was coming later and if that was why the show was only until March but all I got was that "perhaps" these were the most interesting selection.

In which case I wouldn't like to see the others and no idea why the display was only until March.

You would think all available information was on tap for the visitors wouldn't you?

The annex must have been much more of an asset to the council when it was bringing in revenue for the stalls as there is no charge to visit the gallery and if there is any truth that the opening of the gallery was celebrated by persons unknown on the Friday evening before the opening on Saturday I can only say that those who attended were wasting their time.

Patricia Mason

Greatwood Avenue, Skipton.

SIR - What a performance!

What a feast of wonderful music was provided by the Skipton Building Society Camerata and a professional cast under the baton of Ben Crick for Mozart's Cosi Fan Tutte.

Unfortunately, when I arrived at the Auction Mart Theatre there were no programmes left. I am familiar with the opera but to those who were not, Opera North's clever new translation and the impeccable articulation by the excellent young cast enabled the plot to come through loud and clear.

The prolonged applause of the capacity audience demanded three curtain calls. Congratulations to conductor Ben Crick and director Steven Downs.

Can we have some more please?

Doreen Cairns,

Shires Lane, Embsay

SIR - I am writing in response to last week's letter, concerning Settle's Christmas Stars and Lights. The 'Switch on Settle' Christmas team would like to make you aware of the true facts.

Settle's Christmas festivities are a community event, organised and funded by the traders of Settle, and Settle Chamber of Trade. There was some public funding this year, from Craven District Council and from Settle Town Council. Those businesses with a tree or star outside paid for them. The stars were made voluntarily by four people. The stars have been designed with recycling, economy, flexibility and fun in mind for the benefit of Settle.

The stars are designed to be reusable in future years. We have had many positive comments regarding the stars to the effect of how unique Settle looked. No profit was made on the stars and trees at all. The remaining money was used to put together an enjoyable day on November 26 to switch Settle's lights on, again a full day when people gave their time to entertain the community and promote Settle.

We were fortunate to have Settle Flagmakers, who made more stunning window panels, a fashion show in the square, local rock bands entertained all generations of people, Settle Voices sang carols with the local school choirs, and Theatre North staged the pantomime Cinderella at Victoria Hall.

The physical preparation for Christmas actually began mid September, when one Christmas team member began to prepare 270 lantern kits from recycling plastic bags, to take into four local primary schools and make them up with the children.

These days were hard work but extremely rewarding with some beautiful individual results. The schools staff and assistants pleasantly worked as a team with the two Christmas team members and all the children. We would like to say a huge thank you to all of these people involved, which really helped to generate a good community spirit.

We worked with very little budget and time, because we also believe that Settle is a lovely market town that we are also proud of. It is also a fact that in the past two months four business have closed down. Settle is no longer a financially well supported town for trade. Christmas is a time for the community to unite and enjoy.

The accounting was handled by Creative Rural Enterprises (Chamber of Trade), who also contributed from their own funds to support the switch on event. In previous years the event has received funding from various sources, this year it had to 'stand alone' and was only made possible at all by the time and effort put in by this small group of business people.

Stuart Houldsworth,

Switch on Settle Team.