‘What do they think rubbish bins are for?’ Sir - I was furious recently when I watched, out of my office window, a man, old enough to know better throw plastic carriers containing paint over the wall on Broughton Road, either into the beck or into the grass, I couldn’t see far enough to find out where they landed.

Obviously he’d had a mishap with the paint he’d just purchased as it was leaking from the bag onto the pavement, leaving a lilac-coloured puddle opposite the council buildings.

He chucked the first bag over containing the paint that had come out of the tin - I’m hoping he didn’t throw the tin as well.

Then after making a feeble attempt to clean the pavement, he threw another bag over too.

What the hell is wrong with people? What do they think our rubbish bins are for? I really wish I’d been quicker off the mark, either to get someone to take his photograph and report him or to dash over with some bin bags and help him get rid of his mess appropriately. Whoever you are, I hope you are totally ashamed of yourself.

Julie Oliver Skipton Disgust at road state Sir - I’m writing to you because I’m disgusted about the state of Broughton Road. I have written to councillors and the Craven District Council with no action whatsoever.

I was told after a phone call responding to my letter that the street cleaners managers would be told about the problem.

The main problem is Broughton Road railway bridge and the disgusting state of the path and walls of bird droppings caused by the pigeons that roost under the bridge. There is years of layers on top of layers of the droppings, which become slimy in wet weather and a pedestrian has to run the gauntlet of being bombed by the birds every time you walk through the bridge.

I’m told by councillors it is a Network Rail issue because the bridge belongs to them, but the council should clean it up because of the health issue.

Then there is the rest of Broughton Road, the rubbish left everywhere both sides of the road. There is not a single rubbish bin from the railway station entrance to the Chinese takeaway, so even though I don’t agree with them people just throw their garbage on the floor with no where to place it.

They should take it home, but that’s not the way for some people these days.

The steps by the bridge are full of rubbish, they have not seen a street cleaner in years.

We pay our community charge the same as others in the town but the town centre is cleaned every day by machines up and down the High Street, we have not seen a cleaning machine down our streets.

All they care about is the town centre, but Broughton Road is one of the main roads into the town so we should want visitors who park before walking into town to have a good first impression, not the disgusting view of the area.

For the Tour de France I had visitors from Southport. Before setting off into town I had to apologise about the filthy state of the road, and this was six months after first contacting the council about the problem.

So you can see, no councillors care enough. I would like to see how many others in the Broughton Road area agree with me.

I won’t hold my breath that anything will be done, but I do hope.

Mr E S Atkinson Broughton Grove Skipton Democratic planning Sir - The council has for years chosen to operate without a Local Plan (and hence no mandate), and as a result effectively colluded with property developers. We are now at last being asked to respond to a draft Craven Local Plan, because by law Craven District Council are required to have one.

We are asked to submit our comments on this draft. To do so will take some effort by the public to avail them of this opportunity, and also a little bit of conviction that the expending of such effort will be worthwhile, and account taken of their views.

Is it, therefore, too much to ask for these same councillors and employees to consider engaging with their communities by going into those communities to proactively explain what the Local Plan is about, what has been included in it and why, and what has been omitted and why? Surely constituents deserve to hear from the very people who shape their communities?

Yes, it will be a tough thing to organise and handle, but will it not be a better way of engaging with the people that councillors represent, and who pay the wages of the employees, than just completing a paper exercise? This way at least goes some way to affecting a mandate, and also having people be accountable and responsible for their actions and decisions.

Which leads me on to the crassness of a consultation event I attended on September 17 to view the proposal to impose a major housing development on Settle. Skipton Properties’ proposed development of their Falcon Park site would increase the population of Settle by some 20 per cent to 25 per cent.

This consultation exercise was poorly attended, probably because the pre-event publicity was severely limited, and was limited in value. It fell way short of meeting the needs of the majority of the people of Settle.

Putting aside the merits or demerits of such a scheme, where were the local councillors to listen to people’s views? Where were those responsible council employees that could answer public concerns about the impact on traffic flows and management, drainage and sewerage issues, the considerable increased demands that this development will place on local educational and medical facilities, etc? It is not acceptable that a consultation exercise for such a major development as this proposal should be put on solely by the property developer.

It is absolutely nonsensical, and a non-democratic approach, to be asked to give a view on such a development, before the Local Plan has been out for discussion and adoption. All such major proposed developments throughout Craven should be frozen, until the Local Plan has been adopted. That Local Plan should enshrine within it the responsibility of councillors and the relevant council employees to go out and discuss with the local communities any proposed development that is deemed to have significant impact on a community, before it reaches the stage of being considered by a planning officer or committee.

Having limited opportunity to get views across in a planning meeting for such developments is not acceptable. Proactive engagement, transparency and accountability should be the watchwords of any planning process – and that way we might have the semblance of democracy. One can live in hope.

For the people of Settle, time is not on your side. If you do not know about this proposed development, or you have a view on it, you need to speak to your local councillor. Better still, press for a fresh consultation meeting that is widely advertised, and attended by all relevant parties that can give informed and unbiased answers to your questions.

David Abbott Ingfield Lane Settle Eating at landscape Sir - It’s ironic that I, an offcumden, a foreigner, should carry a nostalgic picture in my mind of how Settle used to be. “When I first came here,” I quaver, “with my British wife who loved this place, there was a shop in town for everything you needed. We had three bakeries, a general outfitters, an art-shop, bookshop...”

I grew up in a verdant and fertile valley, five miles from Johannesburg city centre, where vegetables grew like colours in a flag, in fields ploughed by oxen. Go there now and in the 20 or so shopping malls, you have a choice of over 300 restaurants. Yes I know something about change.

“But Yorkshire is a place where every stone is treasured,” I wrote home.

A local person said, after my wife died, “Now you’re one of us.” I felt honoured, through my grief, but I wasn’t fooled. I was a maggot who had abandoned his country, among giants who cherished theirs, caring not only about people, us, and all the animals, butterflies, bees... but about the farms, fields, footpaths.

What a bubble I was living in. As plans are laid for the expansion of Settle in the direction of Long Preston, developers scheming the way developers of my childhood valley did, all I can do is laugh.

We are not giants clearly, but locusts, eating up our part of the planet. We - I’ll include myself in this - will always have good reasons. We’ll wangle and bribe. “So that our young families can have houses,” we’ll say - shelving any hope of leaving our grandchildren unspoilt land.

John Raubenheimer Craven Cottages Settle Act before it’s too late Sir - I can only agree with Patricia Chiles, whose letter appeared last week, ‘Danger fears for car park’s busy entrance’.

It is simply astonishing that the summer has passed without a pedestrian being knocked over on Jerry Croft. People (mainly I assume visitors to Skipton) simply wander along Jerry Croft displaying no road sense or awareness that cars have every right to drive along it. I do think that many must assume it is pedestrianised.

The one and only footpath on the side near Le Bistro is only wide enough for one person/pushchair/wheelchair which means that even those in the know are often forced to walk on the road.

The only solution in my view is to pedestrianise Jerry Croft - not ideal perhaps for easy access to the town’s main car park - but I think it is the only safe way to resolve this dangerous situation and prevent the inevitable (accident) from happening.

Granted, there would need to be some vehicular access for deliveries to the town hall and Marks&Spencer, but in my opinion this could be made possible without it being a through road.

I am sending a copy of this letter to Craven District Council and North Yorkshire highways in the hope that this issue can be discussed by those who have the authority to resolve it, before it is too late.

Mrs Emma Hayton Regent Avenue Skipton Tribute to caring GP Sir - Reading in the Craven Herald the letter from Brian Fisher about the Fisher Medical practice took me back more than 20 years, to when I lived in Gargrave with my mother, the late Mrs Addyman. Dr Fisher was our doctor.

Having lived over 70 years I have come across many doctors, but none as caring, helpful and kind as Dr Brian Fisher. I really would like to thank him.

Mrs MJ Fall Gisburn Road Nelson Such a smart move Sir - I just wanted to say congratulations to the new principal of the Skipton Academy, Wendy Hamilton, following the photograph in the Craven Herald on September 18.

How smart and well turned out the pupils looked in their new uniforms, as I saw for myself when I passed by in my car.

My two sons, Scott and Paul Egglestone, were former pupils.

What a difference, well done.

Mrs C Eggleston Jubilee Croft Long Preston Thanks from choir Sir - Through your letters column I would like to thank Diana Halliday for her written support of Skipton Ladies Choir.

We are indeed celebrating our 25th anniversary this month, and apart from singing at an informal concert in Bolton Abbey Priory Church and at the Beamsley Project concert at St Andrew’s, we also hosted a lively and very enjoyable party last Saturday to which ex-members, accompanists and supporters were invited.

The final part of our anniversary year celebrations will be our Christmas concert on Saturday, December 14, at 3pm in the Baptist Church.

We do hope that Ms Halliday will be able to attend on this occasion, together with as many other people as possible who have read her very supportive letter. We would love to entertain a much larger audience.

Sue Greaves SLC member Appeal over turbine Sir - I read with interest an article published in the Craven Herald about the development of a proposed wind turbine at Israel Farm. I am the applicant and owner of Israel Farm and I feel it is important that members of the public hear the full facts.

I am not a turbine developer and I am not a financial investor from outside the area trying to make a quick financial gain at the expense of the scenic beauty of the AONB. I am a local resident myself who has lived in the area all my life and whose family have farmed the fells around Austwick for generations, so I am well acquainted with the local landscape and its special qualities.

My motivation for the wind turbine is purely a benevolent one. My late wife recently died of spinal cancer and in her memory I decided to set up a charitable trust to raise money to fund specialist research and purchase new equipment (the Cyberknife system) for northern hospitals and ultimately for the benefit of future patients. All of the profit generated from the turbine will be donated to this charity - see http://www.bettyscyberknifetrust.co.uk/ There will of course be some effect on the scenic quality of the area, but the extent of this is very much a matter of opinion. The fact that it lies inside the AONB and is visible from the national park is no reason to refuse the application.

The turbine will be visible, of that there is no doubt, but beyond a few kilometres its presence will diminish rapidly with distance and it will be seen as a marginal feature in the landscape - particularly at far distance.

Rather than have an adverse impact on the landscape, many people believe wind turbines have an intrinsic elegance and peaceful quality that complements remote landscapes (such as that around Austwick) and they are often seen by many walkers as important landmarks, as either enhancing the view, becoming a point of interest or topic of conversation; or a place to meet or plan a journey/ circular walk to.

Whatever your opinion I believe that the moderate impact to the landscape (over what is a relatively short space of time - ie 20 years - a mere blip on the timeline of the AONB) is a small price worth paying to deliver significant benefits to so many people and their families that are suffering at the expense of this cruel disease.

I will be appealing against the council’s decision to refuse my application and I would urge people who support me to join my campaign and email the planning inspectorate through their web site at http://www.pcs.planningportal.gov.uk/pcsportal/casesearch.asp by searching for appeal reference APP/C2708/A/14/2223597 George Houghton Oak Tree House Bentham Innocent until proven...

Sir - I was disgusted to read in the Craven Herald last week about a police officer taking a picture of Mr Nathan Phipps’ girlfriend’s car, then putting it on Twitter.

He should know that someone is innocent until proven guilty.

I hope this officer is named and shamed, also his picture should be in the Herald.

If the weather had been wet and windy or snowing this would not have happened, as North Yorkshire Police rarely venture out under those conditions.

I hope Mr Phipps is taking legal action against this officer so he can reclaim his £153 and any other expenses, plus compensation.

Mr A Munnerley Skipton Strange sea visitors Sir - There is a strange sea bird that has landed on the waters of the Whinny Gill Reservoir.

The sounds of its squawks can he heard all around the vicinity of the reservoir, frightening off all the fish-eating sea birds and predators.

With more sea birds coming inland in search of food, targeting the fish farms and reservoirs, the owners’ bailiffs and fishermen are on constant guard to keep the sea birds away.

One night last week two gooseanders landed just on dusk on the brick-built pumping building on Whinny Gill Reservoir.

Next morning, come daylight, the birds were gone.

In mid-July I couldn’t understand why there were no young birds around the Whinny Gill, Jenny Gill area - blackbirds and garden birds.

Then one day I saw two magpies fly low under cover down my garden hedge; predators stealing the eggs and young birds. I put up two scarecrows in the hedge, and within ten minutes a family of six magpies appeared on the reservoir bank, took one look and flew away.

The garden birds have returned to their natural habitat.

Well done to Whinny Gill bailiff and fishermen, you’ve done a good job.

Allan Mason Jennygill Crescent Skipton