Appeal for stolen map to be returned

Neither of the objects is of any monetary value but the map was the last tangible link with my uncle Pte Peter Austin Townend who fought and died whilst serving with the Prince of Wales Own West Yorkshire Regiment (Leeds Rifles). He was shot and killed during the Battle of the Canal du Nord near to Cambrai on September 27, 1918, aged 19.

The bloodstained map was returned to his mother and has been kept in the family ever since. I loaned it to the St Wilfrid’s exhibition never considering that anyone would be so mean as to help themselves to something so personal. Sadly we don’t even have a photograph of Peter Townend so we are very upset at the loss of his map.

My family are hoping that if the person responsible, or anyone who knows them, reads this they will return the map. We would be eternally grateful.

John Townend Thorpe Take notice SIR - Does the Craven Council planning committee have any principles? Do they aim to protect the towns, villages and countryside in Craven from property developers, when local residents and parish councils object strongly and reasonably to proposals for building, because of local wishes to protect their local environment and heritage? If the Madge Bank development here in Cononley is allowed, in the middle of our Conservation Area, then nowhere in Craven is likely to be protected?

Everything is wrong with this proposal. It is certain to ruin our Conservation Area. The effect on traffic on a narrow, but busy country road will be severe. Parking (already difficult) will become worse. The road is dangerous, as we have experienced when walking there. Residents in the road do not all have cars, many are elderly. There is no other to access our local village centre, the school or the shop.

The houses, three storeys high as seen from the playing field, will ruin our currently beautiful village centre. English Heritage, CPRE and many local residents have written to the planning officer to object. The parish council represent us all when they object on our behalf to this proposed development.

The planning committee has already allowed a 10 per cent increase in village housing. No more are needed.

The parish council has been asked for their views on which sites may be suitable for local housing, and they did suggest some. The sites suggested have been totally ignored. Profits for developers are evidently larger if the most precious sites can be bought and built on.

I suggest that all Craven residents take notice. Our local Craven and County Councillors support the parish councillors in their objections. Their views do not carry weight in the planning committee.

If this Cononley scheme is allowed, there are no safe positions in Craven. Will the planning committee listen to local people and turn down this application, or are landowners, developers and their expensive lawyers always going to win in Craven?

Sarah and Robert Holland Skipton Road, Cononley Right to be safe SIR - I refer to your article regarding the proposed development of Madge Bank field.

I would like to express my extreme disappointment over the u-turn that has been made by the Highways Authority.

I am not sure why Highways now feel that the proposed layout is safe when it is quite clear that this is still not the case. Children in our village deserve the right to be safe when walking along Crosshills Road on their journey to and from school.

We moved to Cononley because it was a typical picturesque village with lots of character and charm. In particular we loved the openness of the centre of the village with beautiful surrounding countryside which can be appreciated when using the park and sports facilities.

Building houses on Madge Bank will ruin the heart of this village - something that we are seeing far too often in villages surrounding us. In Cononley we are privileged to still be a village with a true rural feel to it- something of a rarity these days.

I would also add that building houses will not add value to a conservation area as stated by Sten Architecture. The only people who will have any benefit or value from this scheme are the developers/land owners.

Pauline Root Crosshills Road, Cononley It’s our heritage SIR - In bemused reply to your article last Thursday regarding residents anger over planning objection being withdrawn for Madge Bank, Cononley. What an up-is-down, back-is-front, black-is-white world property developers live in.

Can anyone please tell me how by building on a green field in the middle of the village (maybe that’s why it got conservation area status!) would add to its value and protect its character and appearance? And could someone also explain how by narrowing an already narrow and often busy street with no footpath you will make it safer? As for the sop of a community garden it is a piece of water-sodden drain off land they know is of little use to them.

It would appear that the high-handed developers have taken exception to the fact that English Heritage have taken a serious interest in this and have questioned what it has to do with them. Well let me tell them: the clue is in their title. This is England and it’s our heritage.

C Cross Crosshills Road, Cononley Library concern SIR - We would like to share with your readers our comments on the proposals for Skipton Library and urge them, if they agree with us, to make their own voices heard.

Skipton Civic Society is concerned that there will be fewer trained staff to run the reference section of Skipton Library. The local history resources held there are unique and are not available online or in any other library.

The knowledge of the reference staff is vital for anyone to be able to access most of these resources, many of them not kept in the public areas; often enquirers do not know what is available, and the staff can direct them to sometimes amazing sources of information.

This work could not be carried out by volunteers or casual library assistants.

There are vast numbers of documents which form part of Skipton’s history, some fragile, some hand-written, some on microfilm, which must be available to the public.

The library is also a safe place to keep the results of new research, usually gleaned from among the old. This makes discoveries and accumulated knowledge available to the local public rather than leaving it the exclusive preserve of the individual or organisation who made the discoveries and wrote them up.

The senior library staff also run excellent, well-attended events which enhance the cultural life of the town. The most recent, a Family History Day, was visited by over 400 people and included talks given by experts in their specific fields, much of whose research had been facilitated by the Reference Library staff and stock.

Only the hard work and expertise of the staff makes events like these possible.

Since sweeping changes are to be made to smaller local branches, Skipton Library will become even more important as a centre for professional expertise, help and guidance.

As such, it must be protected. It is only open for four-and-a-half days a week, and only four of those extend to 7pm. These hours too must be protected, and given the appropriate level of staff.

Ella Hatfield For the Executive Committee of Skipton Civic Society Staff are great SIR - I am sad to hear that North Yorkshire County Council wants to replace the helpful librarians with volunteers.

I read graphic novels because the text is large and well spaced. Skipton Library is a great place for dyslexic readers.

The staff are great - would a volunteer know how to help me?

J Franklin (aged 11) Moorland Avenue, Skipton Danger averted Sir - I read the report about John Blackie being accused of bringing the Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority into disrepute by the way he conducted himself at an authority meeting in March (Craven Herald, November 25).

I attended and recorded that meeting and when I transcribed those recordings I was even more convinced of Mr Blackie’s innocence. I am very well aware of how passionate Mr Blackie can be when championing local communities but I and others felt that at that meeting he was quite restrained.

Even so he made it very clear during the debate on introducing an Article 4 Direction that, when it came to converting barns to commercial use, those in the national park should have the same opportunities for employment and prosperity as those living elsewhere.

He said that maybe then more young families and young people would stay in the Dales and more young entrepreneurs would be attracted to live there.

Even though one member of the authority stated that those who spoke against the Article 4 Direction had vested interests Mr Blackie and three others were determined to tell the meeting what many local people felt about it.

When I attended the complaint hearing last week, I couldn’t help feeling that the YDNPA was in danger of shooting the messenger.

Thankfully the chairman of the authority, Peter Charlesworth, worked hard to bring about conciliation and so encourage the sort of partnerships envisaged at the Rural Summit in Leyburn that are needed to protect our rural and deeply rural communities.

Pip Land ARC News Service The Warren, Aysgarth Utmost consideration SIR - I am writing to respond to points made in Michael Rooze’s letter (Craven Herald, November 20).

First let me say – as a parish councillor myself – that the national park authority always gives the utmost consideration to the views expressed by our local parish councils.

However, inevitably there are some occasions when we do not entirely agree with them.

Mr Rooze is, of course, entitled to disagree with the authority’s decision to approve the new housing scheme at Aynham Close but his continuing personal attacks on the planning officer do him - and the parish council he represents - little credit.

The decision to approve the application was made by the members of the authority’s planning committee, not an officer. It was supported by the two Craven District Councillors on the committee who were able to vote on that application.

Speaking for myself, I only wish that my parish council had a similar proposal in front of us for new housing in Grinton.

Harold Brown Chairman of the planning committee Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority Wind farm support SIR - It’s high time now that the green light was given for the wind farm on Brightenber Hill. They are fighting this off for a very minority.

I would not mind but there is already a wind turbine on Swindon Moor about half a mile from Brightenber Hill and Julian Smith should be ashamed not supporting the government on green energy.

When we start with power cuts the NIMBYs should be the first to get their power turned off.

And for the other moaners that say they don’t work, ask anyone that has one and see how much money they are saving and the company that put them up are not doing it for fun.

At least if something better is found they are easily removed .You can’t say that for nuclear power stations.

Geoff Peel Thornton-in-Craven Sensibly spaced Sir - I am writing in connection with Peter Rigby’s letter in last week’s Craven Herald regarding the demise of the X59 bus service to Harrogate.

There is, of course, the X75 on Saturdays, but this only allows two hours 40 minutes in Harrogate.

What I would like to suggest is that Transdev extend certain services from Burnley to Skipton on to Harrogate. Sensibly spaced (three per day) this would allow either a half or full day in Harrogate. At present Transdev operates a service to Burnley every 15 minutes; is this really necessary?

I am sure many potential customers would prefer to spend time in Harrogate if possible, unless going to see the Clarets, that is.

Mr N Thompson Regent Drive, Skipton Festive praise SIR - I feel strongly that credit is due to all concerned with this year’s Christmas illuminations in Skipton.

The special effects of snow flakes cascading from the trees is particularly pleasing to young and old alike.

Skipton is now well on the way to having the best festive lights display in the North. Keep up the good work.

Mr D Moorhouse The Close, Skipton Toy appeal SIR - May I through your publication invite your readers to support The Salvation Army Christmas Toy Appeal?

There has been a rising number of families who are not finding it easy to provide their children with the gifts that they would like ‘Santa’ to bring at Christmas so The Salvation Army is once again appealing for help from those whose income is a little higher, or feel that they want to play their part.

In Skipton, gifts may be left at Isaac’s Working Jewellers on The High Street, from where they will be collected and taken to the local distribution centre at Keighley.

Gifts must be new and unwrapped, though wrapping paper left along with your gifts would be appreciated.

On behalf of the children who will wake up on Christmas morning to discover more than they had expected may be the case, may I say a very heartfelt thank you Major Alan Hickman Skipton Remembrance SIR - Having read all your Remembrance stories of the past fortnight, I felt obliged to query the relevance of featuring a students’ football session - Craven College, Ermysted’s and Skipton Girls’ High School - on a nice, neat, natty all-weather pitch.

Yes! There was a football match played at Christmas 1914, but the circumstances and events prompting that Flanders game - played on a makeshift battlefield - were truly humbling.

Amid my growing up years and early working life, I knew many First World War veterans, including family relatives, and I do acknowledge that myself and others likewise should have logged a bit more of all that the veterans ever remarked upon.

However, I still clearly recall the accounts of two Craven men who were present at the historic football match and their reminiscences corresponded with the recorded ones of a Welsh veteran and which themselves were only re-recorded on the radio a couple of years ago.

The 1914 match conditions and ferocity of the challenges - albeit hand-shakes at the final whistle - were seemingly as far apart as the students’ all-weather pitch is from Flanders.

Indeed, so truly heart-aching were the factors which led up to the playing of that 1914 match, that one of those aforementioned veterans was moved to tears as he recounted to me the build-up to the episode.

Meanwhile, I am not disputing the sincerity of the students’ two minutes’ silence which many of us out here observed as always without any need to notify the press. A delve into the history books though for our higher educated would seem a far more befitting football commemoration for another time.

Certainly by contrast, Silsden Football Club had done their history homework and their Remembrance pageant was truly something to behold.

The clubhouse adorned wall to wall with enlarged graphic images depicting how mightily grim and tough the times were; the band and choir presentations; the community hymn singing; the research relating to the preparation of the special Remembrance match programme and finally the two minutes silence and Last Post piously observed by more than 400 people, reflected eminently as to how much pre-event voluntary time had been contributed.

Well played therein at Silsden to all concerned.

Roger Ingham Aldersley Avenue, Skipton Squeals of delight SIR - I write with reference to your photograph on the back page of the Craven Herald, November 27, showing John Beckwith of Barnoldswick Town FC scoring the winning goal in their match against Alsager Town.

His winning goal was scored at the “Sewer End” of the ground. Behind is a garden that this season has collected its fair share of attempts to put the first football into orbit.

The fans behind the sewer end goal were squealing in delight at a more accurate trajectory for once as balls lost at that end of the ground enter into an attempt to float around the world courtesy of the local beck.

Let’s have a few more to squeal their support.

Stewart Lewis Esp Lane, Barnoldswick