AFTER reading the article in the Craven Herald – Disabled parking rule change row (December 10) – and being the wife of a disabled driver, I just feel I need to add my weight to this very controversial matter.
I do not think the powers that be – i.e. the council – understand what it is to be disabled. If the disabled were able-bodied, yes I can see what they are proposing would make sense, but there is no sense about it at all.
My husband suffers from pulmonary fibrosis, and although you cannot see this, his lungs do not work and he spends lots of time on oxygen, which is piped into our home. When he is out in the car, he would not be able to go from the car that was parked in a bay, walk down to the pay and display machine and then walk back to the car. He would then need to go home as he would be absolutely ‘knackered’ in every sense.
May I suggest the council employee, Paul Ellis, spends a day in a wheelchair and see how he would manage to do what the ratepayers of Craven and visitors have to contend with by changing the rules in the new year.
KATHLEEN WHITAKER
Albert Square, Skipton

I AM disabled but fully understand the complaints of fee-paying parking customers who see blue badge free parking drivers who stroll to their cars carrying laden shopping and no apparent impediment in their walking – Disabled parking rule-change row (Craven Herald, December 10).
Like many others, I have questioned them to be met by abuse or “I have a hidden illness”.
When it was first mooted, I approached Cllr Heseltine to suggest disabled blue badge holders, who were exempt from road tax by virtue of their disability, be allowed to also be exempt from the proposed charges. Regrettably, I can find no record of this being raised.
I use an electric wheelchair, have a specially-adapted vehicle with an electric step that intrudes into a normal parking bay in the event that all disabled bays are full. How will those who need to open their door fully to be able to struggle out manage in a confined normal parking bay?
How does Paul Ellis suggest I gain a parking ticket without a huge, tiring struggle?
Surely, the short-sighted blanket approach as adopted by Craven District Council can only result the ensuing prophesied result: namely, chaos on surrounding roads and/or a boycott by truly disabled drivers.
Those who can walk will be delighted with many empty bays to choose from.
Any tumult of blame must not be laid on the shoulders of the hard-pressed parking wardens, who will book strangers to Skipton as they will only be carrying out their erroneous duties as instructed.
In short, an appalling judgment by a council that lurches from one disaster to another.
PETER TAYLOR
Spencer Walk, Skipton

SO, parking is to become less discriminating by charging blue badge holders wherever they park in Craven? – Disabled parking rule-change row (Craven Herald, December 10).
There is an alternative, which is also not discriminating and is common in most other areas around the country – free parking in any place in local council-run car parks (e.g. Leeds, Bradford, Manchester). It seems Craven wants to be unique in charging blue badge holders.
If you look into the meetings archive for Craven District Council, however, you may find the real reason this scheme is being introduced. It was stated to the council that if it did not approve charging, all blue badge holders they would have to find £30,000 from other sources. So, it’s a revenue-generating exercise and nothing to do with being non-discriminatory.
The reason other councils offer free parking, aside from making it easier for the users, is that they want the badge holders to use the council car parks. The reason is blue badge holders can have three hours free parking on double yellow lines, which will probably cause mayhem around Skipton if all holders were to park there.
GRAEME HITCHEN
High Bank, Bradley

I THINK a parking ban is long overdue on this stretch of road – Waiting ban plan to ease road gridlock in Skipton (Craven Herald, December 17).
For months, people have parked inconsiderately along this road, blocking the cycle lane, the traffic island area and parking opposite the junction to Aireville Park. However, it is unfair to solely blame Keelham Farm shop. The problem has been going on since before they opened. Workers from HML have been using the road to park their cars for many months now.
It has to be highlighted, too, that the council rejected HML’s plan for a larger amount of parking spaces on its site when the plans were drawn up. This has left people who live in Skipton to not be able to park at HML and they must either walk, catch the shuttle bus or park anti-socially along Gargrave Road.
A lot of the problems could have been avoided if the council had used some common sense in the first place and realised less parking spaces at HML would make people park wherever they can.
GRAHAM SMITH
Skipton

THE parking of cars along Gargrave Road has been happening long before Keelham Farm Shop opened and yet they still seem to be getting the blame – Waiting ban plan to ease road gridlock in Skipton (Craven Herald, December 17).
JULIE WINNERY
The Close, Riverdale Park, Skipton

I READ with interest your article – Disabled parking rule-change row (Craven Herald, December 10) – about disabled parking. I have mobility problems and have a blue disabled parking badge. However, your article does not make it clear how drivers with mobility problems would cope with the following:
l parking in standard car parking bays often means one could well be nowhere near to a ticket machine; and
l standard car parking bays are not large enough for one to be able to fully open the car door. In my case, I would therefore not be able to get out of my car when I had parked it.
So, if I was unable to find a disabled parking space, what would I do? I can tell you, I would drive straight out of the car park and find somewhere else other than Skipton to do my shopping, discriminatory or not?
I believe the council should be increasing the number of disabled parking spaces, not making it more difficult for disabled people to park and shop in Skipton.
ROSEMARY HYLSOP
Rathmell

IT’S good news yellow lines and waiting restrictions will soon be enforced on both sides of Gargrave Road near Keelham Farm Shop – Waiting ban plan to ease road gridlock in Skipton (Craven Herald, December 17).
To be fair, the real problem isn’t just cars who park opposite Keelham so as to avoid having to navigate their car park, it’s the cars that will presumably belong to drivers who work at Computershare (previously HML) and are being penalised unfairly by restricted parking at that site.
Surely, it should be incumbent upon employers to provide adequate spaces? Isn’t it the company’s responsibility to take action on behalf of its employees instead of leaving them with no alternative other than to block so many roads in the local area?
After all, if, as suggested, the double yellow lines along Gargrave Road are only laid down “from the A65 Little Chef roundabout to the bus stop on the Skipton side of Aireville Park”, then the line of parked cars will simply move down a few hundred yards and block the road right up to the next roundabout near Rockwood Drive.
ALAN STURGESS
Eshton Road, Gargrave

I HAVE to say the parking problem on Gargrave Road around Aireville Park started before Keelham farm shop was built – Waiting ban to ease road gridlock in Skipton (Craven Herald, December 17).
I do not understand why the council does not put up traffic signs banning parking on the cycle lane between 6am and 7pm. This would mean no one could park in this area between these times.
The council would have to put double yellow lines on the opposite side of the road.
I agree the problem this creates is people then park on the surrounding streets. This also should be controlled, like in other towns, with permit parking for the residents. This would then control the parking in those surrounding areas.
One solution would be for designated parking spaces be made available for the employees of HML and Keelham in town, with more shuttle buses taking staff to the businesses.
MARK IRLAM
Skipton

I WOULD like to make the following comments on the article ‘Plan to ease bad traffic’ in last week’s Craven Herald.
Who or what is the South Craven Working Transport Group? I am afraid I have never heard of them before. There is no mention of them on the internet. Under whose auspices are they working? What is it doing focusing on Lancashire County Council problems in Colne while the problem is here in Cross Hills.
There has been no forward planning on the road transport in the area for decades.
The Aire Valley trunk road A629 should have continued to join the Skipton bypass.
The M65 should not have been dumped into the middle of Colne.
The A629 dual carriageway should have continued down Hardings Lane in Keighley to join the dual carriageway at Bradford Road roundabout.
Sadly, joined-up thinking does not occur in minds of transport planners.
Two drivers contacted me last week to say it had taken them 25 minutes to get from Green Lane in Glusburn to Kildwick roundabout.
With 49 new houses up Green Lane and 147 new houses in Eastburn, things can only get worse.
Hold on, I think I’ve got an idea – thank you, Michael Caine
COUNCILLOR ROGER BAXANDALL
North View, Cross Hills

WE are fortunate to live in one of the most beautiful parts of the country and to enjoy the stunning scenery of the glorious Yorkshire Dales.
I would therefore be interested to hear from the MP who represents us whether he was one of the small number of brave Conservative MPs who defied the whip and voted against fracking beneath the Dales provided that the drilling begins just outside it?
We have been assured by our government this only involves a tiny pipe going underneath our feet and there is nothing for us to worry about. That is not the experience being reported from any part of the world where fracking is actually taking place.
The whole principle of fracking is to drill sideways and then to release gasses at high pressure deep underground. Perhaps our MP would like to explain to us how his government can know for certain where these gasses will emerge? Or exactly where the water runs through the complex geology of the Dales? Or how many lorries will be required to transport the waste water away from the sites? Or which villages that water will be carried through? Or where it, and the complex chemicals it will contain, will be disposed of? Or how we can trust the assurances about safety coming from a government that signed up to the Paris climate change agreement but cancelled solar subsidies one month earlier and passed fracking across the Dales one week later?
ANDREW BROWN
Green Party
Main Street, Cononley

THE canal towpath surface is being improved from Gallows Bridge, next to the bus station in Skipton, to Bradley.
But the most popular stretch from Gallows Bridge to the end of Aireville Park is in the worst condition and yet is not being included in the current improvements. The stretch from Brewery Lane is particularly dangerous and almost impassable after heavy rain.
Craven District Council has earmarked £70,000 from the money to be collected from the redevelopment of the mill site at the back of Broughton Road (Section 106 monies). This money needs to be invested now to improve the towpath from Brewery Lane to the end of the Broughton Road houses. The council needs to be in discussion with the Canal and River Trust to extend the current work programme westwards.
For the past three years, Broughton Road residents have been campaigning for money to be spent on improving the canal bank, from Sawley Street to Aireville Bridge. This half-mile stretch connects residents to three schools, the swimming pool, park facilities and the new skateboard track.
Residents in Broughton Road are now going ballistic.
Five hundred residents signed a petition three years ago to seek funding for this improvement work from the Canal and River Trust, which sees it as acceptable to spend the pot of £450,000 improving an already good standard of towpath from the bus station to the hospital and then to extend this towpath three miles from Skipton to Bradley, ignoring the petition and public demand from Broughton Road residents. The residents’ committee is planning to demonstrate directly at Canal and Rivers Trust offices in Wigan to protest against this injustice.
COUNCILLOR PETER MADELEY
Skipton West

I HAVE just come back from Ings Primary School’s Christmas play Baubles and I had to write to say a very big thank you to them through your paper.
Well done to staff and pupils for putting on such a brilliant and entertaining show, with perfect performances and nice loud voices.
Thank you for a marvellous evening.
S MIDDLETON
Proud grandma and community member
Skipton

COULD I take this opportunity to offer my best seasonal wishes to all those who helped set up Silsden Strolls this year?
I’m immensely grateful to those landowners, retailers, Facebook friends and fellow King’s Arms drinkers who encouraged, supported and worked with me to get the project more than half completed. And I would like to wish them all a peaceful Christmas, with the hope that in the new year, we can continue to work together for the benefit of the people of the town.
ALLAN FRISWELL
Keighley Road
Cowling

EIGHT hundred and forty five – thanks to the kind people of Craven who filled shoeboxes for poor children in Liberia and Belarus. A happy Christmas and peaceful new year from the Samaritans Purse and Poppyfields Florists.
MARIE CHAPMAN
Gargrave

I READ the item on the new rail franchise with much interest – New rail franchise is warmly welcomed (Craven Herald, December 17).
The one flea in the ointment was the fact one rail group did not get a mention. This, of course, is the Skipton East Lancs Rail Action Group (SELRAP). We are still alive and well – and making progress.
For the record, we are also pleased to see the promises of out-of-date rolling stock being retired, extra trains and modern ticketing systems. We are particularly pleased to see the zero growth of the old franchise replaced by a more positive drive for expansion of rail usage. This can only strengthen the case for reopening the Skipton to Colne rail link.
As always, it remains to be seen if delivery matches the promises, but we live in hope!
Skipton to Colne is now on the agenda for all the relevant rail organisations. It also has support from local MPs, major local employers and many others. Anyone who wants to learn more is welcome to attend our open meeting on January 11 at 7pm at Herriot’s in Skipton.
DAVID WALSH
SELRAP chairman
Western Road, Skipton

MAY we, through the medium of your paper, express our thanks to those who supported in any way the Christmas dinner held at Trinity Methodist Church in Duckett Street on December 17?
About 30 people gathered for a festive meal, and each was given a small gift before enjoying a time of carol singing in the church.
Thanks for making all this possible go to:

  • our regular volunteers, who week by week prepare and serve a first-class meal but who, on this occasion, went the extra mile
  • Drake and Macefield, who gave us more than 50 per cent discount on our meat purchases (we attempt to support local suppliers throughout the year, but were especially touched at this gesture of support)
  • those who obtain Salvation Army literature in the High Street on Fridays, and made donations towards this event; and
  • the PCSO Police Community Support Officer, who gave valiant help in serving meals and relating to the guests.

The regular luncheon club re-commences on January 7. Anyone who wishes to attend should call in at the church to leave their details or phone 01756 700565.
MARIE AND ALAN HICKMAN
Salvation Army majors
Skipton

THE staff at Skipton Library have once again made a valuable contribution to Skipton.
For several years, a charity card shop has been set up in the library. This year, with not enough volunteers to run it, the library staff volunteered to take over. When the library has been open, so has the shop.
The staff, under the supervision of Gill Taylor, have made sure the stock was constantly replenished, help was always available and the finances dealt with.
With extended hours, the shop has been a great success having its best year ever. Well done Skipton Library staff. Let us hope it continues next year.
CHRISTINE WALTON
Neville Street, Skipton