Letters December 15 (From Craven Herald)

Letters December 15

1:54pm Thursday 15th December 2011 in Letters

Caring about the past Sir – On the site of Elsey Croft stands a barn. It dates from Norman times, the 12th century, and survived through an 800-year period that has seen countless changes – the rise and fall of monarchs, the introduction of democracy, a change in the language we speak. Only the Castle and the Church have greater longevity in Skipton. Or at least there was a barn. It was demolished, for reasons unknown, and (there’s no suggestion of a link) the wake of the demolition coincided with proposals to turn the vast expanse of greenfield on this boundary of Skipton into a housing estate.

Currently, the fate of this green site of Skipton rests on the decision of the Planning Ombudsman. Curiously, at the public enquiry, the debate appeared to turn full-circle and returned to the merits of retaining Skipton’s rural character. In previous planning meetings, and under threats of litigation from the applicant, the rightness of a ‘No’ decision was subsumed by the question of whether Craven District Council could afford the right decision.

It is to the credit of members of the Planning Committee that, despite intimidation, they voted on merit to reject the application, twice. More importantly, we should recognise the tireless work of the Save Elsey Croft group, and members of CPRE, without whom the opinions of the people of Craven may not have been heard or democratically endorsed.

The experience of the 12th century barn shows the singularity of destruction. The past cannot be recovered, only preserved for the future. Similarly, the destruction of green field is irreversible.

The Elsey Croft issue has brought progressively-minded people together from across Craven. Regardless of the decision of the Planning Ombudsman, the people of Craven have won – we have shown we can stand together, work together, and we have shown we care.

Matthew Ingham, Moorview Way, Skipton Act before accidents Sir – I am writing concerning the accident between the North Yorkshire Country Council gritter and the Upper Wharfedale school bus in which some pupils were injured on the morning of Tuesday, December 6.

The swift actions of the head teacher on behalf of the pupils and those of the police and ambulance services are most commendable.

I am not satisfied with the comments of Chris Craven on behalf of North Yorkshire Highways in response to the information I gave to the Craven Herald. On Tuesday, when we passed the lay-by at Cracoe at 8.23am, there was no evidence of gritting from Linton village all the way through to Skipton.

There was no evidence either down Lauraldale Lane into Linton or on the nine-mile journey into Skipton. While the road was better in Skipton itself, the road from the village of Linton, the full stretch past the scene of the accident and into Skipton itself was extremely icy, with snow on the road, too. It was left in a dangerous state. The gritter was parked in the left lay-by, manned, but inactive.

It is not even likely, that there would be no evidence at all of gritting from Linton to Skipton, if proper gritting precautions had been taken, as is claimed.

Even if there was a shower along the A65 it would have been snow rather than rain, in that locality, and the shower would not remove the remnants of grit from the whole nine-mile stretch.

Mr Craven, in his Highways office, would be out of the locality, not on the scene to know the actual conditions of the full length of the road into Skipton. Of course, they would grit the road after the accident, as by then Highways had received a formal complaint and information in their office of what had occurred.

I hope parents, and the bus company will suitably encourage North Yorkshire Highways to take proactive initiative in caring for the community they are here to serve. The conditions that led to the accident between the authority’s gritter and the school bus were serious. The accident for young people and their families at home was serious, too.

If the road had been gritted between 5.30am and 6am, as Mr Craven claims, this could have been around three hours earlier. Highways could take extra precautions to put into their schedule when school buses and children, as well as work commuters, travel on that road.

It would be sensible for them to grit also, just prior to any anticipated volume of traffic, in dangerous conditions which may occur again this winter, rather than covering up after an accident like this has occurred.

John D Bennett, Bolton Priory Where is the grit?

Sir – With reference to the article in the Craven Herald of Thursday, December 8, regarding the collision between a school bus carrying 50 school children and a gritter wagon carrying no grit.

I thought your readers may be interested in this photo (see above) taken moments after the incident, especially those whose children travel on this route, as close to 200 children are carried to school via coaches, mini buses, taxis and private vehicles on this road.

In answer to statements made by the authority responsible for ensuring that the roads are gritted, I would just like to say; spot the grit!

Name and address supplied Turbines are useless Sir – Last week’s Craven Herald reported on a new bid to build a wind farm at Brightenber Hill and previously you have reported a renewed bid at Chelker Reservoir.

In the high gales in Scotland in recent days, there have been two dramatic examples of the uselessness and danger of wind turbines. One turbine blew over and another caught fire. Neither could function in any event because it was too windy. So now we know the following: 1. Wind turbines are inefficient and can never be a reliable source of energy as they are no use when there is no wind.

2. They are even worse than we thought as they are no use when there is wind.

3. We can see how dangerous and insecure they are and how they should never be placed near any houses, such as there are at Chelker.

All this confirms they should be abandoned and the subsidies granted should be removed as it is only these subsidies that lead companies to build them.

John Dawson, Gainsborough Court, Skipton Hill a ‘beauty spot’?

Sir – Last week’s headline emotively sought to connect ‘proposed wind farm’ with the phrase ‘beauty spot’.

But is Brightenber Hill a beauty spot? – surely not. Does anyone visit it? Who had heard of it before this controversy?

I think it a little disingenuous of you to infer that it is a tourist attraction, when it is really just a typical part of the Craven landscape. Exaggerated claims such as this will diminish the argument of those opposed to the proposal.

Personally I actually like to see wind turbines, and on this site have no objection at all.

John Heaton, Ickornshaw, nr Cowling Thanks for ‘best panto’ Sir – On behalf of Wigglesworth villagers, I’d like to say thanks to Rural Arts, Craven District Council and Arts Council England, who provide funding to enable On Tour to offer performances, to small rural communities. Wigglesworth Community Hall was able to book Pocket Panto for a production of Jack And The Beanstalk.

Eagerly awaited, when the snow came down on Friday everyone was worried that the show might not go on. It did. The actors who had struggled in traffic to get here were absolutely brilliant. They gave a tremendous performance well geared to the family audience. In no time at all both children and adults were laughing and enjoying the singing, dancing and showmanship.

One little girl came up to me at the end and thanked me for bringing “the best pantomime I’ve ever seen” to Wigglesworth. She quantified that by saying she had been very lucky because she had seen “loads”. Well done, Pocket Panto.

Anne Clarke, Wigglesworth Building is repaired Sir – Remembrance Day was marked in Cononley by the laying of a wreath. The war memorial is at the Village Institute and this year the War Memorial Trust and Yorventure through funds generated by Yorwaste Ltd gave the Institute grants to refurbish the fabric of the building.

The main work was to repair and insulate the roof and to install a new boiler. This is now completed and the building is watertight and warm. Our thanks to both funders for their support of this project.

Becky Ward, Cononley Village Institute Committee member Privilege is absurd Sir – I refer to your article (Craven Herald, December 1) which confirmed my suspicions that Council staff have been offered heavily-subsidised parking permits.

Why should council staff be offered this privilege, when all other people visiting or working in the town have to pay such extortionate rates to park? This is yet another example of how incompetent Craven District Council and its officers have been in moving into premises without any car parking and then rubbing the noses of the general public in it by offering their staff cheap parking.

It’s the general public, through extortionate council taxes, who pay their salaries, expenses and subsidise their pensions.

Council staff are no different to any other workers in the town and should be made to pay the full going rate to park in the town.

As for the chaos being caused in the local streets by inconsiderate Council staff parking, all that is needed is a residents parking scheme for each street affected with a maximum parking time of one hour for non-residents during daytime hours.

Mike Priestley, Carleton X Factor invasion Sir – Regarding the Sunday Christmas market in Skipton, is it no longer possible to hold any kind of event in the town without the amplified X Factor wannabes?

R Webster, Albert Square, Skipton Entertainment feast Sir – What a delight to see so much activity featured on your Leisure page (December 1).

Pantomime, plays, musicals, art installations, bands, choirs, wassailers – a feast of entertainment showing how the creative arts are flourishing in Craven. Oh, yes they are!

Paul Hudson, Winewall, Colne A musical triumph Sir – I’ve just been blown away by a production of Stephen Sondheim’s Into The Woods.

This was the greatest musical I have ever seen. Put on by pupils at Giggleswick School, it was as professional as anything you’ll see on a London stage. I was amazed by the way stories like Cinderella and Jack And The Beanstalk and Little Red Riding Hood are woven and woven together, with stunning music and songs, to make something completely new and contemporary. It left me weak at the knees. Sondheim is the greatest lyricist ever.

John Raubenheimer, Craven Cottages, Settle Timing isn’t right Sir – The visitor to Skipton bus station since late October this year must be forgiven for thinking that he/she is visiting a part of continental Europe as the clocks, at both ends of the station are now set to CET (Central European Time)! I wonder if this to be a permanent feature?

Alan McKeand, Moor Crescent, Skipton Lost temper apology Sir – Yes, I did apologise to Mr Clark, but it was only because I lost my temper at the sight of the dead trout when I arrived on the riverbank with the weighing scales he had requested. I certainly did not apologise for anything else.

In his letter last week, he said that he had fished all over the UK for 30 years as a responsible angler, and yet he did not even know the start and finish dates for the Yorkshire brown trout close season.

I rest my case!

John W Preston, Carleton-in-Craven Relationship MoTs Sir – While fully agreeing with Rev David Macha’s Thought for the Week (November 10), that our relationships need a regular service, we would not wish your readers to be under the impression that “there’s no MOT check for relationships”. The roadworthiness of family relationships can be regularly helped to run smoothly, right here in Craven For a number of years we have successfully run The Marriage Course, mainly in Skipton and also in Ingleton. The course is for any couples who are married or living together in a long-term relationship and is an easy way to give their relationship an MOT. On the course there’s a great atmosphere, absolutely no group work and great informative and fun talks, which each couple discuss privately on their own.

Also, we are planning to start running The Parenting Children Course, which is for any parents or carers of children aged up to ten years and The Parenting Teenagers Course for every type of parenting situation involving 11 to 18-year-olds. We know from experience of our own children that they don’t arrive with an instruction manual and that parenting teenagers is harder than ever for most parents today.

We also agree with Rev David Macha that relationships can seize up through lack of attention. However, thousands of people in the UK have already found that family relationships can be well maintained, improved and strengthened by using the really practical tools these courses provide.

Full information can be found at relationshipcentral.org, and anyone wishing to attend or run a course in the Craven area should contact us on (01756) 701457.

Gordon and Muriel Williamson, Linton Court, Skipton