Turbines quiz

Sir - I wish I had been at EnergieKontor project manager Conrad Atkinson's wind farm briefing to Craven District Council.

Depending on who Mr Atkinson talks to, the planned wind turbines are up to 126 metres tall. Compare this to Malham Cove at 80 metres and the London Eye at 135 metres. Now, picture six of them in the heart of Craven's beautiful landscape.

I wonder if Mr Atkinson told our councillors that each of his giant, 2.5 megawatt turbines will likely produce only half a megawatt. And what of the cost? In times of soaring energy prices, guess who foots the bill for government subsidies to wind farm operators? We do - in our electricity bills. Why no mention of this in Mr Atkinson's briefing?

But then Mr Atkinson's briefing begs another question: has he really decided that six turbines is a better option than 11; or is he having trouble acquiring enough land to meet the original plan?

Like I said, I wish I'd been there to hear it all. It's time for us to ask some hard questions; better still, it's time for Mr Atkinson and EnergieKontor to answer them.

Chris Emmett, Bank Newton, Gargrave, Skipton

Gargrave Road ... 1

Sir - The site J N Bentley now occupies is under-utilised and has scope for the development they require without moving to Gargrave Road.

In my opinion, they want this site purely for show and, as with HML, are prepared to use questionable arguments to achieve their ends. I am led to believe that, of Bentley's "650" employees, few are from Skipton.

Using threats in any form is bullying; unfortunately Craven District Council is either unable or unwilling to stand up to HML or Bentley. A sad day for democracy.

Bentley's, who use the same argument, ("we will have to leave the area if we do not get what we want") have the space on their site at Snaygill to build their head office. However, CDC would not get any revenue from our land which would, in turn, make it difficult to build their pretty new offices. Let's all stamp our feet until we get what we want.

The land on Gargrave Road belongs to us and should be kept for future housing needs, not squandered to pander to CDC's delusions of grandeur. CDC is supposed to be working for us and not them and should listen to the ratepayers who pay their wages. Why are they against Skipton Properties building houses, yet happy to build on the various greenfield sites owned by us? Strange or sinister? I have no answer, only questions.

A Anderson, Beechwood Drive, Skipton

Gargrave Road ... 2

Sir - So the HML Gargrave Road development is "unashamedly contemporary"! Few, I think, would agree, the plans being rather more like 1960s shameful architectural disasters. This really was HML and CDC's big chance to atone for Providence Place and the High Street Health Centre respectively by commissioning an architectural competition to give Skipton, Craven and Yorkshire a building of world, or at least national, class.

Only rarely in the north of England can you find a building which is unashamedly contemporary. The visitor centre at Fountains Abbey and the Utopia restaurant at Broughton Hall come to mind, though there may be examples in Leeds. "Lost opportunity" seems to sum up the situation.

David Handley, Eshton Road, Gargrave

Gargrave Road ... 3

Sir - Well done in getting an illuminating statement from Craven District Council regarding the sale of land to JN Bentley in green fields at Gargrave Road. I quote: "The council is obliged to keep information confidential when it is in the public interest to do so." As I see it, the people with the "interest" in these closed sessions are JN Bentley who, one assumes, said to CDC: Sell us some land or we'll move out of town. It now appears that the agreed price of £340,000 is well under market value - but even a schoolboy could see it was. JN Bentley employs 650 people. I would like to read in your columns how many of them live in Skipton town.

Stan Harrison, The Shambles, Settle

Woodland history

Sir - John Sheard's vision of 95 per cent woodland cover in the Dales prior to the Roman Invasion (Country file, January 18) is interesting, but does not quite fit with the historical evidence.

Woodland cover was about 90 per cent, 7,000 years ago, up to about 2,000ft above sea level, but Neolithic farmers cleared from the tops down using fire, ring barking and grazing. By Roman times the Brigantes had woodland cover down to about 20 per cent (similar to modern France) with most of the moorland which we know and love already formed.

By Domesday it had fallen to 15 per cent and, just before the First World War, to four per cent for the whole country, the lowest since the last Ice Age. It is no coincidence that the Forestry Commission was created in 1919 - we nearly ran out of coal, and thus iron and steel armaments, because of a lack of timber for the mines!

Woodland cover throughout Britain grew during the 20th century to about 12 per cent, but the Dales stayed at a mere three per cent despite some fine woods being created around Bolton Abbey and other areas. More recently the Dales Park, Woodland Trust and Dales Millennium Trust etc have done some fine woodland extension using Forestry Commission and Lottery funds.

John is right to be concerned about oak die back, but the best way forward is to support planting of the right type of woodland in the right areas with a mix of native trees.

Keith Wilson, The Vicarage, Long Preston

Concrete jungle

Sir - I write with regret at the way the plans for Low Demesne Close, Ingleton, were passed. There was no thought given to our old people in the bungalows and the petition and letters that were sent.

The committee did not know the site and how near it was to the old people's bungalows. One officer thought Reid House was a nursing home; this was an insult to the people living there.

I thought councillors were there for our local people, but not one of them came to the meeting to speak for us. Five of us went to the meeting and I was the only one allowed to speak.

But when it was all decided before the meeting there was no point: it was cut and dried.

What have our old people done to the planners that they deserve this punishment? It is the same old story, Craven District Council: we are out of sight out of mind.

This was once a beautiful village, now we will be surrounded by a concrete jungle.

John C Clapham, Reid House, Ingleton

Eagle owl's return

Sir - Regarding Liz Hird's "Letter From the Farm at Yockenthwaite" on January 25, she needn't be worried about the return to this land of the magnificent eagle owl, once a British bird hunted to extinction in the UK.

She has recently spotted one in the dale where she resides and has concerns about the owl upsetting the natural balance of things.

I believe that the return of a "top predator" such as the eagle owl can only help to improve the balance of our natural world. They join the strengthening population of red kites, persecuted to the point of virtual extinction in this country, now doing well mainly down to efforts by conservation bodies such as the RSPB.

Maybe the eagle owl will find grey squirrels and mink a tasty option to its normal prey of rabbits and small mammals and perhaps the odd fox will succumb to those massive talons, negating the need for man's, often cruel, control methods.

On the subject, why not add wolves and bears, previously native to this island, to the list of top predators that belong here? Now that would put the cat among the pigeons! Cats? Well they certainly don't do our small wild mammals and birds any favours. At the end of the day there's only one species on this earth that upsets the natural balance of things and we all know which one that is!

Andrew Holden, The Green, Hellifield

Grief relieved

Sir - Despite the inevitable sadness and grief when losing your precious family pet, the residents of Craven District are extremely fortunate.

We have just been in that awful situation; feeling devastated, having had to have our springer spaniel Ellie put down recently. To all who knew her, she was a very special dog. Fortunately for us our vet in Settle recommended the Pet Crematorium near Bradley. We contacted Charlotte who runs the Pet Crematorium; she treated us and Ellie with so much kindness and sensitivity that we were content to leave Ellie with her. We picked up Ellie's ashes the following evening and again were very impressed by the compassion, care and consideration we were shown.

The thought of our dog being picked up on a collection round and carted off to a national crematorium hundreds of miles away where you have no idea of the outcome was an unthinkable option.

So we feel extremely lucky to have had such a caring person offering this local facility and it is comforting to know our precious pet had a dignified end to a life that gave joy and happiness to many people.

Ann Jones, Far End Lodge, Wharfe, Austwick

Dalesrail woes

Sir - The Dalesrail card used to be a very good value access to reduced fares on the Settle and Carlisle line, especially the £5 day return to Carlisle, which operates during the winter months.

Up to last year, only residents of BD23, BD24 and some in Lancaster and Cumbria could access these cards, but this winter West Yorkshire Metro has been allowed to sell cards and the result is very unfavourable to Craven residents.

On February 8 my wife and I intended to go to Carlisle and duly arrived at Gargrave Station to catch the 9.31 train - the 9.26 at Skipton. The train of three coaches was completely full and people were standing in the aisles and vestibules. We refused to travel and a day was wasted. The guard said all the people were travelling to Carlisle on the Dalesrail card.

On February 11 I had to go on the 8.46 train from Gargrave to Leeds. On arrival at Leeds, with about 20 people still getting off the train, people surged on, preventing me and fellow travellers getting out onto the platform. These rude people said they wanted the best seats for Carlisle and, within five minutes, the train was full, so people in Craven and beyond had no hope of getting a seat.

Therefore it appears the use of the Dalesrail card by Craven residents is now restricted to rainy days, when West Yorkshire residents do not want to travel.

F R Laver, Church Lane, Gargrave

Town budget

Sir - Further to your report in the Craven Herald of Friday, February 8, as vice-chair of Skipton Town Council's Finance Committee, I presented the budget and the proposal for the precept for 2008 at the meeting.

I wish to emphasise that the Council had elected not to increase its budget and precept over that which was set for 2007. To make it clear, Skipton Town Council adopted a 0 per cent increase in the precept for 2008.

In real terms, the number of council tax payers in the four Skipton Town wards (North, East, South and West) has probably increased because of new housing developments: this may have marginally decreased the amount in the pound each tax payer has to pay.

Despite the impression the article gives in reporting a statement made by Coun Robert Heseltine, Skipton Town Council has not stood still or retracted in any way.

The same level of upkeep has been maintained in respect of recreation grounds, allotments and other land under its charge. The Council has continued to support various local organisations and events through direct donations; indeed we have made additional sums where appropriate.

We have supported very successful local events, such as Sheep Day, the Medieval Markets, the Transport Festival and the Waterways Festival. The Town Council was also instrumental in raising the awareness of the plight of the market stallholders when the owners of Craven Court wanted to evict them from the setts. When we have spent money, we have done so with the interests of the people of the four Skipton Town wards at heart, obtaining best value for money. When other authorities are raising the amount they want to take from council tax payers, including Craven District Council and North Yorkshire County Council, both of which Coun Heseltine is a member of, it should be considered refreshing that, at Skipton Town Council, we have maintained our budgets and are able to continue for another year without increasing the amount we expect people need to pay for services.

Coun Heseltine says he would want to have a public inquiry if the Town Council fails to deliver in 2008. We have not failed to deliver our core services in 2007; neither will we in 2008.

We also plan to deliver on the promises we have made for improvements through various projects for which we have set aside funding. Who will pay for this inquiry and who will chair this inquiry? It cannot be Coun Heseltine; he is a member of Skipton Town Council.

If he considers the Town Council is failing to deliver on its services, he needs to remember which of his many councillor hats he is wearing: he is also a member of the Town Council and is therefore putting himself under scrutiny and commenting on his delivery.

John Manley, Skipton Town Councillor (Skipton West Ward), Burnside Avenue, Skipton

Pointless debate

Sir - You report that David Curry MP has already decided to support the Lisbon Treaty on the constitution of Europe and to vote against his party's manifesto pledge to allow the people a referendum thereon.

Does this not suggest that the 15 days set aside by the Government for debate on these matters are, so far as Mr Curry is concerned, a complete waste of time? Whatever is said in debate, whatever arguments are brought forward, no matter how convincing, will fall on Mr Curry's deaf ears, which has to raise the question of what is the use of Parliament?

How can we possibly take seriously a system which provides for debate, but which the participants in that debate render meaningless, either because they come to it, like Mr Curry, with closed minds, or, like many others, with clear instructions from their party whips on how they should vote.

It makes my blood boil when opponents of the referendum try to convince me the interests of the people of this nation are better served on far-reaching constitutional matters by this blinkered version of democracy, rather than by a direct appeal to those who will have to live with the consequences. So far as Mr Curry is concerned, he has informed me in correspondence that he is against the idea of referenda in principle.

I would now ask him whether our society is any safer in the hands of a system which decides matters with closed minds or with minds blindly acting under the direction of others.

John Weatherill, Heronwood, Flasby, Skipton

Down our street

Sir - With regard to the letter about Belmont Street's historic cottages. On November 11, 1928, I was born at No 12 and lived there with my grandma until I left to be married in May 1949. I stayed with granny because my mother worked at Dewhurst's Mill and Dad was a signalman on the railway.

Granny's had a lovely big cellar. She took in washing and there was a big "set-pot" which she would light a fire under to get the hot water. I had a swing in that cellar, fastened to a wooden beam. The other people living on the street were: No 14 - Mr and Mrs Burnside and their family. They were good neighbours and had a gypsy caravan. It was very pretty with lots of brass and copper and frilly curtains.

No 12 - Mr and Mrs Charlie Johnson (my grandparents). Grandad Charlie had a blacksmith's shop by the canal.

No 10 - Mr Arthur Garwood and his two daughters, Amy and Edna.

No 8 - Two elderly spinster ladies, the Misses Gough, who kept themselves to themselves. After that came the shop (now a hairdresser's). I think it was a cobbler who had that.

No 4 - Mr and Mrs Jack Fennerty. He was a great character. He worked for Skipton Castle and sometimes during school holidays he would take me with him to play in the castle. I knew every nook and cranny in there. He was also a fireman and outside his house was a bell which would ring when he had to go out to a fire. I can remember one day he sat me high up on the fire engine and let me ring the bell. The Fennertys owned granny's house then, because I remember taking the rent there every week.

The last house, No 2, was Mr and Mrs Hartley. He had a long white beard and gave me barley sugars.

It was a wonderful childhood and, although I know we have to move with the times, if I were rich enough I would love to buy No 12 and restore it to the way it was 80 years ago. What bliss!

Poppy Hayes, Raikes Road, Skipton

Festival support

Sir - I would like to register my support and enthusiasm for the Settle Festival. I am 21, have lived in Settle all my life and have always felt it a safe and friendly place to grow up. However, the growing hostility and apathy among certain people towards anything "new" or different in the area worries me.

When I, and many of my friends, heard someone wanted to organise a music/arts festival for the area, we were so pleased as we felt it would attract people to Settle and the Dales and offer much-needed entertainment and opportunities for local young people, businesses and families.

I am saddened some people feel a festival would lead to vandalism, drug-taking and chaos. Most who attend festivals are there for the music, the culture and the variety of activities on offer; not to cause havoc and upset. I feel the small minority trying to hinder this festival have nothing but doubt about the ability of local people and the organisers to stage a fun, interesting and safe festival.

Many of us who live in Settle and are proud of our area will do everything we can to make the event an absolute success. I just hope those people who are so against this exciting event are fighting because of genuine conviction and not because of their own selfish cynicism.

Eleanor Armstrong, Craggs View, Settle

Thanks, gang

Sir - As South Craven's county councillor, I'm a great believer in giving credit where credit is due. I would therefore like to offer thanks to Yorkshire Water's contractors (Balfour Beatty) on what have been difficult and major works in South Craven, especially in Cross Hills Main Street. The workmen endured awful weather but pushed ahead with the works, which have now been completed almost on schedule. I have had numerous positive comments from local residents on how obliging and courteous the workmen have been.

Philip Barrett, Beanlands Drive, Glusburn

Fat friend

Sir - I do not know what all the fuss is about Yellow Pages being delivered to all phone users. I think it is a most useful publication. I put mine in a cupboard to stand the chip pan on. When the top pages have got greasy, I just tear a few pages off and I am in business again with a clean sheet.

Frank Robertshaw, Jennings Close, Silsden

9:58am Friday 15th February 2008

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