Sir - I see Craven District Council is advertising for: a Carbon Reduction Officer, a PR Communications Officer, a Stronger Communications Assistant, an Affordable Housing Development Manager, a Housing Quality Manager, a Housing Support Performance Officer, a Scrutiny Officer, a Technical Officer (Food & Workplace Safety), a Principal Planning Officer and a Waste Minimisation Officer.

The advert goes on to say that there are other vacancies in addition to those listed.

How has this number of vacancies all become available at the same time? Has there been a wholesale departure of staff who already held these posts, or are these a new bureaucratic creation?

Looking at the impressive job titles, I suspect that, like me, the general public will have some difficulty in working out the exact purpose of these roles. Perhaps there is a clue in the statement in the advert which reads "Recent legislation has meant that local government has an even bigger role to play in shaping local communities."

I interpret this to mean that central government has instructed local authorities to ensure that they have the manpower to carry out the Snoopers' Charter, which is rapidly invading our lives. Apart from asking why these jobs are needed, the more important issue, however, is how much they are going to cost the council tax payers and what benefit, if any, will they get from them.

Another statement in the advert is "Craven is a can do' council that achieves high satisfaction and low council tax". It does not state what it "has done" to achieve the high satisfaction status, nor what criteria it has used to justify the low tax accolade. To encourage applicants to apply for these jobs, the advert goes on: "You'll be working in a beautiful setting for a fast-moving council that's going places."

Could this possibly be a plug for the new council offices planned for the Gargrave Road site in conjunction with the HML development? The council must know something we don't know if it is going to be fast-moving.

Ken Oxley, Hall Croft, Skipton

Proper planning?

Sir - It's good to see the people of Craven waking up to the planning policies of Craven District Council. Would a reasonable person think competence has been exhibited?

It's equally welcome that the Audit Commission have also, and at last, woken up to the fact of that council's appalling financial performance (Craven Herald, April 25), something Craven Ratepayers' Action Group (CRAG) have been publicising for quite a few years.

As lately as last year, the council produced a disposal policy for land and buildings and, under the heading of "key principles" - indeed at the very head of that chapter - is this line: "Fairness and transparency in dealing with potential buyers".

It then continues: "The disposal process should minimise opportunities for, and suspicions of, corruption or favouritism."

They then follow that up by telling councillors not to reveal the valuation given by an American-based company on the land at Gargrave Road, a valuation which, at £340,000 for a few acres of prime building land, was patently well below market value and, indeed, was almost doubled by an offer made within the week for that same land.

The council's reaction to a councillor who demonstrated, albeit accidentally, that transparency? To discipline and rebuke that councillor!

This is exactly the sort of action which demonstrates that CDC is really ruled by a small bunch of officers and councillors who make nice noises about democracy, openness and transparency, but belie those words by their very deeds.

The back-door machinations in selling land to HML with a price still unrevealed (£800,000, we are told, for some six acres) have been spelled out by no less than Bentleys who then, by strange coincidence, were offered a bargain piece of land opposite the HML cheap acres.

In any responsible private company, heads would roll for these acts, which demonstrate a flagrant disregard for the council's own "key principles", but at CDC it is likely that the perpetrators will probably be promoted, their salaries increased and their gold-plated pensions assured.

Alan Perrow, chairman, CRAG, Bannister Walk, Cowling

Access dispute

Sir - I am amazed at the complete indifference of the Yorkshire Dales National Park with regard to the well-publicised right-of-way dispute in Stainforth.

As the defiance of the offending party grows, the resolve of the YDNP weakens.

Stainforth villagers have enjoyed free passage along the recently blocked footpath for many years. Photographic evidence from 100 years ago shows the right of way in place.

In last week's Herald, the offenders claimed that the footpath had only been obstructed on a couple of occasions. But the fact is that it has been blocked permanently for 18 months. My husband is in a wheelchair and without the footpath the corner is dangerous. If locals cannot look to the National Park to uphold the law, where can they go?

The National Park must designate the path as a definitive footpath and get it put on the maps. They surely have the resource for this small task, or could divert a small amount from the seemingly bottomless bridleway budget. We can have new hard-core riding paths, horse mounting blocks, horse-friendly surfacing and new safety railings on the old railway bridge, but there are no funds or enthusiasm for standing up to the wrong-doing.

Come on National Park, get together with North Yorkshire County Council and stand up for our rights.

George and Mary Rayner, Hollies Cottage, Stainforth

Path dismay

Sir - As a former resident and frequent visitor to Stainforth, I have been dismayed in recent years to find the land outside Holly House blocked with builders' rubble and cars. I had always thought this was a public right of way and used this path over many years to go to church and school.

I was therefore very pleased to read in the Craven Herald that the landscape will be restored as soon as building work is completed. I hope this will be sooner rather than later for everyone's convenience and that it includes the path, the Tarmac road and grassed area.

Susan Lawson, Branksome Drive, Nab Wood, Shipley

Fred's statue

Sir - As Freddie Trueman left Yorkshire to go play cricket for another team, wasn't born in Skipton or even lived in the town, why is Craven Council so set on commissioning an £80,000 statue of him, £15,000 of which will come from council funds and the rest, presumably, to be collected from the public who apparently aren't at all interested in the reason they are being asked to donate?

If the people of Flasby, where he lived, wanted to commemorate him, they would do something in the village so, presumably, they aren't interested either. Why can't Freddie be remembered by a plaque (like The Duke of Wellington's) or perhaps a seat with a plaque for local citizens to sit on - like the ones outside the Town Hall?

This would be much cheaper, would do the same job and save thousands of pounds of the council's money and stop people being annoyed because it's being wasted.

This is our council tax money and most people would rather see it spent on amenities for the people of Skipton rather than a large statue that would not grace our High Street. Any donations already collected could go towards the plaque and any left over could go to local charities.

Patricia Mason, Sackville Street, Skipton

Tell us, please

Sir - Now that our councillors are discussing the local development framework, do you think someone could tell everyone what it involves?

I realise that plans may or may not be available in libraries, town halls or internet, but not all people have access to these facilities. A bit in the paper would be nice.

The parish council is quite correct to be concerned about extra traffic in Steeton. A greater concern for many residents is the overload situation with the sewage system. Many times when it rains, the sewers flood human waste onto public areas. Is this an acceptable situation in the 21st century?

The Victorians had better sewers than Steeton and this is with existing housing. Before any more houses are built, there must surely be some serious improvements. The Government seems keen to build on green fields at all costs, citing a shortage of houses. Has anyone pointed out, we might just have too many people?

Chris Bryant, 45 Parkway, Steeton

Misuse of skills

Sir - Re the closure of Harden Ward, Castleberg Hospital, Giggleswick.

It would appear to me that the skills of the staff who have been working at Castleberg Hospital are not being fully utilised in benefiting those people in need of their skills. It is of more importance now under the Hospital-at-Home scheme that they possess a current driving licence.

In recent days people with a variety of skills, eg therapists and qualified nurses, are spending more time driving around the Settle district than actually working with patients. This patient time has to fit in with the time plan of the day and may not be at a time most beneficial to the patient.

The skills of the Castleberg Hospital staff will not be the only ones to be misused in this absurd "Hospital-at-Home" trial. The doctors should not have to drive on a variety of routes, in several directions, possibly all on the same day, often on lengthy farm tracks and with the possibility of having to stop, get out, open gates, get back in and drive through, only to have to stop again to close the gates. Had the patients been at Castleberg, they could all have been seen in the time it could take to visit one in "Hospital-at-Home" - a totally absurd and meaningless phrase.

It is auspicious - sorry, in my book, suspicious - that the scheme has been introduced at a time of year when daylight is at its longest and weather conditions are favourable. It would seem like a good idea if the National Health Service executives were to come down from their urban, centrally-heated, air-conditioned ivory towers to spend an icy, snowy day with the doctors, nurses or therapists. Then they may be able to see that the "Hospital-at-Home" idea is a crackpot one. It is not too late to back-track.

This situation is a misuse, nay, an abuse of valuable human resources.

Mrs K Robinson, Midland Terrace, Hellifield, Skipton

Do it yourself

Sir - I refer to the piece about Fernbank Avenue, Barnoldswick (Craven Herald, April 25).

I feel people are pathetic whingers these days, expecting the council to drop everything and put a few screws into a street sign to replace it after it fell off.

Why can't someone from the street pop out with a screwdriver and some plugs and screws? It will only take about 15 minutes and what is a few minutes in a lifetime?

A few years ago I went out with some nuts and bolts and re-fixed the sign on my street. While I was doing it a gentleman told me there were three others that were loose locally if I wanted to fix them. I thought I would leave them for the people who lived in those streets.

I also did the same task some years ago when I lived in Wilsden. I must go now as I have got a headache where my halo is too tight.

Frank Robertshaw, Jennings Close, Silsden

Saving energy

Sir - Instead of building giant wind turbines at Gargrave, should we seek to reduce energy consumption and follow the advice of The Carbon Trust's low-cost action plan, which states: "The list of low or no-cost energy saving measures could also reduce UK businesses' carbon footprint by over 11m tonnes"?

It calls on firms to calculate their carbon footprint; shift to energy efficient light bulbs; switch off unused PCs and non-essential equipment; lower office temperatures by one degree and fit automated timers to water coolers and vending machines.

The Carbon Trust's chief executive, Tom Delay, said switching off lights, turning down heating and turning off equipment when not in use can save businesses an average of 10 per cent on their energy bills.

If every home in the UK used one extra low-energy light bulb, one conventional power station could be decommissioned. If every home reduced its electricity use by 10 per cent, the CO2 saved would be about 8.4 million tonnes a year.

These two actions alone by businesses and individuals would save almost 20 million tonnes - over twice the Government's annual target of 9.2 million tonnes by 2010.

But there is more we can do. It should be compulsory for homes, offices and businesses to turn off all lighting and electrical equipment left on standby, when unused. A TV or computer, for instance, may still draw up to 60 per cent of its normal power if left plugged in.

As suggested by Settle local council, after 1.30am, 60 per cent of street lighting could be switched off with little or no harm to safety or security. I think every street lamp could be fitted with a small solar panel.

At home, our lofts can be super-insulated with much deeper layers of insulation and 100 per cent draught-proofed. Heat recovery units or domestic heat exchangers are over 90 per cent efficient and can heat incoming cold fresh air using outgoing warm stale air. Even lower energy LED-powered home lighting is now available, consuming fewer than two watts per lamp.

It makes economic and environmental sense to achieve low-cost, low-environmental-impact solutions first and then we can begin to look at alternative generation systems that will both harmonise with our landscape and produce carbon-free power.

We will undoubtedly need wind turbines as part of our future carbon-free energy mix, but not at the expense of ticking target boxes set by Whitehall bureaucrats with no knowledge of our area and its landscape.

Mrs E Owen, MA, White House Farm, Cowling

Split village

Sir - It is quite clear from the letters you have printed that people feel that there are problems with decision-making regarding development in Skipton. I would extend this to outlying villages such as Embsay.

The village is, bizarrely, split between the National Park and Craven District Council. The old tannery site received planning permission from the park for 58 dwellings. This was in the face of opposition from two public meetings, the parish council, CPRE and many others.

Immediately before reaching a decision, the park planning members - none of whom lived in the vicinity, some coming from Leeds and Selby, some not even coming to Embsay to view the site - met in private and considered a report provided by the developer which it has consistently refused to release into the public domain.

The development is now nearing completion and people can draw their own conclusions on how the design, siting and density of three-storey houses and a large, new-build block of flats has impacted on the village. Perhaps others will ask how a national park fitted it into its remit to "conserve and enhance" a special area by effectively placing a development the size of our neighbouring village, Eastby, within Embsay's historic core and within a conservation area.

At the time of the application, some of us thought it would have been better for the site to be within Craven District Council's area because that council's Local Plan acknowledged that Embsay "had to absorb a considerable amount of new development over the past 25 years" and "there was little, if any, potential for new development . . . without detriment to (its) basic form and character".

But what do we now find? Craven District Council has recently identified areas of Embsay which may be suitable for residential or employment use, including such pleasant green "breaks" as the only field left on West Lane and the open fields around the village hall. They say that there is no certainty that these areas will be granted such status, but the words "thin end" and "wedge" spring to mind.

So, if Embsay was, essentially, over-developed before the park approved 58 dwellings, how come Craven District, potentially, now expects the village to absorb even more? Was the statement in the Local Plan just nothing more than weasel words?

Jean M Robinson, Pasture Road, Embsay

Not so green

Sir - How interesting it was to see in last week's Craven Herald that CDC's Policy Committee has been discussing a green travel plan, particularly in relation to its new office site off Gargrave Road.

The council seems insistent on the destruction of many greenfield sites around Skipton - nothing green about that then!

Councillor English's proposal that parking be allocated on an odd/even car registration plate basis is laughable. It is facile to believe such an allocation would be successful as it presupposes a 50/50 split in registration numbers and also that councillors and council employees may not have access to more than one vehicle.

The fact that parking at the new development is now considered insufficient was brought to the attention of the council on a number of occasions, including representations at various planning committee meetings and planning department liaison meetings.

The time to sort out this problem was at the planning application stage, not after permission has been granted. Coun English was on the committee that recommended acceptance of the HML/CDC planning application, and voted to support it.

The residents in the Gargrave Road/ Rockwood Estate/ Raikeswood areas of Skipton noted these deficiencies and voiced deep concerns about the dangers of increased traffic, air pollution, linear car parking and the creation of traffic "rat runs" in these residential areas.

These were all a result of siting the HML/CDC Office development in the wrong place. Perhaps, in future, the council and its planning officers should take notice of such concerns before granting planning permission rather than try to remedy problems afterwards.

Green travel plans attempted by SBS in the past have been unsuccessful - ask residents of the Middletown area in Skipton. SBS's current parking permits for those living seven miles or more from the Bailey site have resulted in further parking problems for those living in that area of town Council employees and councillors may well arrive at their offices to find that their parking spaces have been occupied by cars driven by SBS/HML employees. Additionally, where will visitors to the new council offices be expected to park, as the siting of these offices has made it unreasonable for some people to walk all the way up hill from the town centre to the Gargrave Road site? So much for green travel planning!

Perhaps a satisfactory solution would be for people to travel by bicycle and make use of the grossly under-utilised cycle lanes on Gargrave Road. Councillors and their partners could even be encouraged to travel on a tandem, now there's a thought! That would certainly reduce the mileage payments made to councillors, as well as reducing pollution.

Haydn and Val Beresford, Rockwood Drive, Skipton

Save the birds

Sir - Now that the annual mutilation of the county's grass road verges seems to have begun in earnest, may I put out a last-minute "May Day" appeal on behalf of our ever-declining songbird population. Grass verges and other such semi-wild areas provide invaluable shelter to fledgling songbirds and other wildlife at this sensitive time of year. Please could we all be more circumspect before we undertake unnecessary early mowing.

Robert Bell, Langcliffe Hall Estate, Langcliffe

9:20am Friday 2nd May 2008

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