Craven, beware! On 9th February, Bradford Council took a decision that could gravely affect you. Summarised it might run: import, burn, inhale and share. That is - import industrial waste, burn it in an incinerator near Keighley and contaminate with emissions the very air, ground and water not only for the inhabitants of Airedale but neighbouring areas too.

When Bradford MDC published the data on which approval of the plant was granted, it came as a shock, for most residents two shocks; one that the application to build had actually been ongoing after the refusal in 2014; the other relating to the grounds on which the Council had approved the scheme.

Briefly, Bradford approved the application on the advice of the Environment Agency. The EA stated that the level of toxic emissions would be below the permitted level. How is it possible to know that?

The EA also concluded that diesel emissions from 70 HGVs six days per week carrying waste to and toxic ash from the site would not have an undue impact on air quality. Is not air quality a grave and growing concern nationally and in Airedale in particular?

The Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government can revoke Bradford’s decision. Pressure on the Council from the public and its local representatives continues. It could be a good move to lobby your MP on this issue and anyone else with clout.

DAVID BATEMAN, Riddlesden Thanks to NHS MY 93-year-old friend, Joan, fell and hurt her arm. The next morning, a Sunday, she realised there was something very wrong with her wrist.

She first rang her surgery and a voice message told her to dial 111. This was around 7am. By 7.45am, an ambulance had taken her to Airedale Hospital and she was having an X-ray.

She next had a pot put on her fractured wrist. No waiting about. Then she was seen by a nurse who suggested she stayed in overnight. My friend described her cosy, warm flat and she was allowed to be taken home by ambulance, but not before arrangements had been made for a trained nurse to visit and assess what help she would need. To crown this wonderful NHS service, she was sent home with sandwiches, a drink and a yoghurt!

Joan described all the staff, including the ambulance people, as wonderfully kind and thoughtful. On her behalf, this is a public thank-you to the early Sunday morning staff at Airedale Hospital.

JAN GORDON Skipton Library gratitude As recent issues of the Craven Herald have reported, on account of severe cuts in government funding ,  a number of local branch libraries in North Yorkshire will be closing  to re-open eventually as community libraries.

Settle library in spite of being one of the smaller libraries in the county, has become one of the busiest and most varied in the activities it has offered at its location in Limestone View. It too will close on March 31st and its professional staff  made redundant. Unlike several other local authorities, North Yorkshire County Council has undertaken to put considerable resources into the training of volunteers to re-open and support the setting up of community libraries so that these will continue to offer the facilities available in its former libraries, and indeed, to increase them as far as possible.

There will be no break in service in Settle. The Community library will open on April 1st and its times of opening will be  the same as those of its predecessor. As a regular borrower, a recent presenter of three talks in the library on the history and development of the English Novel and now a volunteer, I would like to record my warm thanks, to the dedicated professional staff who have worked so hard to make Settle library such a success and who have always been so helpful, informative and obliging. As volunteers, and that includes members of the management committee too,  we are united in the desire to continue with their work. During their time, the number of borrowers has risen to over 1000. The library staff have ordered books and regularly supplied up to 12 Book Groups located in Settle and the surrounding villages. Up to 70 people have benefited from receiving books from the home library service, which has operated under the guidance of the professional staff. Books have been and will continue to be taken to people’s homes by volunteers. There has been outreach into local schools and a number of successful projects to encourage reading and the enjoyment of books amongst children and indeed, amongst adults as well. There have  been courses in IT to improve the skills of those who want to use  computers, their own or those in the library. All these ventures we hope will continue under the new regime Our thanks must also go to  NYCC library staff who have  made the training sessions so interesting and enjoyable. Although we in the Community library will continue to have some  professional support, we hope that borrowers and members of the public will realise that we are still on a  learning curve. We ask for their forbearance and patience as we learn to do the job to the best of our ability. I’m sure I write for all volunteers involved with other  branch libraries in similar situations.

KATHLEEN KINDER, Northfields Avenue, Settle