Readers' Letters (From Craven Herald)

Readers' Letters

10:50am Friday 18th May 2012 in Readers' Letters

Tourism is not a subsidiary industry

Sir - So Coun Welch doesn’t know of a married man with a wife and two children who is involved in tourism, doesn’t believe that tourism creates full-time jobs and thinks that tourism is a subsidiary industry (Craven Herald, May 10).

For an elected councillor of some years standing, Coun Welch shows a surprising lack of knowledge and understanding of the economy of the area he represents. He only needs to walk around Settle Town Centre to find many examples of businesses that, directly or indirectly, rely on visitors for their continued existence and which are run by ‘full-time’ men and women and employ ‘full-time’ men and women.

The economic sustainability of Settle and surrounding area depends absolutely on its ability to attract visitors who will spend money in the shops, markets, cafes, pubs, restaurants, hotels, B&Bs, holiday cottages, caravan sites, camp sites, galleries, museums and other visitor attractions. These businesses are, in the main, small independent family run businesses.

The devastating economic consequences of the restrictions imposed during the 2001 Foot and Mouth outbreak demonstrated unequivocally how important the visitor economy is to our area.

A subsidiary industry? – I don’t think so!

A vital local industry with great potential for growth? – most definitely!

It is such a disappointment that Coun Welch chooses to make such ill-informed comments at just the time local businesses, the town council, market traders and community groups are pulling together to attract more visitors to the town which, in turn, will help reinvigorate the local economy, protect our high street, protect existing jobs and create new jobs.

Steve Amphlett, Settle Town Councillor

No disrespect

Sir - Thank God for people like Councillor Welch who are prepared to speak their minds. Speaking the truth these days is becoming ever more difficult in the face of politically correct ‘professionals’ who seem to be more interested in an agenda of sophistry than realism.

It is absolutely clear that Coun Welch meant no disrespect towards women.

Glyn Edwards, Hellifield

Utterly ridiculous

Sir - I find the comments that appeared in the Craven Herald on May 3 that the wind turbines at Brightenber will create an “industrial landscape” to be utterly ridiculous.

It seems to me that the ‘Friends of the Craven Landscape’ in their privileged cocoons have never experienced a truly industrial landscape.

I used to live less than a mile from an oil refinery that was about three miles long. My commute to work took me past at least half a dozen fossil fuelled power stations before cutting through a car factory on my way to the cable factory where I worked.

I suspect that those campaigning against the Brightenber wind farm all use the products from an oil refinery, they all use electricity, they all drive cars and they all use telephones that operate over wires made in a cable factory.

That these people cannot even countenance a few graceful structures in their vicinity that will make a sustainable contribution to supporting their lifestyle is immoral.

A ‘wind farm’ is just that, a farm that harvests the energy of the wind; and like most farms it is right at home in the countryside. Given the scaled down version with just three turbines, it is perhaps more of a ‘wind small-holding’ than a ‘wind farm’. To balance the FOCL propaganda I suggest that your readers look up www.Yes2Wind.com and send in their letters of support for this planning application to the Council as soon as possible.

Please, Craven District Council, only consider objections to this planning application from those who can prove that they do not use any electricity from the grid.

Richard Ednay, East Marton

Utterly ridiculous

Sir - Not long after the case of the flower stall-holders and Boots,we now hear that Royal London which manages the Rackhams building is also demanding thousands of pounds of six stall-holders outside Rackhams.

It’s the same thing happening all over again but on a much larger scale. There are many questions to answer here. Why didn’t Royal London continue taking rent after they took over from Rackhams? Why did they let it lapse and why didn't they provide the proof of ownership they wereasked for years ago?

I’m sure the stallholders would have been happy to pay in those circumstances - after all nobody gets anything for nothing - but for the whole issue to be ignored for years and then suddenly rise up to hit them hard seems very strange.

We have already lost one very good stall over this from outside Boots and if we lose six more from the other side of the High Street we might as well as not have a market at all. Skipton is known everywhere as a market town and this brings in visitors to spend their money and boost our economy.

Surely Royal London can see this and could back down by agreeing there has been mistakes on both sides and making new rules so the stall-holders can start paying rent from now on. Let the past be past and save our market for Skipton’s future prosperity.

Patricia Mason, Sackville Street, Skipton

Most grateful

Sir - I wish to thank all those very kind people who came to my aid when my classic car was damaged in the above mentioned accident. In particular the gentleman from Earby who took me for a cup of tea and a sit down while I got over the shakes. Names I have not – I am most grateful to you all.

Ron Wilcock Tarn Moor Crescent, Skipton

Shops we need

Sir - When is the Chamber of Trade for Skipton going to realise that we don’t need any more charity shops, card shops, coffee shops or takeaways in Skipton. What is needed is a grocery or freezer shop in the town centre. After all not everyone can get to Morrisons and Tesco. A few more clothing shops would not go amiss either.

Mrs D Allen Skipton

Happy to assist

Sir - In response to Patricia Mellors’ letter of May 4, I’d like to reassure Ms Mellor that we are working hard to ensure all employees across our network are aware of our policy with regard to the conveyance of mobility scooters on Northern trains.

Our conductors are happy to assist with the loading or unloading of foldable mobility scooters and we provide ramps at accessible stations to allow wheelchair users to board and alight.

As mobility scooters come in a wide variety of shapes and sizes, many have problems on trains, not just ours, including tipping backwards on ramps; being heavier than the ramp’s safe working load; or being the wrong shape to manoeuvre safely inside a carriage.

Because of this and with the safety of our passengers in mind, we do not accept any type of scooter for travel on our services, regardless of size, unless it can be folded and carried on board as a piece of luggage.

With regard to Ms Mellor’s concerns about concessions for our disabled passengers, it clearly states on the Disabled Persons Railcard website that concessions without a railcard are only granted to those who are visually impaired or wheelchair users. The website also advises scooter users who wish to travel by rail, to contact the train company prior to travel, to check they can safely accommodate a scooter.

It is disappointing to hear Ms Mellor and Ms Taylor had an unpleasant experience while travelling with Northern between Skipton and Leeds and I will be raising the incident mentioned with the train crew concerned.

Peter Myers, Head of Service Quality, Northern Rail

No communication

Sir - Two responses to the low turnout for the local elections, average 36.6 per cent, were people's disenchantment and the attitude to politicians of ‘a plague on all your houses’. No councillor can take any joy out of being elected on such low turn- outs. But how are electors supposed to choose who to vote for?

We had no literature from either of our candidates so any vote would have been for a party or on a totally uninformed basis. To argue that it is not possible to deliver a leaflet setting out at least some basic local interests which would be pursued if the candidate was successful is not true.

The information given in the Craven Herald required people to buy the paper in the first place and was not exactly very informative.

More than 40 years ago I lived in an area which was more remote than where I live now. At local, county, and general elections we canvassed and leafleted every house and remote farm in the election district. We relied on a few dedicated people who were willing to give time and effort to work for their candidate. Turnout was more than 60 per cent.

If candidates don’t make any contact with the electorate why should the electorate feel that their vote matters? Prospective candidates are not expected to do this every year, only at most every three years. A little more enthusiasm from those wanting to be elected might find a similar response from those who elect them.

Gill Hall, Lothersdale

Bring feud to an end

Sir - I would like to congratulate Chris Moorby on his victory in our local elections and commiserate with Nick Thwaite on his narrow defeat.

I hope that they can now rise above all past grievances and work together as a team holding the interests of both Hellifield and Long Preston at heart.

I am Hellifield born and bred and am loyal to my village but I worked in Long Preston before my accident and got on well with the residents there. I would like to think that together, through their work, Chris and Nick could take this opportunity to end the long-standing feud between the two villages.

Eric Belt, Hellifield

Real conviction

Sir - I note with some amusement that Coun Ady Green has been the saviour of the village of Cowling, according to his literature that he put out during the election.

I must take him to task however, regarding the village hall sager that continues to rumble on, or should I say “rubbles” on, because that’s all the village has, rubble.

Apart from a nice shell of a building if passers-by were to look inside they would see that it still has no floors, no plaster on the walls, electricity or water!

How many years has this gone on for and what input has Coun Green had to put an end to the villager’s misery? Those are the on-going questions that find no answers.

So now the old hall is sold, and may I remind Coun Green how he tried to force the Parish Council to hand it over to Skipton Properties with a mythical letter that said they had to, for nothing in return.

As the clerk for the Parish Council, I can see many arguments from many sides to do with many issues, but I have never seen such conviction from a Parish Council as this. They have stood fast against Standards Boards complaints one after another, argued until they have been blue in the face that the old hall did not have to be given away, and they were proven right.

And what is their financial benefit for such tireless work, nothing, not even the recognition from other village groups that they have achieved something monumental for the village.

I for one, am truly thankful that a group of volunteers have put themselves forward to be Parish Councillors and upheld the democratic right to fight for what they believe in, to do the right thing, and to put others first.

Well done Cowling Parish Councillors, past and present.

A Mallinson, Clerk to Cowling Parish Council.

Intrigued by claim

Sir - As a member of the Lytham Gardens Play Area committee I was intrigued to read that Coun Eric Jaquin has stated in his election campaign leaflets that he has been “Closely involved in the recent works at Lytham Gardens Play Area”.

Forgive me if I am speaking out of turn here Mr Jaquin but can I ask how you have helped us?

A handful of parents and local councillor Wendy Clark have single-handedly raised £8,084.20 in six months to be able to install the second-hand equipment in the neglected play area and I don’t remember seeing you fill in forms, pack bags in supermarkets or simply beg people for their hard-earned money!

I am reliably informed that the closest you got to helping was chairing the public services committee where our chairman came to ask the committee for the used equipment which was surplus to requirements.

Please Mr Jaquin do not use our hard work and commitment to fight your election campaign.

Natalie Wright, Treasurer Friends of Lytham Gardens Play Area

Voting doesn’t help

Sir - In last week’s edition (page 18) you reported that the residents of Granville Street had held a party to celebrate the magnificent cherry blossom trees that are to be chopped down to make way for an ugly, low quality, high density housing estate that was nodded through by councillors despite the overwhelming opposition of local people and organisations such as the Civic Society.

On the opposite page you reported that the turnout in recent local elections was the lowest for at least 20 years with only 36.6 per cent of those eligible bothering to vote, presumably because the majority believe councillors fail to represent their views and voting doesn’t make any difference.

I wonder if these two stories may be in some way connected?

Bill Carmichael, West Bank Road Skipton