8:50am Saturday 20th June 2009
Sir - If the council goes ahead with the ludicrous scheme to only empty the bins once a fortnight, will we get a reduction in our rates?
I think not, but the bin collection is just about the only service left in which we can still see where our money is actually going.
Now they want to take this service away from us.
If any private companies told their customers that they were going to cut the service they were providing, but still wanted to charge the same, many people would simply move to another company.
We, as rate payers, don’t have that luxury, but we should at least be able to expect the service for which we are paying.
Weekly waste collection is a fundamental part of the council’s service and it must not be allowed to take this away from us on the back of some green agenda when it is simply down to gross mis-management.
In Spain, for instance, the yearly cost of rates is around 250 euros and for this you get the waste collected seven nights a week, every week. Surely then, it’s not too much to expect ours to be emptied the once.
And what of the workers who run the service? Presumably some of them will lose their jobs.
Why not get rid of a few pen-pushers and let the real workers get on with their jobs, or stop pouring all the money into massive pension pots. The service to the public should come first.
If this scheme gets the go-ahead, we should all get together every other week and take our rubbish to the Town Hall and drop the lot on the front steps.
J Brewster, Millholme Rise, Embsay
Sir - The catalogue of self-praise and puffery called “The newspaper of the Craven District Council” is once again foisted upon us.
Parking charges rise, essential public lavatories close, refuse collection is to be cut, but this fatuous waste of taxpayers’ money is allowed to continue.
I don’t doubt that it was created by foolish Lib Dems, but Tories, now said to be in charge, are supposed to have some economic common sense. They are supposed to know that the number one jobs for a local authority are to provide public conveniences and empty dustbins. And that if anything has to be cut, it is PR flam.
It is certainly not about using this (Lincolnshire printed) propaganda sheet to brag about “saving” £2,291 and spending £4,300 on this straight-to-blue-bin waste paper; or crowing that each copy costs “just” 16 pence. Try charging that and see how many copies you sell.
But what can be expected when the leader of the council refuses a proper inquiry into what could be – for all we know – financial malfeasance on a flipping Westminster scale? And also his barefaced Blair/Campbell-size impudence to describe it as “of no more than academic interest”.
If we taxpayers are not given the facts about these dealings, I fear Councillor Chris Knowles-Fitton may go down in Craven’s history as “not Fitton for purpose”.
Michael Green, Skipton Road, Gargrave
Sir - Like many other readers I have just received the recent copy – issue five – of “Your Craven”. Page two has a message from the leader of the council.
It appears that he is expecting the residents to believe that a loan that is said to be quite legitimate was taken out without knowing why.
I would have thought that was easy to solve; just ask the lender and the person who requested it. There must have been paperwork, or are we to believe it was just a verbal agreement between parties unknown for purposes unknown? I’m sure there are lots of people interested as to how they can do the same.
I suggest he underestimates the people’s intelligence and treats them with contempt. He needs to tell the truth and stop digging the hole that they are in before it gets so deep he wouldn’t be able to get out of it at all.
There is no doubt that a public inquiry would be costly, but it would stop any further speculation; hopefully establishing the truth prior to the heads rolling.
The easy answer is to give the money back, get rid of the Walter Mitty personnel, shelve the big ideas and consider abolishing the authority.
If one thinks about it, there are logical reasons that would make this practical.
It would stop the self-centred individuals who seek prestige causing further problems, as it is now apparent that they are unfit for purpose and must go before they cause any more, thus making further savings to the public purse.
PC Baker, Hopp’s Road, Glusburn
Sir - I was delighted to read the article about Jane Pratt, from Hellifield (Craven Herald, May 28) regarding her second win as “best- dressed lady” at Wetherby Racecourse.
The story was published while I was away on holiday in Turkey, but was saved for me by parents.
Although we have lost touch over the years, my sons are around the same age as Jane and her brother James.
My name is Ann Greene and my sons are Shaun and Ryan (the former, after a long stint serving HMS in the Army, now settled and married in Skipton with a daughter; the latter now a successful head chef and award-winning recipient of the coveted Salon Culinaire).
Way back in 1987, Jane and her mother Wendy, together with myself and my sons, enjoyed a unique “once in a lifetime” holiday during October on a remote island off the Firth of Lorne in NNW Scotland.
‘Garvellach’ was totally uninhabited, save for stag deer, golden eagles and an abundance of wildlife.
It was an amazing experience – no electricity, gas or mains water and we all lived “as nature intended” with another friend – Elaine Brown, from Carleton (prior to having her children Polly and Freddie).
What a revelation, over 20 years after, to see such a sophisticated young lady. During our stay on Garvellach we “slummed it” in old clothes which we burnt at the end of the day, before a roaring log fire in our isolated and primitive bothy.
What is perhaps so opportune is that I recently moved house and ‘unearthed’ some long-forgotten photos of the aforementioned, together with a diary of our day-to-day events and activities – which included Jane’s mum Wendy fishing for pollock for our supper and tracking down the resident pigmy shrew which nestled in our only sofa.
What a life away from Jane’s present sophistication.
Mrs A Green, Shortbank Road, Skipton
Sir - The fact that the world is running out of food has been apparent for the last decade and more – not only food, but water, fuel and land.
Action is desperately needed – now. But how do we reduce the world population including here in Britain? Should we follow the Chinese example of the one-child family? This has played a role in the growth of China on the world stage.
We need urgently to tackle the religious and cultural objections to this here and abroad. Here in the UK, and Yorkshire in particular, we need to get “waste” land into use.
Lower moorland should be re-afforested, providing a sustainable fuel and an aid to climate control and, dare l say it, improving our already wonderful countryside.
Doubtless the grouse shooters and some others will have something to grouse about.
However much we love our diverse natural life, can we really put these interests before humans and starvation? It may, though, lead to an improvement in our wildlife.
At lower levels, does sheep farming play as large a role as in the days of wool and meat? Perhaps not.
Should we not be examining a return to crop growing? Will not new varieties of seeds etc allow us to use the lower meadows and fields for grain production and for livestock?
A bonus of all the above would be more work in our dales – forestry, farming, plus all the associated industry.
Perhaps some knowledgeable people would like to address these issues. What alternatives are there?
Time is of the essence.
Roy Ormond, Brindley Court, Skipton
Sir - Readers of letters in local newspapers, such as this one and others across the United Kingdom, responded to my appeal for Royal Navy electricians to join their new association and find their old shipmates from electrical messes on board ships and from courses at places such as HMS Collingwood.
Well, they wrote in their hundreds. And to show that the system works, I have been reunited with an old shipmate I joined up with in January 1958. Thank you from me as well. We will be meeting up at South Downs Holiday Village at our next reunion.
If you didn’t see the first letter and you or a member of your family served in the Royal Navy, in the electrical department, and would like to meet up with your old mess mates, send your name and address, service number (if you can remember it) and a couple of second-class stamps to help association funds, to Mike Crowe, Royal Naval Electrical Branch Association, 7 Heath Road, Lake, Sandown, Isle of Wight PO36, 8PG for details (please leave the self-adhesive stamps on their backing paper) or e-mail me on mike.crowe1@btinternet.com
Most importantly, what was your favourite ship and where would you like to be ‘taken back to’?
Which ships are mentioned already? Here are a few: HM Ships Ark Royal (old and new), Bacchante, Bermuda, Caprice, Dundas, Eagle, Gambia, Harrier, Kenya, Lincoln, Newfoundland, Protector, Ranpura, St Vincent, Superb, etc, etc.
How’s that for just a sample as an alphabetical appetiser? With more than 200 listed, the question is which old shipmate is looking for you? And, more to the point, which old shipmate would you like to find again?
Not convinced the association is for you? Visit our website at meba.org.uk Thank you local newspapers.
Mike Crowe, Heath Road, Sandown, Isle of Wight
Sir - One in three of us is diagnosed with cancer at some stage, which means all of us will be affected by the illness in some way.
Macmillan Cancer Support is here for everyone who needs our support, no matter who they are, where they live or what type of cancer they have. We are also there for their family and loved ones.
All our Macmillan professionals – nurses, information offices, benefits advisors and many others – do a wonderful job in delivering this support.
However, I would like to draw your attention to our equally important Macmillan volunteers, thousands of whom give willingly of their time, enthusiasm and energy to raise money to fund our vital services.
I want to say a massive “thank you” to our volunteers in the Skipton area who organise events, hold collecting tins, help out with administration, give talks – and use their skills and imagination in so many ways to support Macmillan’s services. It is only with their support that we’re here for all the people who need us.
New volunteers are always very welcome, and we have a whole host of different opportunities available depending on people’s interests and availability.
If you would like to find out how you can get involved, please ring me on 01904 756403 or email rlupton@macmillan.org.uk or go to macmillan.org.uk/volunteer.
Roohi Lupton, Macmillan Fundraising Manager, Fawcett Street, York
Sir – I recently took my grandson to Sutton for a change of venue and was amazed at the facilities and care that is put into the park in the village.
Isn’t it a shame that the park in Skipton is so limited? It could be amazing.
In Sutton there is a much better children’s playground, a paddling pool, putting, tennis, bowls, a tea room, lovely walkways and planted areas, benches to sit on, covered pagoda-type sitting areas, a lovely little stream and even chickens that entertained my grandson.
After all the OTT schemes for the Granville Street field next to the park, it would be a feasible idea to just put some time and effort and a little finance into extending our limited facilities at Aireville Park, making the canal next to the field a feature.
It could bring lots of families into Skipton.
Lynn Van Dyke, Hall Croft, Skipton
Sir - I should like to point out that my original letter, that you kindly published on May 28, was a plea for lymphoedema services to be provided at Airedale Hospital. It was useful to learn of the services provided by Justine Whitaker at Slaidburn (Letters, June 11). However good it may be though, it is still not local to the Skipton area.
I wish to point out that my GP is excellent and has worked hard on my behalf since my initial cancer diagnosis and I have nothing but praise for the sensitive care I have received.
Janet Sturgess, Eshton Road, Gargrave
Sir – Praise the Lord and pass the ammunition! How heart-warming it was to read “A Craven Diary” (Craven Herald, June 4) and chairman Councillor David Crawford’s intention to reintroduce prayers into the chamber of the whited sepulchre for Craven District Council’s born-again councillors.
And while on the theme of divine intervention, how about politicians saying grace prior to submitting claims for expenses?
As for the electronic system to curtail verbosity in the chamber, may I suggest the pragmatic option of a remote-controlled trap door that would plunge the offending windbag into the oblivion of an ice cold bath.
B Smith, Colne Road, Glusburn
Sir - As passionate democrats we were heartened to read, on the Craven Herald’s front page (June 11), that “Bins Plan Meetings”.
Good on them, we say, let’s be public-spirited and give them the vote.
That way, when our council’s drive to improve services halves the number of rubbish collections, we can look forward to your reporting that “Bins Are Revolting”.
David and Tricia Rees-Jones, Craven Terrace, Settle
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