10:20am Saturday 13th March 2010
Sir - Once again I write about the reorganisation of refuse collection in Craven – the third in as many years. The new methodology is clearly ill-conceived, inefficient and not too environmentally friendly.
We have just had the first experience of leaving out a blue bag, marked for paper and cardboard. We were not told whether these were being collected or simply emptied and returned. It is apparently the latter. What a mess!
Here are some examples of what happens to emptied bags in my street – left on the path loose, left on the lawn with a small pebble holding it down, draped on a tree branch, stuffed in a bush/under a bush, jammed under a car wheel, placed under a car windscreen wiper.
All methods, I guess, are to stop the wind catching the bags. It will not work! It’s almost as if the workers are having a competition to see who can leave it in the most ridiculous place.
What seems to have been missed is that many residents are out all day and will return in the dark (literally and figuratively), not knowing where their bag is, or whether they were supposed to have one returned.
The council says if you need a new bag, just ring up and a person drives from the depot to deliver it! How friendly is that to the environment?
The council’s communication of this new system leaves a lot to be desired, evidenced today by all colours of bins left out at the end of drives as many are confused as to what the council wants to collect on what day. Yes, we have been issued with a pretty, coloured calendar. How many will retain it until July 2011 and use it effectively remains to be seen.
The list of exceptions for each container is too long and convoluted to repeat here or observe. Suffice it to say, I doubt if anyone consults it or complies with it, eg no window envelopes in the paper bag, no pyrex or ceramics in the glass, garden vegetables are OK but food waste is not allowed in garden waste – both the latter rot down nicely.
The council pleads with us not to overfill our green bins, yet directs us to place more of these “non-recyclables” in it. The way to stop us overfilling our green bin is to empty them more often. I shudder to think how much stench will be caused if there is a hot summer and green bins containing two weeks of animal faeces are out in the street.
I do wonder just how much recycling actually occurs at the depot or whether this is all window dressing.
I would be interested to hear other readers’ comments on this fiasco.
John Stolarczyk, Clayton Hall Road, Cross Hills
Sir - While I fully support Craven District Council in extending the recycling of household waste, I must express my concerns regarding the blue bags for paper collection. In my opinion, the bags are wholly unsuitable, having neither handles nor any base.
When full they are heavy and I fail to understand how the council expects the elderly and infirm to carry them from their property to the kerbside.
Additionally, they are bulky when full and so I personally keep mine outdoors. Without any kind of flap, I have found the contents soon become very soggy, adding to the weight.
In windy weather, how does the council propose to stop the contents from blowing all over the area, particularly on the roadside awaiting collection? How are the empty bags then to be secured at each property to ensure they are still there when residents return home from work in the evenings?
When I spoke recently to the council expressing my concerns, having had recent surgery and being unable to carry the full bags, I was informed I could apply for an “assisted collection”.
Surely this adds additional time to a collection round and cannot be cost-effective if the uptake of this service is greatly increased?
Chrissie Dodd, Skipton Road, Bradley
Sir - I am ill and feeling feeble. Could I put the blue sack in the blue bin to wheel it out?
Tim Drake, Hammerton Drive, Hellifield
Sir - I wrote some months ago about the vandalism occurring between Skipton and Settle. I’d like to offer a (necessarily selective) update.
Not content with marring the Gargrave Road entrance to Skipton, Skipton Building Society’s subsidiary HML is now determined to turn night into day with its light pollution. So much for its advertised “green building”.
In Coniston Cold, the promise of doubling the size of the village has obviously wet the creative appetite of Coniston Hall Estate: it has taken it upon itself to fell a hillside of trees (near the church) and half-a-dozen mature trees that used to line the lane leading to Bell Busk. Health and safety, the Highways and ‘tree surgeons’ between them will soon turn our country lanes into suburban roads.
If the residents of Hellifield have recently felt the wrath of the anti-tree brigade (in that instance Craven District Council), more greenery is threatened. Developers have resubmitted plans to join the village with Long Preston via an astronomical caravan park and, in the process, ‘disappear’ ancient Bendgate.
The future, if these developers have their way, is for houses (not caravans) to fill in all those empty green fields either side of the A65. But it’s not only private developers who would rid us of the countryside and villages.
Long Preston has been targeted by the national park authority for new houses – in the field next to the over-subscribed primary school. Common sense would envisage saving that site for the school’s expansion.
But housing is the current obsession, not job creation, school places, social amenities or infrastructure.
If the vandals get away with it once, they will, of course, keep coming back until, that is, they move on to other green and pleasant lands.
Bruce McLeod, Otterburn, Skipton
Sir – The article on the Freemasons (Craven Herald, February 25) painted a very positive picture of the fantastic charitable work done by Freemasons and Roger Newhouse is to be congratulated on sharing the information with the public.
Many local charities are indebted to the generosity of local Freemasons and I, for one, was not aware of the scale of their charitable donations.
However, the title of the article was “It’s time for Freemasons to come out in the open” and I feel that the article only scratched the surface.
The reason Freemasons are regarded with suspicion is due to the fact most people never know whether Freemasons in positions of authority are using that position to help fellow Freemasons ahead of other members of society.
If Freemasons really want to come out into the open, they should declare the fact that they are a Freemason.
The most obvious people who should declare their allegiance to Freemasonry are judges, court officials, council officers, local councillors, police officers and any civil servant in a position of authority.
Until such time as Freemasons come out into the open, they will always be regarded with a high degree of suspicion. Perhaps we might get a follow-up article listing members in positions of authority.
Peter Marshall, Raikes Avenue, Skipton
Sir - May I add to the recent letters in support of maintaining the Craven Museum and Gallery intact within the town hall.
The town hall provides the only decent concert hall in Skipton and has a museum with a collection which, in the Raistrick, Holgate, Tottie and Roundel collections, contains a vital record of the intellectual and cultural life of this area and holds within the Roebuck collection, some works of national importance.
The Craven Gallery hosts exhibitions which, thanks to the cultural services staff, are never less than interesting. And what’s more, the town hall is a landmark and magnet for the many visitors to the town.
That the present regime at the district council could even consider selling off this treasure should make them want to hang their heads in shame. Do they not realise that they only hold it in trust for those who come after? That they are merely guardians of Skipton’s patrimony, not owners?
Considering that, twice in the last 15 years, Craven District Council has had the chance of creating a decent art and cultural centre at the town hall and failed to do so, I think it would be no bad thing if the ownership of this valuable resource were handed over to a trust.
David Thomas, Skipton Road, Cross Hills
Sir - I must put finger to keyboard to state my thoughts about the play in Silsden performed by Silsden Community Productions at Silsden Football and Cricket Club.
What a wonderful show it was and it was done by the people local to the area. Parts of it were very humorous and others were very moving. It told the story of former days in the town of Silsden and its people, yet was up to date in parts.
It was written, produced and performed by local people and, just as importantly, local people helped backstage and front-of-house. Both adults and children took part. It was a sell-out and we were lucky to get tickets.
Also it gave us all a chance to see the new sports club building and its potential for other uses.
Can we look forward to a sequel to ‘Right Up Our Street’ in the future?
Many thanks to all concerned. A true community production.
Frank M Robertshaw, Jennings Close, Silsden
Sir - As you have already reported in the Craven Herald, our present Bishop of Bradford is retiring on July 14.
The process to appoint his successor, although ultimately resting with the Crown, involves a great deal of local consultation.
A “Vacancy-in-See” committee has been set up to encourage and facilitate this local consultation and, as an elected member, I write to invite your readers for any opinions or thoughts they may have about the kind of Bishop the Diocese needs to lead it into the next chapter of its life.
We already have in motion a process to enable Church members to make submissions to our committee, but because the Church of England has a responsibility to the whole community, we are also keen to receive submissions from anyone else.
We would especially welcome contributions from those who have been members of the Church in the past and for whom the appointment of a new bishop might have some bearing on their future relationship with the Church.
We will be happy to keep correspondents’ names confidential if requested. Please send contributions to me (preferably by e-mail and marked “New Bishop”) at office@holytrinityskipton. org.uk within the next week.
Canon Adrian Botwright, The Rectory, Rectory Lane, Skipton
Sir - The letter from the Tory prospective parliamentary candidate (Letters, March 5) raises rather more interesting questions than it answers.
Last week we learned from newspapers that North Yorkshire is losing 70 per cent of its 18-year-olds a year, never to return. So will each of the candidates please answer two simple questions – how local are they and what will they do for young people in North Yorkshire?
First, where do they really live? The Liberal Democrat has stated she was born and raised in Yorkshire, she lives in the constituency and her children are educated here.
The Tory simply states: “I have a home near Skipton,” but neatly avoids saying what that means and how long he has lived here. Does not having a “home” mean a place where a person lives with family and integrates with a community, rather than a short-term rental where he stays for a few nights a week as an election base? Being freshly placed on an electoral roll also means little about real residence.
I understand that the Tory candidate’s main residence is actually in London where he lives with his TV executive wife, but doubtless he will correct me if I am mistaken. After all, residence is ultimately far less important than having trust in what candidates tell us.
Second, could each candidate say what they can do to retain young people in this constituency? The Liberal Democrat has said she is a school governor, charity fundraiser and a local youth and equality officer – so could she please tell us what an “equality officer” actually does?
The Tory says: “I consider myself to be an entrepreneur”, but then omits to mention what his business actually does. So I will tell you – he recruits bankers in the City of London and in the Far East. Good luck to him, but how does that experience actually benefit young people in North Yorkshire?
Our current absentee Tory MP has sat imperiously on “his seat” for 20 years. How many people in this constituency can actually name him – let alone have met him? Could not a local MP better and more economically represent us? Not least by travelling from his/her main home in Yorkshire to Westminster and by staying in reasonably-priced accommodation during the week – rather than commuting from their million-pound residence in London to spend nice weekends in a second holiday home in Yorkshire funded by taxpayers?
Such a local MP might even appear visible and accountable to constituents in Skipton and Ripon. I invite each of the candidates to directly address these issues in your paper.
Richard Stevenson, High Mill Farm, Markington
Sir - The Skipton and Ripon Tory candidate claims “local roots” in public and on websites. He must regard being local as important.
From his own utterances and from information provided elsewhere, it seems this City-of-London businessman has not been educated in Yorkshire, has never worked in Yorkshire and has never lived in Yorkshire (prior to his recent short-term let near Gargrave).
Further, his main residence is in London, he votes in London (last month he sat proudly on the 2010 electoral roll as residing in Bow, London E1), his work is in London and Singapore and his business is headquartered in London.
Given these facts, your readers are more than able to assess whether he is London-based or not, whether he is seen here as a “City” business-type parachuted in or not and whether taking a short-term let near Gargrave makes you local or not.
The key issue is, in truth, not whether he was born here. The key issue is why he and his party have chosen to portray him as something he appears not to be. As his friend William Hague and recent national opinion polls would tell him, politicians can get into very hot water by misleading the electorate on domicile, tax or anything else. It’s a matter of trust.
Pete Flynn, Agent for Helen Flynn, Liberal Democrat Prospective MP for Skipton & Ripon, Carr Farm, Low Lane, Darley
Sir - Your report on issues relating to the proposed national park extension (Herald, August 4) demonstrates the self-interest of local councils and councillors.
I find it hard to believe that Lancashire and Westmorland councillors would be any less intelligent than their Yorkshire counterparts. Councillors, hopefully, are appointed to the [Yorkshire Dales National Park) authority based on their experience and knowledge rather than because they have a certain number of votes behind them.
The report also reveals a most surprising ignorance. John Weighell, as leader of North Yorkshire County Council, is reported saying he “strongly objects to the proposal to expand the national park to include areas which do not share the distinctive landscape and cultural character of the Yorkshire Dales”. If he visits the areas concerned, he will find it impossible to identify the join. Any cultural differences are likely to be subtle.
David Butterworth, chief executive of the national park, is quoted as saying, “the national park also contains dales that are not in Yorkshire, such a Dentdale”. That dale is, always has been and always will be a part of Yorkshire. That is unless some misguided Parliament passes an Act changing geographical boundaries.
Thus the percentages quoted by officials are a nonsense. The Yorkshire Dales National Park currently lies entirely within Yorkshire. The proposed extensions would result in, at most, one per cent being in Lancashire and around five per cent in Westmorland.
Given the current intentions of governments to convert large tracts of the English landscape into residential developments, business parks, distribution and service centres etc, not to mention windfarms, I am all in favour of as much of the countryside as possible being designated as national park.
As to the name of the national park, I would prefer no change. A title including ‘Westmorland Dales’ would be a misnomer since the major dales of that county lie in the Lake District National Park.
Bernard Peel, Clayton Hall Road, Cross Hills
Sir - Our North Country is special, with North Yorkshire being named as the most beautiful county in England – and the Lake District being outstanding as well.
But there are many threats, so national parks have to be in the forefront when it comes to dealing with climate change, the protection of the ecosystem (on which we depend) and a halt in the decline of the flora and fauna – again on which we depend.
Farming is going to increase in importance, so we need to protect the land. Extending the protected areas, therefore, is essential and the long-neglected countryside and communities between the Lake District and the Dales should have greater funding, help and protection.
Studies have shown that business is much better in national parks than outside of them, so we should not use this as an excuse for turning down a rare and important opportunity to upgrade its status, a status it deserves.
Appropriate names can be settled after due consultation, but we have a duty to our important landscapes and villages to look after them in the best way we can. Extending both parks is good news.
Hilary Fenten, chairman, Craven CPRE, Selside
Sir – With a proposed name change for our national park being mooted, I would humbly propose “Brigantia”, ie land of the Brigantes, as it is coextensive with the enlarged national park agenda.
It certainly has a ring to it; chiming back down the millennia like a big brass bell. Advancing a fascinating element of history into the national park equation would put meat on the bones. You can only stare at so many sheep and dry stone walls before ennui kicks in.
Then slap-bang-centre we have Ingleborough, that iconic hub of Iron Age Celtic resistance to Roman occupation.
The park authority could even elect a “Queen Cartimandua the Brigantes belle” on an annual basis, whose tenure of office would entail a fundraising profile to provide the wherewithal for the extra car parks needed to meet the tourist upsurge.
The socio-economic benefits are infinite. I wait with bated breath.
Brian Smith, Colne Road, Glusburn
Sir – In recent times the postal services have had a lot of flak from the public. I would like to praise the postman for delivering a letter to me.
It was sent to “Jill Widdop, Skipton”. On reading it, I found it was from a distant cousin who had read an article I had written in Rye’s Own magazine in 2006.
Gill Widdop, Regent Drive, Skipton
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