Distasteful image (From Craven Herald)

Distasteful image

10:50am Saturday 20th March 2010 in

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Sir - I am sure I am not alone in feeling disappointed by the slightly distasteful image on your last front page, which shows a jubilant woman swigging champagne from a bottle, next to the triumphant headline, “Here’s to the end of the wind farm”.

Is it appropriate for your paper to celebrate so openly the rejection of yet another application for renewable energy generation?

While I am not from a scientific background, it is quite alarming to find almost half the UK population do not believe human activity has any part to play in a globally rising climate, despite an overwhelming scientific consensus. Articles such as that in last week’s Herald can only encourage this level of wilful denial amongst the general population.

The problem with us human beings is that we love an easy life. Any excuse will do for us to feel justified in keeping things as they are. That’s why it just takes a couple of weeks of frosty weather for us to suddenly feel that the whole concept of man-made global warming is a load of doom-mongering rubbish, fit only to be chucked into the dustbin of wrong ideas.

While many people still doubt that humans have any part to play in our rising world climate, what is undeniable is that industrial activity has led to an increase in ocean acidification of 30 per cent over the last 250 years. (This has been revealed by analyses of ocean sediments and also of coral growth.) Basically, the carbon dioxide that we create by combustion is converted into carbonic acid, which is slowly making the oceans more and more acidic. This is why corals are dissolving all over the world.

Furthermore, ocean acidification has started to affect the ability of phyto-plankton to convert carbon dioxide into oxygen. Bad news, I am afraid, for you, for me and for our grandchildren.

We all need to put our shoulders to the pump in a grand effort to convert as quickly as we can to renewable energy and to reduce the amount of carbon dioxide we emit into the atmosphere.

I think it’s best to keep the champagne for when we bring the World Cup home from South Africa or, better still, the Ashes from Australia. But let’s not waste it by celebrating another piece of depressing news regarding our sustainable future on this beautiful planet.

Nick Hewes, Nelson Street, Skipton

Stunning building

Sir - Like Councillor Knowles-Fitton, I too find the new HML building stunning.

I grew up in Skipton and, on a recent visit, as we approached the town I was stunned to see a modern leviathan where once there had been sheep grazing in a green field. I was even more stunned when travelling along Gargrave Road or out of Aireville Park to see this steel and glass monster crouching over the old buildings there.

I asked myself, “Is this the right building in the wrong place, or the wrong building in the right place?” But no, for the small, historic market town of Skipton, the Gateway to the Dales, it is the wrong building in the wrong place.

Anna Shepherd, Royston Road, Whittlesford, Cambridge

Bus station danger

Sir - On February 8 I was waiting for the bus to Keighley at Skipton bus station and noticed the bus lane door was open before the bus came in.

I checked it on the way back and then delivered a letter by hand to the council office and spoke to two employees about the door being left open. There was no reply from the council. I noticed the door was open again over another two weeks.

I spoke to a bus inspector about the door being still open and he said he had informed the council four times, but there had been no action. He said other open doors had been removed and were to be replaced with “draught excluders”.

So I have written to Health and Safety officials as a child could run on to the concourse and be killed. Also, on Monday March 1, the gutter was leaking and rain was coming into the waiting area. The bus station was full of litter and there was no semblance of a decent, orderly queue.

J Pegg, Belgrave Street, Skipton

It’s all innocent

Sir - In response to Peter Marshall (Letters, March 11), I was pleased that he acknowledged “the fantastic charitable work done by Freemasons”, but I was saddened that he regarded them with suspicion and cynicism when he said that “people don’t know whether members in positions of authority use that to help Freemasons ahead of other members of society.”

He advocates a declaration of membership, but to whom and how? This would only amount to getting another large bureaucratic database which must of necessity include Rotarians, Lions, Buffs, Catenians and, of course, to conform with Harriet Harman’s Equality Bill, Lady Masons, Lady Rotarians, Soroptimists etc, etc. Where would it all end?

As we are fast becoming a “me” and “now” society, can I suggest that the answer to all this nonsense is to join one of the above honourable, decent and law-abiding organisations and be prepared to put something back in by giving freely of your time and expertise. It really is innocent, worthwhile, satisfying and fun.

David Humphreys, Daisy Mount, Airton

Labour’s answers

Sir - Thank you to everyone who has written in with questions for prospective parliamentary candidates for Skipton and Ripon. In response to a letter from Chris Haslam asking five questions:

1. If elected will your main and only home be in the constituency?

I would base my main home in the constituency, but most MPs have a base both in London and in their constituency to both be accessible to local residents and attend votes and speak on issues. I would still make sure I had a base in London too for these reasons.

2. Will you give up any other job, to represent your constituents full-time?

I will definitely give up any other jobs. Isee being an MP not only as a privilege, but as a full-time job, and struggle to understand those who do not see it like this. I really do hope the Conservative candidate will be able to commit to this too.

3. Will you give up all directorships, financial or other interests so as to be a full-time MP?

I do not hold any directorships or have any other financial interests. I would seek to continue with charity work where possible, not only because of my personal experience in volunteering for charities, such as travelling to Tanzania to deliver gift boxes to HIV orphans put together by schoolchildren, but also because it is a great way of really being an active member of the community. It is easy to let politics take over every aspect of your life and I believe charity work is a real way to avoid that happening and being able to give something back at the same time.

4. Will you and your family use only state schools and NHS services?

I do not have a family of my own, but being state-schooled and coming from a family of teachers, I have seen how increased investment, refurbishing schools and lowering class sizes has really helped. I only use NHS services.

I feel the NHS is a national institution to be proud of and not only worthy of all Labour’s investment, but guarantees such as ensuring every patient thought to have cancer can have tests and results within two weeks are absolutely vital to early diagnosis. Labour are going to make this a one-week guarantee, which will save up to 10,000 lives each year.

5. What practical experience have you of working in “the real world”?

I have worked either part or full-time since I turned 14. At one time I had two part-time jobs alongside working to achieve qualifications. I have some varied experience, from waitressing and working in a shop in my local town, to managing around 70 people and then moving to grow a small Business in the welfare to work industry, helping long-term unemployed people find work again.

I have also worked voluntarily since I was 15. From getting out and talking to people on the doorstep for a local MP and helping arrange community events, to being an intern on the Obama campaign in Virginia in 2008 and taking part in charity work in Africa, I have a lot of very useful experience alongside a very strong work ethic and would very much thrive in being able to apply them to helping and representing you.

Claire Hazelgrove, Labour PPC for Skipton and Ripon, Skipton Road, Cononley

Young and jobless

Sir - In a survey that I and other Lib Dem campaigners have been conducting in Skipton Market, when asked “What is the most urgent issue for Skipton and Ripon?’’ over 90 per cent of people answered “youth employment”.

Prior to being selected as prospective parliamentary candidate, I had worked as the local Lib Dem youth and equality officer where I saw first-hand the disastrous effect youth unemployment has. The current number of NEETs (young people not in employment, education or training) is at an all-time high and speaks to the utter failure of the Government’s policy towards our young people.

As a party, the Liberal Democrats realise the scale of the crisis and have introduced costed policies that would open up job opportunities for those who struggle to find work after leaving college, university or school.

We have introduced the “90-day promise”, which means no young person would spend more than three months without getting financial support to access training, education, work experience or specialist professional help.

We will do this by paying any young person completing an internship or work experience post £55 a week (£5 more than current Jobseekers Allowance) for three months.

At present, only young people from better-off families can afford to build up their work experience. Our proposals will mean that up to 800,000 young people from all backgrounds will be able to take these opportunities.

What is vital is that we encourage local employers to provide work experience for our youngsters, without making it costly or detrimental to their business.

At the same time it is also vital that young people do not spend long periods on state benefits, such as Jobseekers Allowance, which inevitably builds up inertia and depression about future prospects. The idea is to break the cycle before it even starts and not have people claiming benefits long-term.

Such measures are vital in Skipton and local areas, as rural areas are even more vulnerable to the effects of lack of investment during this recession.

Helen Flynn, Liberal Democrat Prospective MP for Skipton & Ripon, Carr Farm, Low Lane, Darley

Helping the young

Sir - Following the letters of Messrs Stevenson and Flynn last week, I am grateful for the opportunity to answer their questions.

On the issue of opportunities for young people, I agree recent statistics are concerning. That is why in January I launched “back to work” and “young enterprise” sessions to use my recruitment background to assist in a practical way to help young people looking for job. I have now met and continued one-to-one discussions with a number of young people (and older people) across the constituency as a result.

We also need to create more local work opportunities for young people. During the past few months I have been encouraging local business to offer apprenticeship opportunities via Craven College and I am pleased these are bearing results. Craven’s apprenticeship programme gives young people in the constituency excellent work and training opportunities.

In early March, we held the second meeting of the Skipton and Ripon Business Initiative – a group of major employers in the constituency whom I have asked to meet twice a year. The main aim is to think of ways to encourage more people to take the plunge and set up a business, thus creating more job opportunities.

Alan Halsall, chairman of Silver Cross Prams, is now developing a programme of “Dragons Den” style mentoring sessions. This will allow young entrepreneurs to get free advice, guidance and, potentially, investment from local business leaders. It is very exciting.

Having myself seen an opportunity to set up a business from nothing when I was younger, I want to now encourage more young people to “just do it”, whatever the product or market opportunity. For the record, my firm recruits “back office” roles for trust and transaction banks – we do not recruit investment bankers.

This week, I have also met Skipton Youth Council and young people going through the Entry to Employment programme in Ripon. The feedback is that Mr Stevenson is right that politicians in Skipton and Ripon have not always listened to the needs of this part of our society and I have been determined, through my campaign and if elected, to address this. There are major issues from housing and transport costs to inclusion in the political process.

I believe my charity work with Training For Life, which offers real work experience to disadvantaged young people, has helped me understand how charities as well as government can help.

In answer to further questions on my residence, as I have always said I have all my family roots in North Yorkshire and County Durham and therefore have known the constituency all my life, but have been running a business in London and therefore have been living there.

As to Mr Stevenson’s question on location, as I have said previously, the role of an MP is to play an active part in the local community and hold regular surgeries, but also to represent constituents strongly and passionately at Westminster.

At a time when public finances are depleted and there will be a fight for every penny, I believe whoever is Skipton and Ripon’s next MP must spend as much time as required listening to what is needed across the constituency and then spend as much time as needed fighting our corner at Westminster.

Julian Smith, Prospective Parliamentary Candidate Skipton and Ripon, Churchill House, Otley Street, Skipton

Sceptical on Europe

Sir - May I take the liberty of addressing one or two claims that Julian Smith, Skipton and Ripon Conservative Party Prospective Parliamentary Candidate (PPC), makes (Letters, February 18) as he attempts to establish both his and his party’s eurosceptic credentials for the forthcoming election.

Mr Smith is clearly not going to let facts get in the way of a good story when he states that he and his party are going to fight to halt the transfer of further powers to the EU.

Can he, therefore, outline exactly how he and his party intend to do this when the Lisbon Treaty, which has recently been signed by this government, includes a self-amending clause (Art 48) allowing the appropriation of more competencies without having recourse to further treaties. What is more, those competencies may be acquired by qualified majority voting; member states do not have power of veto.

Furthermore, can he explain how powers ceded to the EU can be returned to the UK when the ratchet clause aquis communautaire forbids this; powers only go one way – to Brussels. Mr Smith and his party should know this as it was the Conservative Party which signed the Maastricht Treaty in 1992 which formally embraced this principle in community law – maybe they have forgotten!

In a separate letter to me, Mr Smith also claimed, rather ludicrously, that his position on Europe is the polar opposite to that of David Curry MP. I would suggest that Shipley Conservative MP Phillip Davies who, along with other independently-minded MPs, MEPs, lords and PPCs who have signed up to the ‘Better off out campaign’, organised by the Freedom Association, are the exemplary polar opposites of Mr Curry.

These anomalies lead me to believe that we are, yet again, being strung along by Mr Smith and his party for electioneering purposes.

Nothing they have said convinces me that they are anything other than fully committed to remaining in the sclerotic leviathan EU and therefore, by default, fully recognising and sanctioning the continued governance of Britain by commissioners in Brussels whom we do not elect and cannot dismiss.

AJA Smith, Colne Road, Glusburn

Scaremongering

Sir - I thought the article on the boundary review of the Lakes and Yorkshire Dales National Parks that is currently being undertaken by Natural England (Herald, March 4) fair and balanced.

The piece has clearly raised some concerns and it might be useful if I cleared these up.

Firstly, any increase in the size of the national park does not automatically mean the number of councillors from North Yorkshire or any other local authority currently represented on our board would reduce.

The national park authority’s own response to the consultation makes clear that the membership of the authority should be increased to both adequately reflect the political representation of the new areas and to maintain the current level of representation within the existing national park area.

Secondly, the consultation is not about the name of the national park. There is no possibility that the name “Yorkshire” will be dropped from the title of the national park. It’s a good “news” story, but I’m afraid it is nothing more than scaremongering.

Lastly, the claim that was made by one of your correspondents a couple of weeks ago – that the cost of the proposals will be “£5m conservatively and ongoing” – was simply breathtaking. At a time when government grant for public services is likely to be reduced, these proposals, if enacted, will bring more money into the area and reduce the burden on local council taxpayers.

Frankly, I’d rather see this money being put to good use in these areas rather than sitting in Mr Brown’s or Mr Cameron’s coffers to pay the bankers.

One last point if I may and, of course, this is the critical one: these areas represent some of the most outstanding landscapes in the whole of the UK. They offer fantastic opportunities for public enjoyment and, goodness knows, we could all do with a bit more of that at the moment. This is what the consultation is really about.

Carl Lis, chairman, Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority, Colvend, Grassington

Unbalanced view

Sir - Regarding your comments about Skipton Castle’s plans to build a car park (Herald, February 25), I cannot expect you to have a balanced view seeing as though the following week you are trying to sell your newspaper by offering free tickets to the castle. I would, however, expect some sort of realism.

You state that the loss of nine mature trees would be a “short-term disadvantage”. The trees in question had been there before any Craven Herald readers were born.

Are the replacements going to have some magical “Jack and The Beanstalk” properties? Sounds more like Jackanory to me!

The loss of the trees, coupled with the noise and light pollution from 193 cars and coaches and their occupants, will have a devastating effect on the wildlife in the adjacent Skipton Woods.

The effect of coach engines running, car radios at full blast and car alarms would also shatter the peace and quiet in Skipton Woods for residents and visitors alike, an area which in itself is an important attraction of Skipton.

As for the “beneficial effects for businesses” in the town, how can allowing the castle to create a “one-stop shop” for tourists to the town have a beneficial effect?

Visitors to the castle will be encouraged to park in the castle car park, bring a picnic to eat in the car park or use the castle’s own café and have no need to visit the town itself.

It will take more than a few oversized, brightly-coloured sheep (surely an April Fool’s joke in the making, but don’t get me started on that one!) to get visitors to the castle to actually visit the town.

So I would urge that not only the councillors, but businesses and residents of Skipton say no to Skipton Castle’s latest attempt at out-of-town tourism.

Richard Addyman, Duke Street, Skipton