Chamber does not represent traders

I feel that the headline is misleading, first because the Settle Chamber of Trade meeting at which it was decided to withdraw its objection to Booths' application for release from restrictions on what it could sell was poorly attended, and second, because many traders in Settle are not members of the Chamber of Trade and therefore do not necessarily subscribe to the view put forward.

I was, indeed, surprised to read that Settle Chamber of Trade now wholeheartedly supports Booths' application for the removal of the Section 106 restrictions. I am a member of the chamber but was unable to attend the recent EGM at which this issue was discussed and voted on. I was, however, present at the packed meeting held shortly after Booth's had submitted its application, where local traders and others voted, near-unanimously, for the chamber to object to this application.

As stated in your article, only 15 people were present at the most recent meeting, and although the correct voting procedure was followed, I find it hard to believe that the views expressed by the chamber chairman via your article would be those held by the majority of retail traders in the town.

It is, of course, laudable that Booth's recognises that it has the ability to help Settle town centre and has pledged to undertake activities that will encourage visitors and shoppers to visit; the paradox here is that Booth's primary objective is to take existing trade form the town centre.

I understand from the retail representative on the chamber that Booths only wants to sell some of the articles, and provide some of the services, currently prohibited under the existing restrictions, and at present has no plans to provide a café. However, this may not always be the case.

The article repeatedly stresses that Booth's is a family business, presumably to make it sound friendly and benign, but we should not forget that it is also a relatively large business, with the primary objective of maximising its potential for making a profit through increasing its market share. If, as often happens with small supermarket chains, it is eventually sold to a large retail organisation, would such an organisation have the same interest in preserving the viability of a small market town? Once these restrictions have been lifted, there's no going back.

When the planning committee meets to discuss Booths application, I hope it takes into account that numerous other traders in the town lodged individual objections to Booths' application to have the restrictions lifted - it would certainly be interesting to see how many of these have been withdrawn.

My personal view is that, despite Booths' claims to the contrary, nothing has changed since the restrictions were put in place that makes them unnecessary now.

Another importance issue is raised by this situation. COT members (including me) need to attend meetings whenever possible, and traders who are not members should think seriously about joining. As at all levels of politics, we have to be involved if we want our voices to be heard. I know that the chamber steering committee works very hard in a number of areas to make Settle a better trading environment for all, and they need our support.

Helen Woodcock, Chapel Street, Settle.

Better late...

SIR - Despite living in Skipton I had never, until this year, attended any of the events staged at the Grassington Festival of Music and Arts.

However, having now bitten the bullet I realise what a fool I have been for missing out on such a fabulous and well organised local event. I have this year attended three of the shows, everyone of them extremely entertaining and organised without any apparent hitches.

I am sure that this event cannot be staged without a great deal of effort from many hard-working people and for a village (or is it a small town?) the size of Grassington to be able to present so many top class performers and presenters is an extraordinary achievement. The people involved should take a bow as they deserve every accolade possible.

Nigel Walker, Cross Bank, Skipton.

Golden days

SIR - I was saddened to see the Craven Herald article about the relations between Settle Cricket Club (Craven Herald June 8) and its neighbours, confirmed by the letter from Marshfield Road residents (June 15).

It wasn't always so and I would like to reflect on past experiences.

To summarise my credentials for doing so, I would mention that my father was the first occupier of 1 Marshfield Road when it was the first of 20 houses built by Settle RDC in 1925 (I suppose it was the affordable housing of the day) and has been in the same family's occupation ever since, allowing a total of three subsequent generations to enjoy its garden.

Incidentally, the parents of the Yorkshire cricketer Don Wilson occupied no 3 for some time.

I can only remember the odd occasion when a big hitter carried the ball into Marshfield Road. A notable exception was during the annual visit of Learie Constantine (later Sir Learie, and a noted West Indian cricketer who was then professional at Nelson and brought along an exhibition team).

Certainly there were quite a few balls, which then required retrieval from the garden of Dr Hyslop in Marshfield House.

he visit certainly started enthusiasm for the game among the schoolboys of the time, and acted as a recruiting agent for both Settle and Settle Wednesday teams (the latter consisting mainly of shopkeepers who had to work Saturdays).

At that time there was enthusiastic local support for the team, with an audience sat on the benches on three sides of the ground. No doubt modern equipment allows the potential for bigger hitting, but I feel the club needs to respond to that and accept its responsibility to be a good neighbour.

It would be a pity if the club alienated that potential support. I can testify to the available support that this community in particular will give, with the right encouragement, to local sporting activities.

TH Foxcroft, Settle.

Poor relation

SIR - Is Settle the poor relation? Why is it that everywhere I travel in the British Isles all the roundabouts on approaches to towns and villages, are beautiful, whereas the approach to Settle is a disgrace.

No person driving up the A65 would look at our roundabout and think "That looks a nice place, we will go and have a look".

More likely they would think that it looked a total dump, not give it a second glance and continue on their journey North to more interesting looking places.

Does North Yorkshire class us as the poor relation or worse not even know that we exist? Our Chamber of Trade raised money a long time ago to spend on the roundabout but were blocked at every turn by the council. They even had a local landscape gardener design an attractive, easy care, roundabout, the central piece of this being three pieces of stone to represent the Three Peaks surrounded by low maintenance shrubs - all this to be paid for from Chamber of Trade funds.

But no! The council apparently said we could not have this for if a car ran over the roundabout it would be damaged by the stones and they would be a hazard not covered by their insurance. (In this case, if cars were to go over instead of round, wouldn't the roundabout itself be a hazard?).

In my travels around the country, I have seen many, many roundabouts with central structures of all kinds - and they were certainly not made out of rubber that on impact would do no damage. How do these other towns and villages get round the insurance/hazard problem?

The roundabout is not even cut by the council. A neighbour of mine actually went at 5 am one morning with his own strimmer and spent almost four hours cutting the grass to try and improve the look if only a little bit. This should not be the job of a private citizen - surely our council tax should cover things like this?

I enclose a photograph taken in Wales a couple of weeks ago. This is a slate area and advertises the fact with the roundabout at the entrance to the town having a ring of slate slabs (almost like Stonehenge) and low easycare shrubs. A most attractive entrance to the town.

Settle has been struggling to keep and encourage trade for a number or years now and yet everything they try to do to help themselves seems to be shot down. Please can't someone sort out this problem and let us have a roundabout that will draw people in, instead of sending them on their way Christine Watson, Eldroth Hall Cottage, Eldroth.

Special history

SIR - On reading about the so called changes to Kildwick Church I feel that something is being mended when it isn't broken especially with regard to getting rid of the pews!

As a former head of the school there, I was instrumental in involving my pupils on a Friday afternoon assembly in that building. The pews added something special, the kind you can't bottle!

Whilst I fully understand that in this world that in most things, "Nothing is Forever", but in this case pews could beg the question "Are they?" We are pretty quick to preserve some trees so will it be not too long before we slap preservation orders on certain types of seats?

Anything is possible in the politically correct culture this country seems to becoming!

Getting rid of this essential piece of Church furniture would, to me, be akin to opening a Pandora's Box, where the truth once out will reveal the "real hidden agenda".

However, for me, something special in our history and midst will be gone forever.

JF Ackroyd, Worth Cottage, Haworth.

Timewarp

SIR - For me your report in last Friday's edition headed Battle over historic church' was shoddy journalism in the extreme. One third of the article was concerned with the mutterings of one couple who were not willing to be identified, we were not even informed as to whether they attended services at St Andrew's.

The argument (battle?) centred on whether or not to retain the pews, which is only one part of the planned alterations. By removing the pews St Andrew's will, to a large extent, be freed from its Victorian timewarp, the past will be respected in that the nave will return to its pre-Reformation configuration, and the future revitalised with St Andrew's much more suited to serve in our present age.

John Irons, Main Street, Farnhill. Editor's note: We believe that balanced reports exchanging views on a subject of considerable public interest is what journalism is all about, not "shoddy".

No moralising

SIR - I was at the Skipton Gala and I think I saw Mr Tomes (Craven Herald Letters - Alcohol plays too big a part in gala") in a Scrooge outfit crying "Bah! Humbug" at we revellers out for a pleasant time of it.

So the Strata Nightclub advertised vodka drinks, eh? Saints preserve us, a nightclub and alcohol? I thought such a place was where one went for a quiet cup of Earl Grey and a biscuit of an evening. And to think that a local pub should think of putting out a beer garden float, when it could have decided to put out one showing, say, Skipton Cattle Market in the 1890s or Lady Ann Clifford's drawing room in the castle. Such looseness. O Tempora! O Mores!' The Copper Dragon being a successful local business was almost exempt from Mr Tome's obloquy. Apparently other successful local businesses (such as, oh I don't know, say the Strata Nightclub and the Cross Keys Pub) are not so exempt.

Perhaps Mr Tomes should take on board that this was a gala, the kind of event at which, over centuries, alcohol has been imbibed by the watching public, by those taking part in displays, by the sponsors, by the Mayor and Corporation, by serfs and lords, by swineherd and liege lords.

I accept that the young and alcohol have always had a remarkable attraction for each other, but did I see any suggestion of any trouble from the lager-drinking youth in the spectators? No, and nor did he. Did I perceive any nine year old reel from pillar to post after swilling the contents of a bottle of Copper Dragon's finest? No, and nor did he. Did I spot trouble in't streets as gangs of intoxicated float-drivers raced recklessly down the High Street? No, and nor did he.

A gala is just a nice day out, when we may or may not have a drink more than usual but where no patterns are laid down for the future liver dysfunction of we who like a tipple. Mr Tomes should keep his moralising for those times in the evenings when certain places in the town are indeed somewhat iffy from young drinkers. Leave the gala alone, sir.

Bah, Humbug indeed!

Yours, undulled by years of Real Ale Allan Friswell, Keighley Road, Cowling.

Flood worry

SIR - Suggested plans for nine houses on Otley Road would seem like over-development, encroaching on both road and beck - is this fair policy?

It seems ludicrous to even consider building nine houses on this small piece of land. To do this they wish to reduce the width of the beck, at the junctions of where two becks meet. If the beck is narrowed at this point, what about the risk to other houses lower down Otley Road?

As photos show, the beck could not cope with risk of flooding in the past, so how is it going to do so if narrowed?

Your published photographs of floods in Skipton 25 years ago and I have supplied two more on land on which they now wish to build nine houses.

Mr M Smith Otley Road, Skipton.

Rumble grumble

SIR - I read with great interest the letter from Douglas McDougal regards the rumble strips placed throughout the villages of Embsay with Eastby.

Can someone from the Council explain how are they a Gateway Feature' for the 30 mph speed limit when they are not present at all the entrances to the village where the 30 mph limits start? They appear in the middle of the 30 mph limit either side of the church, at the bottom of Clarkson's Track and one randomly placed in Eastby. The entrance to Eastby from Black Park has some kind of coloured surface strategically placed just at the point where on a bike you are braking and leaning the over to take the severe corner.

Did the council have second thoughts about placing a rumble strip here or had they run out of money providing the five other useless edifices? In fact this painted surface is now breaking up and will catch out unwary cyclists.

I for one as a keen cyclist, car driver, and resident of East Lane would like to see them removed and a more effective method of speed control through the villages put in place.

In a consultation exercise held prior to their installation residents were consulted as to ideas for the traffic calming measures and my comments on making sure that provision for cyclists was ignored as the only traffic they have an effect on are bicycles. I have to slow down for them, especially when they are wet, as cars travelling at well over the 30 mph speed limit overtake me. These strips together with the bollards at the end of Brackenley Lane have not added any benefits towards road safety in the villages; in fact I believe they have had a negative effect.

The one at the bottom of Clarkson's Track holds a nice sized puddle when it rains which makes walkers and cyclists move into the centre of the road.

I would welcome a reply from the council as to future plans and why comments made in a consultation exercise were ignored. Also if they need any advice as to road planning maybe they should listen to Douglas, as he does seem to have some experience in this field. If not then a quick search of the web will lead them to organisations which also have experience in traffic calming and at least take heed of them.

Kevin Barrett, East Lane, Embsay.

Justice today

SIR - May I, as an ex-magistrate of 15 years' service at Dewsbury, attempt to answer the letter of Mrs T Bird of Embsay (Craven Herald June 22).

In her letter Mrs Bird makes many valid points, but without the knowledge of how the magistracy works.

Magistrates are issued with sentencing guidelines with which and on which they are supposed to work. However, different benches of three interpret these guidelines in varying ways.

"No insurance" to one bench may be interpreted as a fine of £1,000 plus eight points or may by another bench mean a fine of £300 plus six points. Disqualification may be added at any time and thus it goes on across the full spectrum of offences.

Skipton bench is no different to any other with the variations shown above being seen at every sitting.

This is, unfortunately or fortunately, what happens in British Justice today.

Roger M Dobson JP, Ash Street, Cross Hills.

A different opinion

SIR - I feel I need to put pen to paper with regards to your review in the Dining Out article of the Dog and Partridge at Tosside.

We have been going to the Dog and Partridge for the last two years and have had nothing but well presented good food serviced by friendly, courteous staff.

Please do not let the comments of these so-called critics put you off. They were in my opinion totally unfounded. Please partake of this lovely food, especially from June 28 as it's the Fox Festival Brendis Fitzgerald, Tosside