Ghastly prospect

The prospect of being spied upon, as human specimens under some ghastly “social microscope” is yet another nauseating example of television’s all-invasive insensitive infiltration of people’s lives.

Probing, poking here and there, while investigators ask silly, patronising questions for months on end As a society we seem to have become besotted by the fascination for wanting to see (and even more so to be seen) on television.

We should send these snoopers packing instead of wheedling their way into our natural way of life with their nosiness into everything we do. Cameras everywhere – what a ghastly prospect for Grassington! Tourism flourishes without all this razzmatazz of yet another Holmfirth and the tiresome “Last of the Summer Wine”.

Arthur Butterworth, Dales Avenue, Embsay

Futile effort

Sir - In answer to the letter in the Craven Herald on June 3, how on earth does A Merrington think they can stop people parking on the public highway outside their house or indeed other people’s houses.

In the Middletown area it has been ongoing for a number of years. Trying to stop it is futile.

The streets in Middletown are much narrower, making it difficult for a normal car to negotiate let alone a dustbin wagon.

Although people may find it very frustrating, I can’t see our council doing very much about it in the Rockwood area. Indeed if they do, I can see a number of lawsuits citing unfair discrimination by a number of Middletown residents.

Some people of course think that placing a piece of paper on people’s windscreen stating “Do not park in front of my house” may find themselves contravening the so-called litter laws of Skipton.

Heaven forbid any litter on the Rockwood Estate, it’s bad enough on every approach into Skipton. North Yorkshire County Council can’t seem to control that either.

The withdrawal of council tax payments is a good idea, but what about a rebate to all those people who have suffered for the last few years? I don’t think so.

To quote a friend of a friend: “All law- abiding car driving citizens have a parking permit to park on the public highway. It’s called a tax disc”.

Providing of course they don’t block private driveways.

GP Tudgey Clifford Court, Skipton

Targets smashed

Sir - Earlier this year, Friends of Craven Landscape helped to stop developers from building five 100-metre-high wind turbines in a beautiful Gargrave drumlin field.

One of the arguments put forward by the developer was that our region fell lamentably short of Whitehall’s targets for renewable energy production.

However, recently published Government information tells a very different story.

The Yorkshire and Humber Regional Spatial Strategy, Annual Monitoring Report for the period April 1 2008 to March 31 2009 lists the 2010 renewables target for Yorkshire and Humber Region as 708 Megawatts (MW).

In fact, by March 31 2009, the region had already installed 2,088 MW. North Yorkshire’s target was 209MW; we have actually installed 2,060 MW, the lion’s share of the region’s production.

If you take into account developments that have planning permission but are not yet active, the potential capacity increases to 3,474.9MW for the Yorkshire and Humber Region. Within that, North Yorkshire will have contributed 3,097.3MW.

North Yorkshire’s contribution comes primarily from Drax power station, which is now co-firing a major portion of its power with renewable materials. In addition, by this summer Drax Power Station will be producing a further 400MW from pure biomass.

I stress, these are official, government figures.

By the end of this year, North Yorkshire will be a major source of renewable energy for the whole country.

We must all continue to conserve power and reduce our carbon footprint, but it is wonderful to see a major power station playing its part.

We have achieved more than 1,000 per cent of our targets. Thank goodness we didn’t give up our beautiful countryside to greedy developers. Instead it’s still here for everyone to enjoy.

Stephanie Emmett, Ivy End, Bank Newton

Netherside future

Sir - I write with reference to your article about Netherside Hall School (Craven Herald, May 20).

The governing body is extremely supportive of the school and is delighted with its high standards of leadership, teaching and pastoral care. The school works as a many-faceted but cohesive team, striving at all times to give the best education and care to all its pupils.

That it is successful in its aims is highlighted in its recent outstanding Ofsted report, its year-on-year improved GCSE results and its value-added rating.

It is one of the highest-achieving special schools in North Yorkshire and one of the highest in the country. Why then are we recommending closure?

As a consequence of North Yorkshire’s reorganisation and enhancement of special education, there are plans for another special school to relocate to new facilities in our area. The authority also has plans to close Netherside.

It was felt by the governors that, in order to best safeguard our staffing and to ensure that our pupils can benefit from what will hopefully be superb new facilities, Netherside should close co-terminously and move to the new site.

It is for these reasons that we are reluctantly recommending closure.

However, before any final decisions can be made there is a period of consultation which is currently going on. To that end, there is a public meeting at Netherside School tomorrow (Friday) at 4pm. All are welcome.

Meanwhile, be assured that the school continues to flourish and has the full support of the governing body.

J Brosnan, chairman of governors, Jennifer B Scott, vice-chairman, Rowan Lane, Threshfield

Wainwright plea

Sir - I am trying to piece together some research into one aspect of the work of Mr Alfred Wainwright.

Most people know that Mr Wainwright fell in love with the Lakes on his first visit as a young man in 1930 and that he subsequently went to live and work in the area.

He later set out his detailed knowledge of the fells in his famous guide books.

But, as well as being a gifted writer, Mr Wainwright was also a talented artist and would spend many long winter evenings creating the pen-and-ink drawings that were used to illustrate his books.

Some of these drawings were subsequently reproduced by The Westmorland Gazette as limited edition prints – each bearing his immaculate signature in green ink in the bottom right hand corner.

Unfortunately, the records of exactly which drawings were reproduced as prints are no longer available.

This is where I would be very grateful to receive your readers’ help.

If any readers own one or more of these signed prints, can they please let me know the exact title so I can check if it has been included on the list that I am putting together.

Most prints measure ten by eight inches, including a white border, but some larger prints were also produced.

The location of each scene is shown at bottom left.

A selection of prints was reproduced from each of the five Lakeland Sketchbooks along with others from the Dales and Ribble Sketchbooks and also Kendal in the Nineteenth Century. It seems that the final number of prints will exceed 70.

They were sold some years ago by Woodware Ltd on Keighley Road in Skipton, so many readers may have purchased them.

If you can help, please contact me on (01995) 61136 or email me at: wilkinson20@btinternet.com.

Thank you.

Graham Wilkinson, 20 Brooklands, Chipping, Preston, Lancashire

Why close toilets?

Sir - Re joined-up thinking. It was disappointing news in last week’s Herald that the bad winter weather had reduced income from Craven District Council car parks.

But it was comforting to note from the Executive Director of Resources (haven’t they got some fine titles?) that she believed that, prior to the bad weather, income was well ahead of projections as a result of more people holidaying in Skipton because of the recession.

Let’s make an assumption here that the Executive Director of Resources realises that Craven District extends beyond Skipton, and that her comments were also relevant to Settle where we have several car parks.

Following this argument through, we presumably had more visitors to Settle’s car parks, which makes it hard to understand why Craven District Council closed the public toilets on the town’s central car park.

You would think that the Executive Director of Resources (obviously responsible for car parks) would also have responsibility for public conveniences, or perhaps there is another Executive dealing with that.

The Herald has previously given publicity to the campaign to keep the public toilets open, but so far those efforts have been unsuccessful.

However, the Settle area has significant representation on Craven District Council, with Councillors Firth, Staveley, Welch and Whaites, and joint action from that quartet would be welcome to bring the matter to the relevant policy committee and back the local people.

In the same Herald article last week, council leader Chris Knowles-Fitton was reported as saying ‘the council had achieved much’.

Perhaps our local councillors can push Craven District Council to achieve a little more.

RT Graveson, Castle Hill, Settle

A good impression

Sir - Can I use your letters column to thank those people who helped me on Tuesday June 8 when I fell in Newmarket Street, to the unknown lady who supported me, the staff of James Pye & Sons who helped me and who called for the ambulance, the crew of the ambulance and the staff of Airedale Hospital who patched me up?

As I am in the process of moving into the Skipton area, I am glad to know that I am moving into a town that shows such spirit.

Brian Stoner, Elm Road, Hale

Shops at risk

Sir - I read with alarm in the Craven Herald of June 10 of Booth’s application to sell more items at its Settle store.

Settle needs this like a hole in the head. It would indirectly close down many small shops and businesses.

This town is fortunate in having several small shops, the envy of many another.

I have no axe to grind with the present set-up at Booth’s and certainly have no vested interest in any local business likely to be affected. I do, however, know and respect many of the owners who have struggled through the recession.

They need the backing of the council now in opposing this. Do so.

Bob Swallow, Townhead Avenue, Settle