YET again when traffic calming measures are invoked, albeit temporary (one hopes), the emotive words such as “speed down the road” and “rat runs” are trotted out.

Clearly when Halifax Road is out of action there will be extra pressure on alternative routes (not rat runs) that heavily taxed motorists have a right to use.

The vast majority will use these routes with care, particularly in heavier than usual traffic.

One can see the need for weight restrictions on narrow winding roads but three chicanes could well add to the danger rather than prevent accidents as well as contribute to further congestion by artificially reducing the road capacity.

Are the chicanes to be removed after Halifax Road reopens? If so, they will be more unwelcome “road furniture”. If not, I suggest they will be yet another waste of council taxpayers’ money to no good effect.

I M Hunter

Huddersfield

Express welcome

I THINK it is wonderful that Tesco are applying to build an Express branch in Scissett.

I live in Clayton West with my wife and three young children and have always thought the area was lacking when it came to grocery shopping. We have two local shops that have very little to offer at greatly inflated prices. A Tesco express would bring healthy competition and convenience.

Currently if we require anything more than the most basic items we travel to Asda in Wakefield or the Co-op at Skelmanthorpe.

I think it is unfair that you are making out that Tesco are creating a monopoly within Huddersfield as nearly all of the major supermarket chains are represented within the town, whether it be large (Sainsbury’s, Asda, Morrisons, Tesco) or small (Co-op, Nisa, Spar, Somerfield).

The only difference with Tesco is that they are now represented within both fields.

I certainly hope the application for Scissett will be passed as it will bring a much needed heart to a pleasant village.

Tony Armitage

Clayton West

CORGI change dangers

On April 1, CORGI will no longer be the brand used to represent qualified gas installers.

However, despite a new brand emerging, (Gas Safe Register) funds raised from consumers in the form of a tax which have generated a sizeable surplus within CORGI to form a potentially misleading brand that the vulnerable or ill-informed may employ an unqualified gas engineer.

Over the last 30 years, CORGI Services Limited sold products and services to companies on the Gas Safety Register (GSR) through commercial activities.

These products and services were legitimately purchased by installers in the full knowledge that profits generated would reduce the cost of membership of CORGI.These profits have now formed a new logo which will compete with the new GSR with little or no link to the company or employer competence.

As a result, it is perfectly feasible for a rogue to join this new CORGI brand which no longer truly exists, and carry out dangerous gas work.

Please question Lord McKenzie in the Department for Work and Pensions on whether it is right for funds that have been generated in this manner to be used for this purpose, or bring this matter to the attention of your readers.

To see the legitimate and new gas safety brand which all consumers should look for, please visit www.gassafetyregister.co.uk

Andrew Crookes, plumbing and heating engineer

Kirkburton

The other side of Hamas

IN CONTRAST to the vitriolic rantings of Barry Gibson, there have been two long articles in The Times this week on the BBC’s decision, the first sat on the fence, focusing on the democratic process, the second agreed with the BBC’s decision not to broadcast a charity appeal to aid Gaza.

Mr Gibson’s conclusion that the sombre voice says: “This is not about the rights and wrongs of the conflict ....” makes it a non political appeal is naive. The appeal has everything to do with politics.

You can’t accuse Mr Gibson of putting forward a balanced view.

Not once does he mentioned that Hamas has been firing rockets for five years and that the Palestinian people chose the elect Hamas as their government thus adding their support to the rocket attacks.

How long would our government wait if the French were lobbing rockets at the good people of Dover before they responded, not five years.

The Arab Israeli conflict is very complex. What we read in the press is undoubtedly partially wrong as the press never lets the truth get in the way of a good story.

The article by Mr Gibson is a one-sided rant and unfortunately some readers of the Examiner will have believed every word of it.

G R Newsome

Fenay Bridge

Unhappy voter

I DO NOT agree with your constituent (Examiner January 31) regarding the departure of the Colne Valley Member of Parliament, Kali Mountford.

Ms Mountford may have worked 16 hours a day, or so she says, but she has done little to further the cause of working people.

Her record includes:

l War in Iraq. In favour.

l Students to pay own fees. In favour.

l Ban on fox-hunting. In favour.

l Ban on smoking In favour.

l Increase of MPs salaries well above the rate of inflation. In favour.

Add to that the remark she made about Nab Tower at Longwood and her lack of support for the public over the hospital issues.

I think she is going before she is kicked out. Goodbye Kali. Whoever the next candidate is, they will not get my vote.

Labour has kicked the working people in the teeth whilst pandering to the banks and the establishment. Bah humbug. Recent events over foreign workers say it all about this government, of which Ms Mountford is a member.

Billy Richardson

Honley

Sold out by Gordon

DURING the Thatcher years we were encouraged to save in PEPS and invest in a pension fund and to buy shares in the privatised utilities to safeguard our future in retirement and have a stake in industry.

When New Labour came to power, Gordon Brown sold off some gold reserves then took a windfall tax of £5bn pounds each year from insurance funds so that final salary pension schemes were no longer viable so that people who had hoped for a comfortable retirement were now denied that.

Interest on savings will soon be zero, so pensioners with savings who hoped to supplement the pension lose out.

Gordon Brown also started the Private Public Finance to build schools and hospitals which means they were financed on the never end pay system which means they are on rental payment for the next 20 or 30 years.

Now that the credit crunch is with us due to Gordon’s live now pay later economy we have no reserves to fall back on and may end up having to call in The International Monetary Fund to bail us out

R Bottomley

Huddersfield