I CANNOT believe Huddersfield University has shown so little architectural sensitivity as to propose replacing their Shorehead sports building with a big blue metal portable cabin ( Examiner, July 30).
Nor can I believe anyone else in their right mind could endorse it.
Let’s hope Kirklees Council’s Huddersfield Planning Committee shows its metal and refuses it planning permission. Better still, the university should withdraw the current design.
The site at Shorehead roundabout is probably passed and seen by more people than anywhere else in Kirklees and so merits the highest quality of design – not a metallic blue blob.
Kingsgate Shopping Centre’s stone-clad car park opposite knocks spots off the planned portable building.
Huddersfield University has, in the past shown, real sensitivity in regenerating derelict old mills adjoining Huddersfield Narrow Canal but must do better this time!
Kirklees Council has spent years negotiating with Tesco to develop a new Kirklees sports centre adjoining the ring road at nearby Springwood.
This university sports centre cocks a snoop at such planning.
Kenn Winter
Member of The Royal Town Planning Institute, Lindley
Certainly not my taste
IT IS correct that all universities are facing great challenges to recruit students and Huddersfield is not immune to such pressures.
Peter Slee says “we hope it will attract more students to Huddersfield in the future” but surely they cannot base the imposition of poor design decisions on ‘hope.’ Huddersfield is a historic town with many fine buildings and Peter Slee appears to agree that the new proposal is “a matter of taste.”
But whose taste – his?
He may feel it is challenging and the biggest project undertaken by the university but maybe we should look beyond his level of ‘taste’.
It is a distraction to talk about the facilities the ‘cube’ will provide. The public in general will not enjoy such facilities but they will see the outside on a daily basis for many years.
A building in such a prominent position should reflect the mood of the town. Does the university feel that this proposed design honours the town?
Buildings should be designed to endure the test of time and one wonders what this illuminated cube will look like in several years time – when it is seen that its illumination is too expensive to support and maintain. The building is out of keeping with the rest of the university and the town. I sincerely hope Chris Marsden keeps up the pressure to seek a revision of the design.
What does Bob Cryan have to say on the matter?
Disillusioned
Huddersfield
Pub needed on hill
I WOULD sincerely hope that Clr James Blanchard sees the sense in supporting the rebuild of the Thandi pub/hotel on the site of the original at Castle Hill.
All right, the Thandi partnership were out of order flouting planning regulations in 2005 but their new proposed construction will have the same footprint as the original hotel in 1852.
One thing guaranteed is that any construction will be closely watched by planning officials and many other interested parties.
For goodness sake, a hostelry has been on the site since 1810 and will have quenched the thirst of many a visitor over the years with ‘grog’ and similar refreshment ever since up to 2002.
I know Chris Marsden from Huddersfield Civic Society and he is a grand chap who is opposed to the re-introduction of such a building but on this occasion he, along with other like-minded correspondents to Mailbag, has a very blinkered viewpoint.
The area is of historic importance but does this mean it can be abused by unwanted visitors for their own perverted enjoyment on an evening and a dumping ground at all times of the day.
A replacement building on the site would, along with planned provision for school parties and exhibition area, provide a presence and deterrent for those who wish to cause anti-social behaviour and vandalism.
There will be provision for schools/students to enjoy the history of the site.
A purpose-built ‘visitor centre’ would not cater for a wider client base. And who would finance its construction and running costs?
I suspect there would be those individuals with their measures ensuring any construction does not stray more than a centimetre over the plans.
As for the access road, I can’t recall any reported accident along this section. There is or would surely be provision for passing points as with any narrow roadway.
One correspondent asks if a pub would be really missed.
I would say ‘yes’. Ask a cross section of visitors to the site – adults with or without children.
One thing for sure is that following the adverse publicity over the past 10 years the Thandi partnership will ensured that their ‘house will be in order’ as it will provide a facility for many to enjoy.
As for a referendum (D Gill, Examiner, July 28), let’s not politicise the issue.
Chris Thomas
Netherton
Be short and sharp
I REFER to the letter in the Examiner on Friday, July 27. I get phone calls which are a nuisance like a lot of people.
But to help stop the phone calls, besides phoning BT I make sure they know with the sound of my voice I am not interested in them.
I am not polite and just say ‘you have no need to bother, I am not interested, good day’ – or words to that effect.
If I get another phone call from the same company I say words to the effect: ‘No thanks.’ If they continue you can say “don’t you understand the meaning of ‘no’ and then put the receiver down.
Or you can just put the receiver by the phone until they have finished talking, thus saying nothing.
Then put the receiver back on the hook.
The bottom line is say as little as possible and make sure the company knows you have no interest.
Colin Liversidge
Huddersfield
Questions need asking
THE horrific, shocking and saddening events that occurred in Aurora, Colorado, recently are, on first inspection, unbelievable and beyond comprehension. How could James Holmes carry out such a senseless violent act?
While there is never one simple explanation for what drives a person to commit such unspeakable acts, one common denominator has all too often surfaced in many cases – prescribed psychiatric drugs which are documented to cause mania, psychosis, violence, suicide and, in some cases, homicidal ideation.
For decades the Citizens Commission on Human Rights (CCHR) has investigated numerous similar acts of senseless violence.
As the updates continue to trickle through on the Aurora tragedy, it has been revealed Holmes was a patient of a psychiatrist called Lynne Fenton.
She is the medical director for student mental health services at the University of Colorado as well as a part of the university’s Threat Assessment Team charged with dealing with “individuals who may be threatening, disruptive or otherwise problematic.”
So we know he was seeing a psychiatrist. What isn’t known is what, if any, drugs she prescribed him.
We also know that in today’s society, psychiatrists and doctors are freely prescribing psychiatric drugs known for inducing violence. However, after their patients go out and become violent, their accountability is non-existent.
In fact, psychiatrists blame the tragedy on the person’s failure to continue taking the drugs when it is the drugs themselves that can create the very violence or mental incompetence they were supposed to ‘treat.’
At least 13 of the recent school shootings were committed by those taking or withdrawing from psychiatric drugs. There have been 109 wounded and 58 killed.
A hearing into the documented violence-inducing side effects of psychiatric drugs is long overdue.
There is an abundance of evidence, studies, warnings and case histories to support an investigation, one without a predetermined outcome.
That means an investigation without pharma funding or pharma-funded ‘experts.’
While there are those who are quick to tout the need for more mental health treatment and more government funding to ‘prevent’ these tragedies, it appears they are not as interested in asking questions to uncover the psychiatric drug connection.
Ask the right question what, if any, psychotropic drugs was the shooter on? It might provide the answer to prevent another senseless, needless tragedy.
Brian Daniels
National Spokesman, Citizens Commission on Human Rights
