THE Government’s proposals for sleek new high-speed trains zooming from my home city to London and Leeds should be one I fully support.

As a rail buff who lives in Manchester, I should be excited about the Coalition’s approval of the HS2 project.

But as a political analyst, rail commuter, and taxpayer I believe HS2 is an example of poor policy design which will not improve rail services for the vast majority of people in the north of England.

It is a poor use of public funds in these difficult times and will not bring the economic returns some claim.

The idea that HS2 will bridge the north-south divide is delusional. Disparities between the south-east and the rest of the UK are due to the disproportionate aggregation of wealth and services over a prolonged period.

A high-speed rail link might cut rail times for some but it will not significantly re-balance the economy of the UK or heal the north-south divide.

By investing huge amounts of public money into a project that will connect a few major English cities, the government continues to overlook the massive investment needed to modernise our existing rail and other transport links.

Privatisation of the rail services has largely failed to improve services. Public rail subsidies have quadrupled but services have not significantly improved in terms of punctuality or quality, particularly on local and regional services.

Research suggests we have the most expensive rail fares in Europe yet trains, particularly at peak times, are often overcrowded.

The government should be investing in replacing outdated rolling stock and improving rail links between the towns and cities of West Yorkshire, thus improving services for the vast majority of rail users rather than a select few.

Andy Mycock

Huddersfield University

The bill for energy

IN my letter of January 31 on energy subsidies, I got a statistic wrong and would like to correct it.

The payments to onshore wind energy through the government’s renewable obligations scheme in fact added about £10 per electricity bill payer in 2011, not £4 as I stated. The latter figure was calculated based on the number of UK residents, not bill payers.

Please accept my apologies for this error. As I stated in the original letter, the subsidy to wind power is insignificant compared to the extent to which the nuclear industry is subsidised by the UK taxpayer.

Steve Slator

Chairman, Valley Wind Co-operative

Valley still at risk

BERNARD McGuinn, in a recent letter, was correct to point out the duplicity of the Labour Party position when it comes to the development of Clayton Fields.

As I remember it from the Examiner reports, a Cabinet meeting in November merely postponed the matter till 2013, a wise position considering the fact that Kirklees Council has alienated enough people over the question of the Local Development Framework and wouldn’t want to fight on too many fronts.

But indeed politics is fraught with hypocrisy and Mr McGuinn would do well to look to his own government as an example of forcing through policies which affect the population with only a paper-thin charade of a consultation.

All the three political parties are pursuing the same pro-corporate agenda which demands development not for long term jobs or sustainable growth but to benefit the short term profits of the developers at the expense of the environment.

The Grimescar Valley campaigners have been wise to realise that their struggle is only postponed, but would also do well to accept the support of any political party with qualification and suspicion.

Ian Brooke

Springwood

Shortage of water

I HAVE followed with great interest the concerns about the Local Development Framework (LDF).

Living in Lindley, one of the affected areas, we will witness a significant growth in the number of new properties over the next few years, as stipulated in the LDF.

One major concern that no-one has mentioned, is the security of supply of water. All these new properties will require connection to a water supply, yet they will be drawing from ever dwindling supplies within existing reservoirs. No new onesŠ have been built, or are planned to be built, to maintain a supply.

My late father, who worked for Yorkshire Water, could see such a scenario arising over 30 years ago.

Ask your local politician if they can guarantee security of supply. If they answer yes, then they are either naive, or fooling themselves.

ALAN ROBINSON

Lindley

Something to loos

THERE will be a public meeting at 6pm on Friday, February 10 in the Baptist Church, Milnsbridge to look at the future of the toilets in Milnsbridge.

I wish to thank my fellow ward councillors for agreeing to join me at the public meeting.

We are all aware that cuts to services are inevitable given the reduction in central government support for local authorities.

Because of this we all have to look for different, innovative, ways of retaining our local amenities.

It is my hope that the meeting on February 10 will generate active support that will come together so we can retain the toilet facilities in Milnsbridge.

I would encourage people to attend this meeting to have their say in the future of these public conveniences.

Similarly, I would urge all those who tell me they want to keep a library in Golcar open to become involved in the forthcoming consultation regarding the future of this public facility.

With money so tight, it will only be with community involvement that we will be able us to keep services open.

Clr Hilary Richards

Golcar

Car park ‘sting’

LIKE Shirley Hanson (Mailbag, January 30), I have also been a victim of the £90 parking charge at the Dunelm Mill car park.

I visited the store with my granddaughter. We looked round the store and made a purchase then spent time in the cafe. This is a large store and you can easily spend over an hour looking round, not to mention time in the cafe.

On leaving Dunelm we went into Poundstretcher, another large store. Time was spent looking round and we made a purchase then left, unaware of the time limit, which is two hours.

On the parking charge notice I received it states I was in the car park for two hours, 13 minutes.

Is this time limit to stop unauthorised parking or to create extra income for the stores and the company that controls the car park?

In my view that amounts to entrapment. I also will not be going back.

Eileen Janion

Meltham

Legal reasons

MIKE Greetham asked (Mailbag, January 28) why the upcoming by-elections for Kirkburton Parish Council could not be held contemporaneously with the Kirklees Metropolitan Council elections in May.

A fair question with a simple answer: the law does not allow such a long delay between a vacancy arising and it being filled.

When the matter was discussed in council, I raised this very point on the self-same grounds of cost-saving.

We were informed that the timing of by-elections is not at the discretion of the council but is governed by regulations.

By-elections are called by the Returning Officer (a paid officer of KMC), not Kirkburton Parish Council.

It is fair to say that not a single member wished to incur extra or unnecessary costs, and that the entire council is very well aware that we have a duty to spend public money wisely.

We simply could not legally defer the by-elections until May.

Clr Bill Armer

Kirkburton Parish Council

Too many markets

HAVING frequently seen their development plans frustrated by public opposition, Tesco have learned their lesson and, as has been so clearly shown in the case of Holmfirth, have worked out how to use public opinion in their favour.

Tesco will always insist that they must go where they will make the most money and the fact that that is where they will do the most damage to the local economy is of no concern to them.

As one Examiner correspondent recently wrote: ‘Tesco don’t do competition’. Which is why they will never settle for a more modest concept – like a Tesco Express which I think would be welcomed in the under-used Market Hall in the middle of Holmfirth, as suggested by Jimmy Dickinson.

But with the Lidl supermarket already approved, and with another giant supermarket being planned for Honley Bridge, must Holmfirth really be completely overwhelmed by a third one in the form of Tesco?

Arthur Quarmby

Holme