AS the monolithic and overbearing Kirklees College building has neared completion at Chapel Hill, there has inevitably been a slew of letters to the Examiner expressing horror at its scale, design and materials.

It should not be assumed that the building gained permission without a fight.

Huddersfield Civic Society mounted a vigorous condemnation of the plans.

We produced a very critical written objection to the planning application in 2010, emphasising its inappropriate and poor design, dwarfing the newly preserved Folly Hall Mills and the settings of 28 listed buildings close by.

We particularly attacked the proposed facings, which we saw as alien in a town where stone is the prevailing material.

At the Kirklees (West) Planning Committee meeting on February 18, 2010, William Kirby and I spoke vehemently against the proposals.

We thought we had won the argument as councillors described the design as “an atrocity”, but we were wrong.

After the college spokesman claimed that there would be no new college if the design and materials were to be altered, the councillors caved in and voted 11 to 2 in favour of its being approved.

As the Examiner front page reported the

following day: “Awful ... but we’ll have it.”

Long after the councillors who permitted this monstrous building are gone, future generations will be left with a ghastly legacy which will be testament to a lack of courage and judgement.

Frank O’Brien

Civic Society Planning Officer

We’re against war gamers

MARK Moore’s claims (Examiner, June 13) about his company’s “success” operating war games in Butternab Wood at Beaumont Park cannot pass unchallenged.

What evidence has he to claim he has received “good feedback from the majority of local residents” when he has never attempted to communicate with us other than a shambolic ‘demonstration’ attended by more than 70 local people all of whom – apart from a few Hunt placements – voiced their opposition.

Mr Moore’s confident assurance that only “about five people” have protested out of 400 local residents is absurd.

If he cared to canvass residents on Delves Wood Road – the road most affected – he would be hard put to find other than a tiny minority in favour.

The number of complaints received by local councillors and council departments including Planning Control and Environmental Health increases week by week.

The Woodland Trust, Yorkshire Wildlife Trust, The CPRE, the Forestry Commission and the chairmen of the Friends of Beaumont Park and Dean Wood have all indicated their concerns about the likely damage to this ancient woodland and the harm to wildlife

Michael Fay

Beaumont Park

Supporting the monarchy

I DO not mind being criticised. Indeed, criticism is generally beneficial because it causes its recipients to reconsider, reassess and perhaps modify their positions.

I am not, however, over-enamoured of being misrepresented.

Keith D Charlesworth (Mailbag June 18) completely overlooks the fact that I was at pains to make clear that I was speaking of the present-day UK monarchy and that it is a constitutional one.

There is nothing democratic about an absolute monarchy and I never claimed, nor would I, that there is.

Mr Charlesworth unwittingly supports my position when he speaks of Edward VIII.

Edward was not prepared to act within the constraints of an apolitical constitutional monarchy so he ceased to reign. Constitutional Monarchy 1 Absolutism 0.

I am no expert in Italian history, but I was under the impression that Victor Emmanuel was not altogether happy to cede power to Mussolini and had to be persuaded to co-operate. Better, perhaps, to be an ex-King than a dead one.

Mr Charlesworth seems to have a vague grasp of our constitution.

In 1914 George V was not empowered to declare war. Parliament alone has had that power since, I think, the Restoration. (Which reminds us that the British people did not take kindly to living in a Commonwealth under the hereditary dictatorship of Oliver, and later his son Richard, Cromwell – Constitutional Monarchy 2 Absolutism 0).

Since Mr Charlesworth raises the point, Henry V actually had a far greater claim to the French throne than his French predecessor William of Normandy (1066 and all that) had to the English one. I am sure that French historians are well aware of this, but dans La Republique I doubt that they care over-much.

To return to the UK today, I repeat: Long Live the Queen!

Bill Armer

Deighton

Harold and the schools

IN her tirade againt privately-educated politicians (Saturday’s Examiner) Linda Whitwam reckons that Royds Hall Grammar School boy Harold Wilson will be ‘turning in his grave.’

Is this the same Harold Wilson who sent his own children to a private school in leafy Hampstead? The same Harold Wilson whose governments destroyed the grammar school system, thereby denying bright poor kids the chance to follow in his footsteps?

Yes, it’s the same Harold Wilson.

Richard Huddleston

West Slaithwaite

Who is looking younger

SOME people tend to look better as they get older.

This is clear in the case of the actors who have played Doctor Who.

The programme started in 1963, with William Hartnell playing the character until 1966, followed by Patrick Troughton until 1969, Jon Pertwee until 1974, Tom Baker until 1981, Peter Davison until 1984, Colin Baker until 1986, Sylvester McCoy until 1989 and in 1996 until Paul McCann who made way for Christopher Eccleston until 2005.

He left the same year for David Tennant who left in 2010 for Matt Smith.

As most grew older the time lord seems to get younger.

Colin Vause

Marsh

Vital respite care

THIS week is National Carers Week and I would like to ask your readers to spare a thought for the six million carers in the UK.

One in eight of the population cares for a disabled or older spouse or family member and this number is rising rapidly. Carers provide round the clock care for their loved ones and often go unrecognised, unsupported and invisible to society. Without regular respite from their daily struggle, many carers face a bleak future of physical and social isolation, depression, ill health and despair.

I work for a charity called Vitalise and we provide desperately-needed respite breaks for people with disabilities and their carers at our accessible UK centres. The people who visit us often tell us just how important a break is in their lives.

During Carers Week 2012 I would like to ask your readers to remember that carers need breaks just as much as those they care for, and to support our vital work. We don’t get a penny from central government, but rely on the compassion and generosity of our supporters to keep on providing our vital services, so please help us. To make a donation or for more information about our breaks, call 0303 303 0147 or visit www.vitalise.org.uk.

Colin Brook

Vitalise