REGARDING Queensgate Market – I am one of the people who uses and supports local traders in the market and I find it sad that owners are having to leave because of unreasonable rent hikes on top of other rates.
Is it a ploy by Kirklees Council to price traders out so they can re-develop on the cheap?
In this recession councils should be dropping prices to encourage trade not wipe it out.
Mind you this council, which does not give a second thought about hiking up council tax and rents, will only have themselves to blame when punters start going elsewhere to park and shop. Start listening to Joe Public – you know the ones who have to dig deep to pay your wages and pensions.
MIKE WARREN-MADDEN
Crackpot Cottage
Workers not rewarded
WELL spoken ‘Angry Council Taxpayer’ (Letters July 2). I couldn’t agree with you more.
People who have worked and paid their way all their lives should not be penalised for providing for the future but we are, as you say.
Lots of money is being spent on modernising properties given to people living on benefits, some people won’t work because it’s more lucrative to stay on these endless benefits if you know how they work.
I really feel sorry for the genuine people that want to work and can’t.
My objection is to money being spent on this endless stream of teenage mothers who haven't put a penny in the pot, but can swan round town, mobile phones at the ready to call a taxi to take them home.
Every pensioner should be given a decent standard of life. Let’s face it years ago you had to work for every penny you had, we were never expected any handouts, but I blame the powers that be for creating this situation.
ANOTHER ANGRY TAX PAYER
Newsome
Survey stress
I WONDER if any of your readers have had to put up with the following piece of telephone harassment?
For half an hour, I was questioned by a telephone interviewer on a vast array of subjects, ranging from gambling to political allegiance.
At several different times he told me “this is the final part of the survey”, only to go at great length again and again. Furthermore, his intelligence and command of English was so bad that he insisted on five minutes of detailed questions about gambling habits I never had and, when I explained that I never used private health care, he insisted on asking me all kinds of futile questions about it. And, finally, when I told him I had answered enough questions, he had the nerve to ring me back.
Now, I am a fairly reasonable man, who will do some of those town hall surveys. But this one was excessive and personally prying. Why should I tell a stranger how much I earn, how much money I give my grandchildren, or what my voting intentions are?
If this is a government “service”, I hope it can be prosecuted for harassment.
And I can foresee that if others suffer as I did those responsible will certainly not be getting the votes they seek.
REV MIKE SMITH
Marsden
Hopes for high school
I AM writing to object to the proposed changes to the schools in Birkenshaw and East Bierley.
My son attends Birkenshaw C of E First and Nursery School at the moment and would have been due to move up to Birkenshaw Middle School in 2010.
I do not agree that a two-tier school system will be beneficial to our children and I do not agree with the closure of Birkenshaw Middle.
However, if it is to close, which seems to now be a foregone conclusion in spite of parents’ protests, I would like to see the council take an innovative approach and convert the site into a high school. This would be much more preferable than the suggestion of moving our children a huge distance away to schools that do not appear to be child or community focused in any way, shape or form.
I would like to stress my preference for a high school on the current Birkenshaw Middle School site. I believe it would be more beneficial for the children, it would enable community links to be maintained and indeed strengthened, including those with the church.
It would also offer Kirklees Council the chance to work to produce a high school of outstanding success on a scale that would be easily managed and recognised.
So far, parents do not appear to have been listened to. Please change that now and keep our children attending Birkenshaw schools on Birkenshaw sites.
MS E FERDINAND
Oakenshaw
Schools shake-up
WE have never written a protest letter before but feel very passionate about East Bierley Primary School.
I absolutely cannot see why anybody who is in full possession of their faculties can even begin to think about closing a school like East Bierley. How many similar lovely, well performing “proper” schools throughout the land have been lost and still the Government does not see what they have done.
We have lost so much countryside to developers who then build fancy apartments which are only the equivalent to yesterday’s tower blocks.
The post office has already gone and surely everybody will agree that the school and post office are the heart of every village. Please leave East Bierley School as a primary school.
I understand that the middle school system will definitely be abolished, although I do not agree with this either, but if this has to be then surely it will be much better and cheaper to use the money to extend East Bierley Primary School?
I understand that land is available and we should turn Birkenshaw Middle into a smaller high school where there is more than enough land, thereby keeping our children in our area and avoiding the need to turn Whitcliffe into a mini city.
THE DITTRICH FAMILY
Birkenshaw
Cycle menace
SOME 30 years ago, having witnessed dangerous cycling on the pedestrian areas of the town, I wrote to you to draw attention to the fact that there was nothing to indicate that such practices were illegal, which I feel sure most be the case.
However, yesterday I came within inches of being a victim when a youth came at a fast speed down Ramsden Street and turned into Victoria Lane, which is a pedestrian area. He was moving so quickly that I only became aware of his presence as he shot across in front of me. Had I taken one more step the consequences would have been disastrous. This unfortunately is not an isolated incident. It is happening more and more, riding on pavements, on pedestrian zones, often illegally carrying a second person, or the alternative curse of the foolish use of skate-boards.
I am not talking about careful cyclists going safely about their business, but rather young and very foolish thrill seekers, who seem to expect to be allowed to do as they like.
Who is responsible for control and safety in these areas? Whoever it is should quickly bring it under control before somebody is seriously injured or even killed.
KENNETH GREENWOOD
Newsome
Scrap sports centre
A NEW sports centre has been proposed at a cost of millions, dependent on selling the present one to Tesco.
Is it absolutely essential for the town to have a council run sports centre? Surely more use could be made of existing facilities, such as those at the Galpharm and several local schools?
There is a large fitness centre at Waterloo, with good facilities and a pool. Couldn’t the council come to some arrangement with them to share, or even take over their premises? It would cost a darn sight less than the reported £36m to build a new centre at Spring Grove.
Belts used to be tightened at Kirklees Council and such grandiose schemes should be abandoned. Tesco should re-develop their present site, perhaps taking over the under-used open market land and stay where they are.
The present sports centre could then be sold off for demolishing and building of apartments or student accommodation.
DES ADDY
MIRFIELD
Thank you
I WOULD like to say a great big thank you to Honley Junior School.
On July 1, I went to see Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat.
The children in the show were a credit to the school. I hope everybody enjoyed it as much as I did.
JEAN HEBBLETHWAITE
Honley
Vending machine ban
I HAVE just written to the new Secretary of State for Health, Andy Burnham MP demanding a total ban on cigarette vending machines
We don’t allow alcohol, fireworks, knives or other age restricted products to be sold from vending machines because we know a face-to-face transaction is the best way to make sure they don’t end up in the wrong hands.
Cigarettes should be no different. We need to tackle this anomaly which allows children an easy way get hold of cigarettes and damage their health.
The Health Bill, currently going through Parliament, includes further restrictions on cigarette vending machines but stops short of a full ban
I urge you to support this campaign and visit www.bhf.org.uk/outoforder where you can let the Government know they must prevent children picking up an addiction that threatens their future health.
Pamela Ciceri
Waterloo
