WITH reference to the letter from Mr Ellis from Kirkheaton, (Effective Policing, Examiner June 18) I have made numerous attempts over the past couple of weeks to contact Mr Ellis through the Examiner but have so far been unsuccessful.
I would still welcome a face to face meeting to discuss any issues he may have.
It was stated in his letter that the police should be visible at all times to be effective.
As the Local Neighbourhood Policing Team Inspector, I agree wholeheartedly.
Your local Neighbourhood Policing Teams carry out regular patrols on foot in your locality and this is now a requirement of the new ‘Policing Pledge’, which has been agreed by all police forces throughout the country.
The Policing Pledge says that your local officers should be visible in your community 80% of their time. The whole ethos of the Policing Pledge is that we, your local police officers, are led by you and we will listen to you and do our very best to react to what you want.
The issue regarding public meetings is for exactly this. Mr Ellis states that the public don’t want to meet the police, you need them to patrol.
However, the public meetings issue was requested by the public and gives them the chance to meet with their local officers and actually direct them to patrol in areas personal to them, in an effort to solve local problems.
These meetings are held regularly in your locality and are advertised in the local media and all are welcome to attend.
Mr Ellis states that police buildings seem ‘out of bounds’. We have listened to the public and are opening our police buildings at times that the public have requested.
One such example is the reopening of the police box in Almondbury on Friday mornings, following liaison between local officers and the community.
On behalf of your local Neighbourhood Policing Team, we would welcome the public to attend at our meetings and share your concerns so that we can work together to make communities safer.
INSPECTOR ADRIAN WAUGH
Huddersfield south policing team
Parking problems
RESIDENTS of East Street will no doubt be overjoyed to know that Lindley Methodist Church Centre, already home to 21 regular groups and a daily playgroup, breakfast club and after school club is now also to become a Surestart centre.
Also held here are frequent private functions, parties, concerts, conferences, summer and Christmas fairs etc.
As parking at this centre is already almost non-existent, the extra number of people trying to park on the street will just add to the many problems residents already experience, such as constantly being blocked in by selfish parking seven days a week, from early morning till 10pm.
And directly across the road is Lindley Junior and Infant School!
Lindley has a large empty boarded up house belonging to Kirklees Council, with space around it which could provide parking.
It has been empty for years. This would be an ideal venue and at least spread out the parking problems.
Who has allowed this Surestart centre which, in their words ‘provides services, information and activities to you and your family’, to be held in a building without adequate parking?
If it had been purpose built I doubt that it would have even got planning permission.
A RESIDENT
Lindley
Victimising drivers
I WRITE with regard to the article in the Examiner, ‘Hit litterbug drivers with licence points’.
When will the relentless taxing of us motorists cease? People are still using their mobile phones while driving, yet no one seems to see them.
I agree that littering is a terrible blight on this fine county and Kirklees should pursue the fly tippers, but us motorists are a soft touch and an easy target.
I, myself, had to report some fly tipping in my local area – building waste had been thrown over a dry stone wall.
I am still waiting to see the prosecution in this case but I won’t be holding my breath!
JONATHAN WRIGHT
Longwood
Mining history help
I WONDER if you readers can help me with my hobby, which is collecting Brass Embossed Colliery Lamp Checks or tokens and tallies, as they are sometimes called?
These are brass discs with the name of the colliery on them as well as the miner’s number. The miner would draw this check, along with his lamp, from the lamp room before going down the mine.
I am trying very hard to obtain some lamp checks from the collieries that once operated in the West Yorkshire Coalfields.
I am trying to obtain a lamp checks from: Lepton Edge Colliery, Grange Ash Colliery, Old Roundwood Colliery, Emley Moor Colliery, Park Mill Colliery, Thornhill Colliery, Hartley Bank Colliery, Grigglestone Colliery, Shuttle Eye Colliery, Caphouse Colliery, Bullcliffe Wood Colliery, Denby Grange Colliery and Manor Colliery.
I would very much like to hear from any one who once worked at and can remember these collieries working. Any help they can give me in trying to obtain any lamp checks from them would be very much appreciated. Contact me at 5 Cherry Grove, Norton, Stourbridge, West Midlands, DY8 3YL.
PETER WALL
Norton
Biggs should stay in jail
I AGREE with most of Mike Warren-Madden’s sentiments on the shortcomings of the criminal justice system (Mailbag, July 10), but I think his logic with regard to Ronnie Biggs is shaky to say the least.
Biggs has committed a serious and violent crime, albeit many years ago.
Since his escape, he has shown no remorse for his misdeeds, living the life of Riley and cashing in on his notoriety, in a country from which he could not be extradited. Whether he is a frail old man or not is irrelevant and Jack Straw is quite right to keep him in custody. Biggs has not yet paid his debt to society.
MR GRUMPY
Almondbury
Tesco confusion
AM I alone in experiencing some confusion in thinking that Tesco were paying for the new sports centre in return for being allowed to build on the present sports centre site?
In other words they were buying the land at market price and the new sports centre was in return for being permitted to build thereon.
Now according to the Examiner on July 9, only a ‘substantial’ part of the cost of the new sports centre would come from selling land at Southgate to Tesco. Not quite the same.
If the latter is the case, could not the council have sold the land on the open market for development for the best offer, bearing in mind the best interests of the town and save all the controversy about more and more supermarket development along the ring road corridor?
T HOWARD FIRTH
Salendine Nook
Time for progress
LIKE many Huddersfield people I am heartily sick of what has happened on Castle Hill.
I am a regular visitor to the site and wonder every time I go there how the council could have let the Thandi brothers walk all over the people of Huddersfield.
In part I am in agreement with a recent correspondent (F J Sheard,17 July) regarding a so-called visitor centre.
The only building that should be put at Castle Hill is a stone built, stone floored, mullioned windowed building with a square castellated tower resembling, well, the building that was there originally which the Thandi brothers destroyed and should be made to put back.
There is also one very important point that everyone has missed totally and that is that the tower was built in 1897 to celebrate Queen Victoria’s jubilee. The pub pre-dates that building by at least 70 years. To me, that building was just as much Castle Hill as the tower.
Would anyone allow the tower to be pulled down? Or even sold to property developers who would maybe turn it into a ‘Boutique’ wine bar (Whatever one of those is). Couldn’t happen? Could someone then tell me where the pub went to?
One last thing, while the Thandis were (eventually due to public pressure and nothing whatsoever to do with the council) made to remove the new building which they built up there, why have they not been made to remove several hundred tonnes of concrete which still lie buried?
Bob Monkhouse
Dalton
Castle Hill logic
F J SHEARD’S letter regarding Castle Hill in mailbag (Friday July 17) is so logical and to the point, that I think it should be circulated to all members of Kirklees Council’s planning committee.
Plus if the Thandis are still so determined to develop the site, would it not be in their interest (considering it could create more custom) to provide with the assistance from Kirklees council, a small, possibly unmanned visitor centre as part of any future development.
Barry Wood
Honley
Pub praise
WELL done to Johnny and Tricia for re-opening The Commercial in Slaithwaite.
A quality real ale house is exactly what the village centre needs, let’s hope it does well.
RICHARD HUDDLESTON
Slaithwaite
Springwood parking
IN all the excitement of the new sports centre, has anyone thought of what will happen to the thousand or so cars parked at Springwood everyday?
A MARSLAND
Lockwood
