I HAVE just visited the website for ‘castlehillproject’ and it looks superb, a design actively taking the heritage of the site in mind and providing the amenities many residents have called for.

It looks very attractive and could be a great source of revenue for Kirklees as well as providing an attractive site for visitors.

I expect some historical features would be exhibited in conjunction with Ravensknowle museum to provide a connection with the site’s historical past.

This project appears to provide a solution to many questions, apart from vehicular access, but my suggestion would be a one way system.

Of course this would mean another road to provide egress, but with care and collaboration with archeological interests I feel it would be possible, perhaps from the Newsome side?

Les & Pat

Honley

Think again

I ECHO the thoughts of readers who cannot see any legitimate reason or need for a pub on Castle Hill.

This place has historical value and needs to be exploited to share the history with all, not be allowed to be commercialised by the Thandi Partnership.

If it’s right that the land in now green belt and has heritage status then I cannot see why anyone can approve this or support this as it would surely raise serious questions on the integrity of the planning process and conduct of the planning committee.

It’s concerning that most of the Labour councillors on the planning committee voted yes last time when council planning officers proposed refusal for very good and sound reasons.

It’s obvious to me that theThandis know how important this site is in Huddersfield and are making all attempts possible to profit from this.

I urge the councillors to really think about this before voting again!

Lucy Jones

Edgerton

Tip top Choral choirs

AS Greater Manchester residents we had always heard that the Huddersfield Choral Society and its ‘Youth’ choir and even the teeny ones in their ‘Young Voices’ section were among the best choirs in the North of England if you wanted to hear and see a professional performance of choral work.

After witnessing the above at both St Joseph’s Church and at Huddersfield Town Hall – we admit that we are biased (due to grandchild involvement) but we know enough about choral quality to recognise extremely good work and talent when we hear it.

May we congratulate our Huddersfield neighbours on several – quite outstanding – concerts!

We would quite happily navigate the Greenfield Road anytime in order to hear HCS choirs.

You knock the spots off any choirs in the North West and our surrounding area!

Longden-Agnew Family

Stalybridge

Dashed well done

ON BEHALF of the Huddersfield Lions Club may we acknowledge your help and support for the Santa Dash event and the excellent coverage on page three of Monday’s paper.

We would also like to publicly thank Armitage’s Garden Centre for their generous donation, help and support in the build-up to the event and on the day.

We also thank Yates Wine Lodge for the generous use of their premises and also all the help and support which the staff gave.

We borrowed cones, barriers and signs from Kirklees Council, we had raffle prizes donated by Balooshai of Honley, B&Q and Staples and Holmfirth and Meltham Lions Club brought their sleigh to help entertain the Santa Dashers. Thank you to you all.

Thank you also to the 239 Santa Dasher, who pledged £16,100 to 24 charities. This was a wonderful effort.

The Motto of Lions Clubs International (of which we are a part) is ‘We Serve’.

I think that once again we are delighted to have served all the charities by offering them this opportunity to raise money through our organisation.

Martin Richardson (President) and Andrew Thornes (Chair of the Santa Dash Committee)

Hard to justify

GIVEN the present climate of extreme cutbacks and austerity measures, how can Kirklees justify supplying each councillor with an expensive iPad (Examiner, December 10).

I would have thought that a £100 10ins tablet based on one of the Android operating systems would provide all the functionality that councillors need to improve communications and cut down on paper.

Given that the fairly recent iPads cost between £399 and £659 each, with little more than token discounts available unless they are out-of-date models, I wonder how this luxury product can be justified for councillors when most of their constituents are struggling financially.

Mr Grumpy

Almondbury

Laptop query

KIRKLEES council a few years ago bought top of the range laptops. Where are these?

Barry McDonagh

Emley

Tough times

YOU couldn’t make it up. People are losing their jobs, everything is going up, we are told to tighten our belts and what do our councillors want?

They want an iPad to make life easier for themselves at a total cost of £25,000.

T HAIGH

Huddersfield

Spending pattern

IF THE council thinks that spending £100,000 of rate-payer’s money refurbishing the Pack Horse centre and a mosaic in Byram Arcade will reduce the number of vacant retail properties they must be crazy. How can a mosaic cause new shops to open?

David Morrell

Dalton

Progress perhaps?

COULD it be we have now taken the first hesitant step to a cross-party policy on drugs?

I hope so. The current one is failing and has been so for decades.

We need men and women of all sectors of the community to come forward – the only qualification needed is vision.

Godfrey Bloom

UKIP MEP for Yorkshire and North Lincolnshire