Letters, March 9

Mar 10 2010 by Sarah Bull, Huddersfield Daily Examiner

I HAVE every sympathy with those who have written in favour of rebuilding the Castle Hill Hotel.

The old building and business was a great asset to a site of general public recreation, and its destruction is difficult to forgive.

As president of the Huddersfield and District Archaeological Society I have submitted that society’s objection to rebuilding from the archaeological standpoint, but living locally and climbing the hill more frequently than many who live nearby I would so like to put the clock back.

We are now starting from the present situation. What interest have the Thandis in rebuilding unless they expect to profit by it?

There is no blame to them for that, but can they do this without increasing the traffic on the inadequate road with its narrow carriageway and blind corners?

Sited as it is this road cannot be improved and must be an insuperable obstacle to any modern business being developed on the summit. The earlier premises were built long before motor traffic.

The Victoria Tower stands on the main Norman site, its construction destroying a major record of our district’s history.

No, it would not be allowed today – or at the very least there would first be a thorough evaluation of the archaeology but other times had other values.

It has been suggested that a visitor centre and toilets could be on the lower side of Lumb Lane. There is a simpler, if more modest, alternative. There has long been a room in the tower where an explanation of the site is offered and this could be modernised.

A small unisex toilet facility fitted into the tower basement (where there was one originally) has not been ruled out.

If these modifications were made the tower and these facilities could be opened under supervision rather more often than the tower is open at present.

Kirklees has been very slow in executing its expressed intention of bringing this long saga to a close, allowing deadlines to be ignored.

It may well be that in its present straitened circumstances it does not want to incur the cost which would be entailed in a compulsory purchase of the lease of the hotel site.

Further legal expenses will then follow when they want to close the road, at present a public highway, at least during the night.

Edward Vickerman

Almondbury

Political divisions

WOULD anybody besides me like to know by what logic Buxton House, Springwood, Rifle Fields, Queen Elizabeth Gardens and Trinity Street should be shunted up to Newsome for voting purposes?

Paddock is a £1.60 bus ride away but is brought into the Greenhead Ward. This is another anomaly and shows disregard for residents.

We get nothing out of the Newsome budget – except for planters on the railings on the ring road, and a security light at Trinity Street.

We are a very underprivileged but tight-knit multicultural community, but we have no village hall or community centre and no children’s Sure Start centre. We’ve been bypassed for everything, while private residential districts like Thornton Lodge and Fartown get money thrown at them. Both have community centres paid for by council taxpayers.

We who live nearest to the town are not on any list for anything. It’s time we had a town councillor rep to look after us.

Why not put Springwood residents who live nearest to the town centre in the Greenhead Ward? Why should we have to take a bus or a taxi to go to meetings up at Newsome.

Who decided in 2004/5 to put us out to Newsome?

hazel Spencer

Spring Grove

Send councillors packing

SAVAGE cuts in all Kirklees departments with jobs lost and recruitment on hold – can we now have a sensible debate on how many councillors are required to run Kirklees?

Shall we tentatively say 20 with the considerable savings in expenses ploughed into essential services?

howard boothroyd

highburton

A sporting chance

MAY I just clear a few things up in response to ‘Hard Up and Fed Up’ (Mailbag, March 4) who seems slightly put out by the idea of a new sports centre?

Firstly, the creation of this new sport centre is not going to add ‘yet another supermarket’ to the grand total of supermarkets in our town because they are going to be ripping down the current Tesco to replace it with the new one. So the actual number of supermarkets will stay the same.

I also fail to see how this is going to cause the road chaos you mentioned at a permanent level. Admittedly, there probably will be some disturbance while building is in progress – there always is when erection of a great big building is concerned – but long term, after the new Tesco is up and running, the roads surrounding it will be just as usable as ever.

I’m sure those in charge have a plan that incorporates the fact that hundreds of cars will be pulling in and out of a new car park that feeds a new supermarket.

After all, using your own example of Sainsbury’s at Shore Head, it has its own feeder lane and set of traffic lights and the ring road still runs smoothly despite its positioning.

Your objections to a new sports centre seem to be based on the stadium having the best facilities in place already. This may be true, but the stadium is quite far out and not all of us have the privilege of being car drivers.

I travel from Honley already and the buses down to the stadium and back three times a week would add £7 to my expenses. The alternative is walking up to the town, alone, in the dark along Leeds road at night, putting myself in a very vulnerable position. I’m sure you wouldn’t do it, so why do you think it’s OK for me to?

I do agree with you about the use of what is currently the Tesco, however. Building new shops is rather a silly idea, based on the fact that there are, (as you said) already plenty of empty plots around the town.

The space could be used to bring people in to our town, to generate money and to create new jobs. Perhaps something like an IKEA or an attraction along the lines of Halifax’s EUREKA? The car park and road access is already there, so this wouldn’t cause you any more of the dreaded ‘chaos’, and at least it would have been put to good use.

I think for once the council has come up with a great idea. A sports centre right in the heart of the town centre that offers all the mod cons of sporting technology, is right next to the bus station, will provide ample choices of classes and fitness for all ... just because you seem adverse to changing things for the better, don’t assume everyone else is! Š

Leah Chapman

Honley

Reunion thanks

I WOULD like to thank Denis Kilcommons, Scott Hallas, Jean Bray, Honley businesses and friends who helped to make the recent reunion at Honley Socialist Club a great night with lots of laughter.

Money was raised for the Forget Me Not Trust with an auction quiz and card bingo. Thanks to all.

Marjorie

Honley

Keeping cats out

READING the letter about cat mess in the garden (Mailbag, March 1) I can say my neighbour also has the same problem and told me that an old gardener once told her to dry used tea bags, then soak them in Jeyes Fluid and put down in garden where the cats go.

She says they do seem to work.

m mitchell

Lepton

Less work, less stress

I BELIEVE councils are thinking of cutting back on staff. I believe it would be best if they shared the burden between the staff and reduced overall working to four days a week.

People with longer working hours often suffer from stress and stress-related problems

j s kennet

Longwood

Deadly dog weapons

WHY bother about knives and guns on our street when savage dogs are on the prowl which can inflict serious disfiguring injury?

As a person who enjoyed walking I am becoming increasingly concerned about many dog owners who appear to have no control over their animals. Too many tragic events are taking place. What chance has a small child or baby against a ferocious dog?

It is time the law protects the public from their vicious dogs. All dogs should be kept on a lead in public and all dogs should, by law, have a tag stating its owner and address.

A dog licence is not too much to ask for the animal you love. Many of these vicious dogs are being kept as a form of protection or a status symbol. These so-called owners are a disgrace to those who care and are responsible owners.

R Fuller

Huddersfield