DISCUSSIONS have been taking place about the future of the library service in Kirklees and the Examiner has reported on these and the concerns of Kirklees residents.

In spite of this and in spite of meetings with Kirklees councillors and officers it is only as a result of a Freedom of Information request that the real status and nature of the proposals have been made available to residents of affected areas.

We were told in public meetings that there was no agreed plan, but there clearly is.

No answers were forthcoming to queries about the criteria for deciding which libraries would close unless residents agreed to run them voluntarily, yet the bizarre criteria in a document entitled Reshaping Library Services has existed for months.

It is not surprising its authors and the councillors who supported this document did not want to share it with residents.

There is no sensible criteria for withdrawing support from some libraries and retaining the full service in others, no data on library usage in different areas, no intelligence about the relative value of the services to different communities.

Instead of undertaking proper research of this kind and developing a plan that supports all areas of the region equally, the paper identifies areas of Kirklees where it claims (without any supporting evidence) there is considerable community activity and proposes these areas should have services withdrawn. The suggestion is presumably that we punish community-spirited regions by removing the council services for which they pay in the same way as everyone else.

Perhaps we will be asked to empty our own bins next?

I suggest that everyone in Denby Dale, Golcar, Honley, Lepton, Kirkheaton, Shepley and Slaithwaite considers resigning from all voluntary activities if evidence of these is to be used as a reason for withdrawing council services.

The document absurdly cites David Cameron’s much discredited concept of the Big Society but I don’t think even Cameron suggested penalising active communities.

This plan is a grotesquely cynical piece of work.

It begins by stating that in various parts of the country plans to remove library services have led to demonstrations by local people.

It proposes the pretence that services will not close but be run, unpaid, by local people.

Presumably once this fails because the service is unreliable and unprofessional then local people can be blamed for the failure and the myth perpetuated that there was no real demand for the service.

There is no good reason to close libraries in these areas and retain them in others. The cuts must be spread equally across all local libraries not targeted on rural areas for no reason than a vague prejudice again active rural communities.

Christine Jarvis

Denby Dale

Don’t blame fiver buyer

I STRONGLY disagree with the suggestion by Stephen Cullimore (Mailbag, April 2) that garages should have a minimum purchase policy of £25 and his rather outrageous view that the lady who only put £5 worth of petrol in her tank is in some way to blame for the problems at the pumps.

There may be people who simply choose for whatever reason to put only a small amount of fuel in their cars and I accept that this could be annoying to some other motorists, particularly if there is a queue at the pumps.

However, there are also people, myself included, who at times of financial hardship have found themselves running low but could only afford a few pounds worth of fuel to enable them to drive home.

A minimum charge such as suggested by Mr Cullimore would cause serious difficulties in this type of scenario.

The problem was not caused by people such as the lady from Dalton, who was thinking of others, but by the Government which encouraged people to stock up because they considered it to be a way of defeating a possible tanker drivers’ strike.

The problem was also exacerbated by those who understandably listened to the Government’s ridiculous advice and bought more petrol than they needed, thereby creating a shortage at the pumps for everyone.

Robert Nicholls

Kirkburton

What about gardeners?

STEPHEN Cullimore (Examiner letters April 2) assumes the lady in question put £5 to top up her tank while it’s possible this was going into an almost empty tank.

And would he also deny me or other gardeners the right to buy five litres of petrol for the lawnmower, chainsaw or hedge trimmer.

Sam Hinchliffe

Huddersfield

We need Holmfirth Tesco

IF an outsider happened to be reading the coverage about the proposed new Tesco in Holmfirth they would be forgiven for thinking that Keep Holmfirth Special is an elected organisation whose mandate is to speak on behalf of the whole of the local community – New Weapon in Fight Against Tesco Plans (April 2).

Well they are not and when they make their call for Tesco to “pull their application based on Government guidance” they do so for themselves – a small group of obviously well-funded, self-interested individuals who fail spectacularly to recognise the broader wishes of the community.

We simply want a decent-sized supermarket within easy reach rather than having to travel out of town at increasing cost to do our major shopping.

The Keep Holmfirth Special ‘machine’ is being very opportunist and, as usual, misleading, in its interpretation of planning law since, in essence, nothing has changed with the government’s recent announcement. A developer has always had to look for suitable sites in a town centre.

Keep Holmfirth Special, if successful, will by its actions deprive Holmfirth of a much needed shopping facility and, contrary to what it purports to promote, will hasten the decline of Holmfirth.

The sooner the proposed Tesco comes to Holmfirth the better.

We all want Holmfirth to be a good place to live and are fed up with the tactics employed by Keep Holmfirth Special.

There is no doubt that Keep Holmfirth Special (formerly Holmfirth against Tesco) is simply maintaining its old pedigree of being anti-Tesco. They are hell-bent on holding back the future prosperity of the Holme Valley.

Brian Rooks

Holme Valley Voices

An alternative view

FOR someone who has yet to be elected to Kirklees council Dr Paul Salveson, who is standing for the Golcar Ward, should bite his tongue until he is elected to office.

As with most Labour zealots people who have an alternative view to theirs are deemed wrong and fools.

Well, Dr Salveson, you are not going about vote catching in the correct manner. Criticising those who have an opposing view to yours with regards to Labour’s loathed LDF initiative is not a vote catcher.

I don’t know if you are aware but the people still have the right to voice, thought and lawful opposition even though Labour would love for us to conform with their every word.

Please remember the law of averages which says ‘We cannot be wrong all the time.’

Not all anti-LDF voices are Conservative voters or do you think that ever Labour voter thinks as you?

Very strange ideology you have Dr Salveson. Your thought process has somehow been slightly warped. That is the problem with political animals – they lose sight of reality.

R J Bray

Shelley

Education’s home role

I REFER to your article (Wednesday, March 28) which states that schools which fail to teach pupils to read and write should be fined.

A great deal of time and money is allocated to under achieving children in schools, working individually or in small groups.

I would like to ask one question: What are the parents contributing to the upbringing of the ‘young adults’ involved in last year’s riots?

An earlier article called Taking Lessons Out Of The Classroom (March 21) rightly states that a large proportion of learning should take place ‘within families and the home.’

Retired Deputy Headteacher

Huddersfield

Putting on a great show

I ATTENDED the Slaithwaite Country Show with my family and just wanted to congratulate all those involved on a fantastic event.

Archery, ferret racing, bale rolling, stalls, great food and dog shows – just how a country show should be!

The event was really well run, fun, informative and a great atmosphere for young and old alike. I hope it becomes an annual event!

Name Withheld

Berry Brow

Running for children

I WILL be running in this year’s Virgin London Marathon on Sunday, April 22 for The Children’s Trust, Tadworth, a national charity that provides specialist therapy, care and education for some of the UK’s most severely disabled children and young people and rehabilitation to children with an acquired brain injury.

I would like to extend a special invitation to runners who have secured a place in the marathon but have yet to decide on a worthy cause to support to join me and be part of the Trust’s team.

Having sustained a serious brain injury myself as a result of an accident I am only too aware of the daily challenges that the children receiving rehabilitation at the Trust have to face.

On a recent visit it was inspirational to see the work that goes on and to meet the children who are working so hard in rehabilitation.

If you would like to sponsor me please visit www.virginmoneygiving.com/cracknellrunslondon

For further information about The Children’s Trust and details about other UK and overseas running events please visit www.thechildrenstrust.org.uk/londonmarathon or phone 01737 365018.

James Cracknell

On behalf of The Children’s Trust