I’M calling on all doctors who make up our local Clinical Commissioning Group to protect the NHS form further privatisation.

The campaigning organisation 38 Degrees has a large petition showing that people want their NHS protected.

Their petition demanding that doctors save local NHS services from privatisation is now being delivered in every one of the 212 Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) areas.

CCGs should protect the NHS by adopting the 38 Degrees amendments to their constitutions.

The CCGs should listen to the people – lots of us are committed to protecting the NHS from being privatised.

alex barlow

Marsden

Care available to all

I BELIEVE that government is trying to privatise the NHS in order that big business can eventually take control.

We need to keep the NHS in public control so that care is available to everyone regardless of where they live or how much they are able to pay.

CCGs need to amendment their constitutions in line with those suggested by 38 Degrees.

NHS should continue to be a caring profession not one controlled by shareholders. There are other ways to fund it.

Joan Vevers

Holmfirth

Social solidarity

AT THIS time of significant upheaval in the NHS a very considerable responsibility is falling on the newly established local commissioning groups to engineer the new face of health care in our country.

In doing so I would urge that they take particular note of those of their local population who are keen to protect the NHS from substantial privatisation.

It is widely acknowledged that the NHS represents a form of social solidarity that needs to be underpinned at a time when economic uncertainty and social division are growing.

Privatisation of previously NHS services would, in my opinion, be socially damaging and ultimately detract from the overall health of people in our area.

Peter Pettit

Huddersfield

More costly surely?

RICHARD Huddleston’s optimism (Letters, December 14) in expecting gas obtained by fracking to be up to 60% cheaper, as in America, shows him at his most naive.

In this country, of all places, we should surely expect it to turn out even more expensive than gas acquired by conventional means!

On the subject of energy, I wonder how much of the extra demand for power has been met by our precious wind turbines this week?

Alan Starr

Golcar

Towering decisions

WHILE I don’t think the futuristic plans of Mr Benson and Mr Grayson are the answer to what to build on top of Castle Hill (if anything!), I do think the two architects have done us a good turn.

They have made it clear that a pseudo-Victorian pub brooding over Huddersfield is not the only option.

Like Mr Sheerman, I am very concerned about lobbying by the present leaseholders and about what seems to be politicising among some councillors.

I think it would be a great mistake to build anything at all until a proper three-year archaeological investigation has been carried out.

Even then, whatever the discoveries, I would hope the hill top would be left alone, resources being spent instead on making better use of the tower.

S W Roebuck

Newsome

Way forward

READING the article ‘Comments on the story ... (Examiner, December 13) makes me realise what a sad bunch of ‘locals’ we have.

Comments such as, ‘out of keeping with the site’, ‘well designed pub’, ‘rebuild the pub’, ‘I’d prefer a pub full of pictures’, ‘too modern’ and so on. These people ought to get out a bit more, preferably with their eyes open.

The last Thandi scheme was a disgrace, basically a proposed re-building of what was destroyed. It can only be described as rear view mirror architecture at its absolute worst, looking backwards to go forwards.

The architects, I know, are capable of far better and quite why they came up with the scheme, including justifying it in a Design/Access Statement to the planners, is beyond me.

What’s now proposed is thankfully different and refreshing. It has minimal impact on the most prominent skyline site in our area.

It could even include a pub, to keep the locals happy! Then again, leave the pub out, attract visitors, both local and from afar and let the ‘sads’ sup in their locals well away from the hill.

I would like to think that we should all support a development which respects what has previously existed on the site, has facilities to exhibit/promote its history and facilities to cater for visitors. Am I a lone voice here?

What is proposed, albeit at an early stage in its development, provides an opportunity to do this. Go for it.

Chris West

Crimble

Time to move on

SO the Castle Hill saga goes on, reading some of the comments one would think the summit of Castle Hill was some kind of naturalistic paradise, surrounded by World class Iron Age ruins.

It is in fact a bleak windswept hill, without much in the way of rare and beautiful wildlife.

Wildlife does not like bleak windswept places any more than we do. Iron age men probably felt the same.

I have continued to read the comments with some disbelief. The Examiner certainly sees to have more than its share of miserable, beggar my neighbour readers.

The last time I used the pub at Castle Hill was something like 20 years ago. My youngest daughter, then about 14, had never been up to Castle Hill, so on a beautiful clear winter’s day we set off from Netherton to Castle Hill, a beautiful walk indeed.

We walked around the hill and, as someone who liked an odd pint, we went into the pub.

This was what I called heaven. A warm wrap-round atmosphere, people talking, a roaring fire. We sat by the window and admired the view, lovely and warm.

We even had a snack – perfect!

It then started to cloud over and within half an hour it was a blizzard. Oh dear! Fortunately, Major Thandi was doing back to Netherton and asked if we would like a lift back. We didn’t refuse!

A lovely three hours with nice people. The Thandis have been punished.

Now let them get on with building and running the pub.

JOHN THE CLOCK

Huddersfield

More grit please

I LIVE at the bottom of a Crescent in Lascelles Hall and in snow and ice it is extremely difficult to get out.

I am sure there are other people in the same situation as we are and as we all pay our community tax I think that the council should do their best to make sure we too can get to work.

There is one box at the top of the road with rock salt in but that’s not enough.

Should Kirklees Council do more to help those of us who are in this position? I think they should.

Last weekend I was in Switzerland and on Friday we had nine inches of snow yet come Saturday morning all the main roads and side roads were clear, and I mean clear so everyone was free to get on with their business.

It’s about time our councils had the same attitude.

James caine

Lascelles Hall

Going places

IT’S lovely to see the 30th anniversary of the re-opening of Slaithwaite station celebrated (Examiner December 14).

The station is well used and is a vital resource for the Colne Valley.

It is worth recalling that not only Slaithwaite fell victim to the Beeching axe in the 1960s but also Golcar station and neighbouring Longwood and Milnsbridge as well.

Slaithwaite re-opened thanks to strong local campaigning and the support of Metro.

Thirty years on, we need the same enthusiasm to get a new station that will serve Golcar and Milnsbridge.

GLAM (Golcar Longwood and Milnsbridge Transport Campaign) was formed earlier this year and one of its core aims is to get a station to serve the growing community around Milnsbridge, Golcar and Longwood.

Whilst it’s early days, it has already built up strong support.

If anyone is interested in being involved in the campaign, I would be delighted to hear from them.

Councillor Paul Salveson

(Golcar ward)