I WOULD like to thank Mr K Bagot for his open letter of February 27 regarding the condition of the roads in Kirklees and our subsequent attempts to repair them.

I too share your concerns around deteriorating road conditions, which Kirklees Council have tried to improve by supplementing the decreasing Government Grants by on average £5million pounds a year over the last four years, whilst investment from Central Government has reduced by over 16%.

Without this additional investment we have put in our road network would be much worse, however we have prioritised this work as decent roads are vital to local people and also the local economy.

Your observations around the correct way to repair potholes are accurate, and we endeavour to repair to that standard wherever possible.

However due to the number of potholes and the constraints put on us by third party liability claims and traffic management requirements, on occasion we do use a proprietary self levelling, fast setting material that does not require compacting.

Obviously this is not a perfect solution but one that is necessary to achieve the primary objective of removing the danger for the minimum amount of traffic disruption and Health and Safety requirement.

Your reference to utility companies again demonstrates the tensions between different users of our highway network, as the utility companies believe that the use of the road or pavement for pipes and cables is as important as that of the travelling public.

The New Road and Street Works Act is the Government Legislation that covers excavations in the highway, and that allows us to charge for inspecting 10% of the reinstatements of the works that are carried out by the utilities.

We notify them of any defects found which they then have to repair at their own cost.

The levels of defects are constantly monitored and excessive failure rates results in further action against the utility concerned.

I hope I have demonstrated our commitment to maintaining the roads of Kirklees within the challenging financial times we face, and hope I have answered the questions you posed.

Mehboob Khan

Leader of Kirklees Council

Fresh ideas please

I HAD to respond to your story (Examiner, March 5) about the number of councillors in Huddersfield (I hate the name Kirklees) council.

If you had asked me before reading the story if we needed to reduce the number of councillors in the authority area I would have said ‘by half’. Having read the report, seen the figures and heard the opinions, I think I’m doubting my opinion.

I do think there are issues. I wonder why Calderdale councillors are only responsible for 9,000 people when ours in Huddersfield have 13,000?

Surely there should be an even number of people per ward for large town or authority areas nationally. I assumed there was anyway.

The leader of the council role is the same, the cabinet roles are the same and the councillor demands are the same, so why is there less ‘demand’ on councillors over the border?

The savings of an election every three years could easily be resolved. Why not elect people for three or four years?

If people don’t like their councillor after that period they can still be got rid of then. Therefore you save on the almost £300,000 of running an election, stop disruption of closing the schools for a day and so on.

My concern really (and I have no proven solution) is the representation of parties. I think in having as many councillors as we do means there is proper opposition and scrutiny of the ruling group. Reduce it further and you reduce that and I think it’s an important role to have.

But I wonder if a cap on the number of politicians in each party and to have so many independent councillors would be a good idea?

That way we get a better range of views, rather than every decision and idea being so party political.

It’s me thinking aloud and I can see it restricts freedom of choice, but I would like to see some fresh faces and ideas come forward.

Lynne Staunton

Netherton

Why is it now safe?

CAN I ask if, when the decision was made for which lights would be turned off, the history of why they were installed was looked at at all?

There is a footpath between the Fields Road estate and Highgate Lane which is due for light switch off. Back in January 1985 I was attacked on this footpath.

The footpath at that time was unlit. I can still remember exactly what happened I can recall the clothes I was wearing, and what I was carrying.

In my right hand I had a red umbrella which I used to try and defend myself as well as screaming. He hit me hard in the middle of my forehead leaving me with an egg sizedlump and bruising.

Eventually he ran off down the path towards Fields Road which left me in a frightened state with a dilemma. I didn’t know which safe way I could go home.

I couldn’t or didn’t dare follow him down the path and was left with the option of going the longer way round Common End Lane which was a bit creepy and I was afraid of coming across my attacker no matter which way I went.

I can also remember how utterly useless I felt at being unable to give the police any useful description about my attacker – I could only say how tall he was and what build. There were no lights so that was all I could do.

Following my attack there was a campaign launched to get lighting on this path. Letters were written to the Examiner and petitions were made and given to the council.

It was a successful campaign and I am sure if our council took the time to look they will find evidence of it. They ( the council) said that this footpath should have lights on after dark as it was unsafe to be unlit.

Why is it now safe for the lights to go off?

Mrs Tina Roberts ( nee Hinchliffe)

Lepton

Well done Browns

CONGRATULATIONS for writing about the David Brown’s large order for the supply of gear boxes, for wind turbines.

There is, in my opinion, mass hysteria about them being a blot on the landscape etc because what about electric pylons everywhere? Nobody ever says anything about them.

To me it is just a matter of people getting used to them.

D R Deeley

Shepley

Bean count needed

WHERE is the fun in pouring 130 tins of baked beans over two ‘brave shopworkers’ (Examiner, March 4). Brave?

It would be interesting to know how much was raised. If less than the cost of the beans, that purchase money may as well have been given directly to Comic Relief.

Apart from how much the beans cost I’m sure some charities in Huddersfield working with homeless and unemployed folk would have welcomed those 130 tins of beans.

Liz Sharp

Netherton