I WRITE as a follow-up to my letter of October 20 regarding danger to pedestrians on Sutton Lane to Eastburn.

Today (December 8) I spoke at the North Yorkshire County Council meeting at St Peter’s, Cross Hills, to urge councillors to support a much-needed pavement along Sutton Lane to Eastburn and Airedale Hospital.

I was dismayed to be told by a councillor that “there was already a traffic-free path along the beck side which only adds ten minutes to the walk”.

In my view this path is isolated, has no lighting and is used as a popular dog walk with the ensuing mess. I consider it only for strolls in good weather in daylight and not for walking to Eastburn and Airedale Hospital. I cannot see the hospital workers wanting to use it either, especially single women, as it is so isolated. During last year’s floods the path entrance was 3ft three feet under water. After hearing public comments at Sutton Parish Council two months ago, the local highways officer did take on board talking to Bradford Council about the dangerous lack of adequate lighting on the lane on its side of the boundary. Hopefully this will come to fruition.

I was then upset to hear that the latest planning application for the adjacent green fields was likely to go ahead and we would then get a pavement which is included in that plan.

NYCC will not be seeking to acquire pavement land itself, so in other words if you do not want to be run over, accept more houses on a greenfield site. I would prefer to play dodgems with the traffic.

The public will not be happy to hear that Craven district planning officers did not send in objections to this second application.

The planning committee objected to the first application and also objected to that appeal but the officers did not bother to send in objections to this amended, second plan.

The public will see this as deliberate by the planning officers to inflict even more houses on us and take away our green fields. The houses are not what we need in this small village. The infrastructure just cannot cope any more. These houses will only attract more commuters. This plot was not asked for by the village. It is being inflicted on us by council officers.

Is it any wonder that the public is disenfranchised by our councils, councillors, Government and MPs? Is it any surprise that voting turnouts have dropped to only 20 and 30 per cent instead of the seventies? Public opinion is constantly ignored by people who think they know better than us what we need. I for one am fed up about it.

MARGARET NICHOLSON Park Drive Sutton