Too many vehicles

On page four we have ‘Protestors vow to continue fight’ – the understandable concerns of an alleged “almost 7,000 people” (quote Wendy Halloway) regarding the proposed new waste-to-energy incinerator at Marley.

Right opposite on page five we have ‘Fresh talks on motorway link’, which seems to me to be a potential sinister contributor to the concerns of the almost 7,000.

Air quality in urban areas suffers from particulates from the exhausts of vehicles, especially when they are moving slowly or standing in long queues along Bradford Road, Skipton Road, Hard Ings Road and throughout the town centre because of traffic congestion.

Bluntly, there are already too many vehicles on our congested highway network and we need to take urgent steps, both nationally and locally, to reduce traffic volumes and convert to cleaner methods of propulsion. It cannot therefore be sensible to promote the extension of the M65 into the Aire Valley. To terminate where? At the Beechcliffe roundabout? What would increased trans-Pennine traffic heading into the Aire Valley do to congestion in Keighley and the quality of air?

The town mayor feels this will solve the problem of the town centre gridlock! I very much hope residents who have valid concerns about the proposed incinerator also take action to improve the air quality in Keighley by helping to reduce the density of car traffic in the town. As Kate Toch says, also in last week’s issue, “we use cars for the smallest of journeys”.

Keighley has an excellent network of good-quality bus services. Ask yourself, do I really need to drive my (diesel?) car into town today? Could I use the bus instead? Could my children walk to school?

Above all, if we are so worried about an incinerator in the narrow Aire Valley, can we really support a motorway extension into the narrow Aire Valley?

GRAHAM MITCHELL Oakworth