Aerosols, parrots and rescued cats - your views (From Keighley News)

Aerosols, parrots and rescued cats - your views

7:45am Thursday 30th April 2009

• Print
• Email
• Share
• Comments(3)

Homework not done on aerosols

Doorstep recycling, however noble, just isn’t every households cup of tea.

Knowing what you can or can’t recycle by this method and the idea of building up your waste for the fortnightly delivery will no doubt add to the reluctance of some residents — especially if time and space is restricted (nothing to do with Dr Who!) What will confuse some people further, especially those travelling through Cross Roads towards Keighley, is the appearance of a giant poster on the side of a retailer explaining that Bradford Council now accepts aerosols in the doorstep collections.

The confusion is that (a) Bradford Council don’t operate the doorstep collections in Cross Roads and Haworth and (b) Aire Valley Recycling — which do collect — have accepted aerosols for a while now.

In a period of reducing costs and tightening of budgets, you would think that the decision makers at City Hall would have done their homework and avoid paying for wall space adverts where unnecessary.

Mark Pullen

Thorn Street, Haworth

Clearing up tip points

I refer to Mr Knights article recent “Clean Up Objectors Fears”. While this article is not inaccurate it misses the point Mr Winter was trying to make.

We have no objection to the remediation on Manywells Tip or the infill of the hollows in the adjacent field, providing it is undertaken by the council.

This is not the case, what was not made clear in any of the presentations in Cullingworth Village Hall, or the leaflets, was that the planning permission submitted by the council for filling in the hollows was on behalf of the landowner.

We understand that it was paid for and to be run by him and could extend for a period of up to five years. We felt that this should have been a separate application and not included with the plans for the tip.

If there is a potential danger from the gas, it should be filled with clay in the same way as the tip. At the very least, we feel there should be stringent planning conditions imposed to ensure safety from wagons on Manywells Brow and the bridle path, also a substantial bond obtained from the operators to avoid a similar problem arising in the future.

J Winter

Briggland Court, Wilsden

Parrot on town's shoulder

I have been prompted, no compelled, to write to your paper after this morning when I was left totally dumfounded by the intensity and frequency of traffic passing via the main street in Silsden. This was at 11am I should add. It was, I thought, extraordinary.

When will Bradford wake up and understand this “parrot on Silsden’s shoulder” problem.

The thoroughly unsafe (for average citizens going about their business) and waywardly controlled larger vehicles: driven on to pavement edges and pavements with apparently no thought.

Also the extremely dangerous parking (for pedestrians mainly and motorists and shop owners) of out-of-scale delivery trucks by unconcerned drivers.

I am unable to drive any more but surely the shop owners/proprietors cannot say that their profits drop by a huge, irretrievable margin because of any restriction placed on parking along Silsden’s extremely cramped main street — can they?

They should be aware that this situation can and should be remedied. It is entirely dangerous for any pedestrian to walk the pavements built for them.

I think this problem should be highlighted again.

David N Wright

Prince Street, Silsden

Kind and considerate

I was recently one of four vehicles involved in a collision at the junction of Dalton Lane and Bradford Road.

It was teatime and therefore very busy. As a result traffic came to a standstill and many people were around and about.

I would like to say thank you to all the kind and considerate people of Keighley who “got stuck in”.

A gentleman who was making his way down Dalton Lane came back and started directing traffic; two men appeared from the new college building with brushes and started to clear away broken glass, etc; a lady walking past checked that I had a mobile phone and could contact home; a man who worked for Keighley and District Travel used his phone to contact the police and ambulance service. He also stayed around to check if we needed any more help.

Two students from Oakbank stood next to my car and kept me company. A friend of one of the other people who was also involved in the accident gave me a lift home.

It goes without saying that when the police and medics arrived they were great too.

Thanks to everyone involved.

A footnote. Looking forward to the road outside the new supermarket regaining its previous width. It’s not an easy drive there at the moment.

Maureen Mitchell

Bowwood Drive, Sandbeds

Stones and glasshouses

I notice in last week’s Keighley News that you sniped at the stall which sold pineapples at the farmers’ market. Of course its not what farmers’ markets selling local produce are about but those who live in glasshouses shouldn’t throw stones. For instance, today under the Editors Choice section of the Keighley News online there’s the headline “Ross loses out in battle for Bafta”. Is the Keighley News (Gannett Co. Inc., Virginia, USA) truly local?

J Brooksbank

Fell Lane, Keighley

Smacking of cowardice

As one of the greatest critics of the contributors who choose to hide their identities on your online pages, I am pleased you have opened the debate in your last editorial.

Most of these contributors usually have criticisms to make of either our public figures or institutions and here the dichotomy appears. If an individual is prepared to put his or her head above the parapet and engage in a process that affects members of the public, then quite correctly they do so with a certain anticipation of criticism. After all, it is not possible to please all of the people all of the time.

However, if that person should be criticised for his or her actions, or even blamed, then an essential element of natural justice is for that person to be entitled to know from whom the criticism, or blame, originates. To extend this point further, the basis of our legal system is based on this principle.

Before a letter makes publication on these pages, a name, address and daytime telephone number is required for verification purposes. To hide behind a pseudonym on the online pages and then attack a public figure or institution smacks of cowardice, because the writer knows they do not need to disclose their real identity.

I personally have never shied away from criticising either politicians or their parties when I believe I have an alternative point to make, but I do afford them the respect to know to whom they need to reply.

To avoid doing so shows a contempt for the issue, the source of the issue and the platform that allows the issue to be debated. This avoidance devalues public debate and the person hiding behind the pseudonym.

Of course, there are times when anonymity is important and no-one could blame the “whistle-blowers”, who will make public an issue of major significance at great personal risk. The recent case of a major local building society and the senior executive who made public its exposure to financial risk makes a good point.

Sadly, I have yet to see anything of this significance on the online letters page and genuinely feel sorry for those public figures, who are proud to be named for their point of view and stand up for their principles, being attacked in a manner that would never get to print on our Thursday mornings.

David McKay

Alkincote Street, Keighley

Rescue centre gives hope

All that is necessary for evil to triumph is for good men to do nothing.

The above quote is attributed to Edmund Burke, a well-known 18th century political philosopher. It is particularly fitting in the context of Yorkshire’s appalling reputation for animal cruelty and neglect.

If England were to be judged as an animal loving nation based on Yorkshire, it would not be given that accolade. Time and again, the suffering of animals is overlooked because people come first. Yet, Haworth Cat Rescue gives so much to people as well as animals. It gives hope to the lonely by bringing a new friend into their home to talk to and to love. It gives comfort to those reluctantly forced to surrender their much loved pet because the care home or hospice into which they are moving will not allow them to bring their cherished companion. You see, the charity will never put a cat to sleep because it is too old or has a medical condition such as diabetes. All are cared for until a new and loving home is found.

A friend once commented that the Samaritans ask suicidal callers if they have a pet as a way of giving them a reason to live.

I don’t know if it’s true but I do know that in some of my darkest moments, my cats have been there for me, soothing me with their purring and making me smile again.

Apathy and dormant goodwill will not bring about the change that is so essential to reverse Yorkshire’s animal cruelty record and restore the special bond between animals and people that somehow as a society we have lost. Please donate one pound towards the appeal to buy land on which to build a new rehoming centre.

Click on to haworthcatrescue.org or send your cheque to Haworth Cat Rescue, The Farm, Lower Pierce Close, Cross Roads, Keighley BD22 9AQ. Thank you.

I am honoured to be patron because I care about animal welfare and the wellbeing of people. For me, they go hand in paw.

Milly Johnson

Patron, Barnsley

• Print
• Email
• Share
• Comments(3)