REGARDING the letter by Councillor Susan Hinchcliffe – Savage spending cuts (Keighley News, October 30).

I do agree the cuts are savage, but I would like to add a bit more to what she said about the spending cuts.

I just want to say the savage spending cuts are uncalled for. Councillor Susan Hinchcliffe mentions the ground-breaking events, hosted by City Park, and that Coun Peter Corkindale may not understand the value of events.

I, for one, can understand the doubts Coun Corkindale has about these events. Firstly, ‘Le Tour de Farce’ did nothing – a quick boost for some shops, and it got people out. Many more shops lost out due to roads being closed.

Regarding the landscape that people will come to look at and admire, the way planners are going there will be no landscape to look at, only wind farms, gable ends and fracking firms.

Coun Hinchcliffe says Bradford Council is investing in the town’s future. It funded a huge refurbishment of Cliffe Castle, invested in Keighley Library, improved shop fronts, plus an industrial centre of excellence, which will develop the skills of young people to meet the needs of local employers.

All well and good, but if at the end these young people are not paid a decent wage, then they are in the same boat as every other working person, struggling to make ends meet.

Help young people by all means, but as for doing shop fronts and ‘Le Tour de Farce’ etc, that money should be spent on the needs of the local people – i.e. police, firemen, toilets, town hall, to name but a few – so I can understand the doubts Coun Corkindale had about the ground-breaking events.

So it would appear ‘Le Tour de Farce’, the ornate duck pond and improving shop fronts are more important than police, firemen, toilets or, in short, the needs of the people of Keighley.

ASHLEY FORSYTH

North Dean Avenue

Keighley