AFTER reading a quote regarding the wall repairs on the A6034 at Silsden – Warning that town’s ‘jams’ will continue (Keighley News, February 21) – I would like the opportunity to respond.

“Concrete with a masonry facing is the quickest, most durable and cost-effective method of construction for these walls.”

I think it is obvious to us all that construction on the wall running until 2021 is not the quickest!

But less obvious is the comment “the cheapest”.

If we can employ logic and common sense we can see that the solution on offer involves an unnecessary expense to the taxpayer’s wallet and also the environment.

Perfectly good stone is being removed which could be walled, random-cemented or dry bed and backfilled to the concrete. This stone is being removed at a cost to our purse, and the carbon footprint of the diesel used to transport it is also an issue.

New stone is then bought and transported in at significant cost which is unnecessary, as is the loss of our dry stone wall ‘look’ in a very predominant area.

There are countless contractors who are experienced and capable of undertaking this work. Heritage Masonry, who are based on that road and have been responsible for some of the excellent work further down the road in Silsden, are just one example. Aire Valley Developments another.

Skipton Properties, another who will shortly have a site on the same road, have a team experienced in concrete works, as have other companies.

If the concrete work was contracted out there are many dry stone wallers in the area, such as myself, who could be brought together to undertake this work.

So my question is why are we removing our dry stone walls from this area, throwing money away and gridlocking Silsden with traffic through to 2021?

CHRIS HALL Addingham

* Email your letters to alistair.shand@keighleynews.co.uk