I THINK we probably all agree that we need a police presence in Keighley town centre.

However, I disagree with the proposed demolition of the remaining former college building and the construction of another brand new HQ for the police on the site.

I may be wrong (I often am!) but I think, firstly, the time has surely come when demolition and rebuilding is absolutely the last option on environmental and climate change grounds alone.

Concrete production is the third greatest source of global warming.

But hey, you know you're in Keighley when we've got 12 years to save the planet and they want to build an incinerator to burn rubbish!

Secondly, the police do not need a "new, purpose-built police station", as Inspector Khan described it to me. My response is, "what did you do with the last one we bought you?"

Thirdly, take a look at the new college building, with its flaking facade, and ask yourself if that enhances the station gateway to Keighley, let alone whether – with its nowadays mandatory atrium – it provides best use of space and thus money? Developers charge by the square foot so an atrium is another way of a developer saying, pay me for constructing an enormous empty space three floors high with no walls or floors that you can't use and then you can pay to heat it!

Fourthly, the old college building has merits of its own. It is a John Poulson building and, as such, provides us all with a constant reminder of what happened when politicians' decisions were not held up to proper scrutiny; it is in Pevsner as one of Keighley 's architectural landmarks; it is a substantial public edifice which would benefit from a restoration and improvement scheme, like the schemes to upgrade the Parkwood flats and Cliffe Castle, both very sympathetic in their own ways.

Fifthly, a refurbishment of the building with a police parking lot on some of the green space in front would save the rest as open space and prevent the absolutely senseless council hub project. We could even have a people's vote on how best to use the open space.

Oh, and by the way, I am aware that – although it is public money that paid for the old college building and the current police station – they now 'belong to' the DfE and the police authority respectively so those public bodies can do as they please with the support of Bradford Council planning approval. They could even, should they choose, sell the land to a developer and then pay them their profit for the building plus a massive lease on top, in effect using public money to underwrite the developer's risk.

Do I sound cynical? I'm sorry but I live in Keighley and it's hard sometimes not to be.

JANE LEE

High Fold Lane

Utley

* E-mail your letters to alistair.shand@keighleynews.co.uk