Deeply embarrassed by the bitterness

As stated in the Comment' section of the Ilkley Gazette on July 5, I happen to be one of those people looking in from the outside, and I am indeed appalled. Having spent the first 26 years of my life as an Addingham resident, I have recently moved back to the Wharfe Valley after some 18 years and I am becoming embarrassed by the ever-increasing bitterness developing on a weekly basis.

I am in full support of the proposal, but even if I were neutral, I would never have thought it possible that anyone from such an affluent area opposing it could stoop to such immature and small-minded tactics in an attempt to discredit those involved.

The whole saga is becoming a farce, what with accusations, back-biting and what comes across as some kind of conspiracy between the parish council, Sustrans and the appointed consultant, Jeff McQuillan.

The proposal to open up this length of former railway, by whoever, is excellent, but, as with any community proposal, it is essential that a consultation process be carried out where all villagers are rightly given the opportunity to express their views, for or against. In a few weeks' time, those views will be made known.

Having lived for several years within a few hundred yards of the Spen Valley Greenway near Cleckheaton, I can only say what a wonderful community asset it is. I'm sure the same is true of the more recently opened Great Northern Trail near Cullingworth.

These are just two of some 10,000 miles of traffic-free routes around the British Isles, supported by Sustrans, to provide health and other benefits for us all, from babies to the elderly.

Extensive consultations for these schemes would also have been necessary, not only with residents and landowners, but with other interested parties including the numerous wildlife groups. As such, Addingham is not unique, as the same issues and concerns would have arisen. In my opinion, the statistics speak for themselves, and I would encourage everyone, whether for, against or undecided about the proposal, to visit one or both of these local' or any other trails before passing judgment.

I sincerely hope that the majority of Addingham residents will grasp this opportunity and unite in pursuing something in your back yard' to be proud of, not only for yourselves and families but for future generations.

Andrew Fisher Hasley Road,Burley-in-Wharfedale.

Bridge too far

SIR, - Scarcely a week goes by without someone speaking to me about the single lane/give way route under Ben Rhydding railway bridge.

By and large the system works at present but as I waited patiently this week Ienvisaged another ten cars coming down the Drive and/or all the area up to High Wheatley, Brighton Road, Wheatley Avenue, etc. as they go down to Valley Drive to the new superstore at Mayfield Road off Little Lane.

Immediately a picture of cars backing up both upper Wheatley Lane, the Drive and back through the shops on Bolling Road flashed through my mind.

Especially as the front cars would be waiting much longer than at present as another ten cars came exiting Valley Drive after visiting the supermarket wishing to come back uphill into Wheatley Lane so they would then have priority.

In turn that would have impact on the cars coming up Wheatley Lane from the Factory Shop traffic lights - current types of traffic swollen by the new shoppers from Burley and Menston which the superstore must attract to justify its huge cost.

It is an indication of the stupidity of adding traffic of a huge order on to the residential areas of Valley Drive/ Little Lane which is already the main 'escape' route whenever there is an accident, flooding, or road works affecting our only significant way in and out of the valley, the A65.

B J Cussons Curly Hill,Ilkley.

No Tescinvasion'

SIR, - WE DON'T NEED A TESCINVASION! I wonder how close to reality this hypothesis is? Ailing engineering company needs to downsize. National distributor offers revenue in exchange for land. Given the present economical climate it could be anywhere in Britain?

Tesco should remain in the former goods yard of pre-Beeching days. With a little imagination, there is enough room on the Springs Lane site for expansion, in keeping with the rest of the town. The car park could take another deck and still be out of sight to neighbouring residents.

There are plenty of developers refurbishing old mills, so why not do the same with the present store and upgrade with another floor The Spooners site could then be used for something of REAL benefit to the whole community.

Affordable housing has been broached by a number of people. The proposed Tesco shed will demolish four existing desperately needed houses. There is a serious shortage of small industrial units of the type which don't flood, are close to the town centre and will not disrupt those living nearby.

Ilkley owes its very existence to its water. Let us continue this by re-opening our historic brewery and brew in the style of the Litton Ale Brewery, near Skipton. The Executive for the Environment could learn a lot about recycling from Litton Brewery.

A member of the Planning Department informed me all planning requests were open to public viewing. I understand from people not of this valley, a national distributor put forward planning application inquiries for the Railway Road site around five years ago. Perhaps someone in Bradford Council would care to verify these items.

I couldn't help overhearing a couple of wagon drivers discussing the proposed store. How would they negotiate Ilkley's narrow roads and streets, with 40 foot articulated vehicles? The mind boggles!

Railway Road, Little Lane, Valley Drive, Mayfield Road and Avenue will, irrespective of what you are told, become routes to the proposed site. The lives of residents old and young will be changed forever by all the extra traffic and noise the proposed store will generate. Not forgetting schoolchildren at Sacred Heart School. Imagine trying to negotiate parked cars along those routes with a 40 foot articulated vehicle, at night.

Anyone who has towed a trailer will be all too aware of this. No way will changing roads and streets make life easier for those who live beside or along routes to the proposed store. Short of demolishing properties in the area any thoughts of road restructuring are out.

Time to think clearly for once and keep Tesco where it belongs - the goods yard on the south side of the tracks.

Frazer Irwin, Queens Road,Ilkley.

Less traffic

SIR, - After reading in the Gazette about the proposed new Tesco store, I am interested to know where all the irate protesters do their shopping, or is it a case of it's okay for them to congest other people's roads as long its not in their back yard.

Living on Springs Lane, we not only have Tescos to contend with, but the Health Centre, Pharmacy, Dentist, Chiropodist,Coronation Hospital, not forgetting the hundreds of children from the Grammar School who get dropped off and picked up every day in cars and double decker buses.

So if Tesco does move I for one will be looking forward to a little less traffic on what used to be a lane

Rita Smith

Springs Lane,Ilkley.

Site unsuitable

SIR, - Whatever the future holds, the current Tesco entrance/exit is totally unsuitable for the site.

The width of the opening, coupled with the close proximity, speed and volume of passing traffic, which includes double decker buses, large lorries and increasingly wide vehicles, makes it a dangerous and difficult area for vulnerable pedestrians - some of whom are elderly, some of whom have young children and prams.

This is also the main thoroughfare for Grammar School pupils. All must use this stretch of pavement either to reach the store, the Health Centre, the hospital, their homes or school.

The narrowness of the pavement is exacerbated by ill-placed street furniture and, all too often, vehicles parked on the pavement outside the adjacent shops and along Railway Terrace. All these factors increase the potential for hazard.

Irrespective of the present debate on the future of Tesco's, this is an area of Ilkley that urgently needs improvement.

Barbara Davy The Willows,Parklands, Ilkley.

Tesco solution

SIR, -There is an obvious solution to Tesco's perceived need for more selling space in the town and Ilkley residents' understandable reluctance to countenance a hyper-store which would dominate our small town, increase congestion, put other small businesses at risk and fill the place with even more charity shops.

Tesco could buy the Kwiksave site, using the current store for food and drinks products and transferring the rest of their merchandise to the station complex. Car parking is always available.

Space might be available for a café, although why we should need yet another one in town is quite beyond me.

Tesco management must be capable of running profitably two sites which are within two hundred metres of each other. The company could even re-use their hyperstore plans elsewhere, and more appropriately, on a major city out ring-road; possibly the M25 or the peripherique around Paris.

Colin Lancaster, 11 Gilstead Way,Ilkley.

Castle views

SIR, - My wife and I visited Skipton Castle in June. When I finally arrivied home in the US and started organising and labeling the pictures I had taken, I realised that I had forgotten what many of the castle scenes were.

Doing a Google search I came across a website on Skipton Castle put together by students of Burley Middle School. Their labelled pictures proved quite a help.

I was hoping to write the class to thank them for the help, only to find the website was probably created in the 1990s and that Burley Middle School was closed. If your paper covers the news for the previous Burley Middle School area, and if you have a public form, I would like to use the Gaeztte to thank any past students involved in the creation of the Skipton Castle website.

Kenneth Rohland, Lebanon,Pennsylvania, USA