Lido should be part of free swimming scheme

I personally felt embarrassed for people in Ilkley – things like this simply build up prejudices that many people have against the affluent Ilkley area, and really, who can blame them if we will only let people come to the Lido if they have the money to do so. The Bradford district is one of great diversity, and shouldn’t we be embracing that, especially if we happen to have facilities like the Lido within the area?

Nowhere does it say that Ilkley Lido is excluded from the Swim 4 Free campaign, and I had been taken in by it, just as the family had. Also, in last week’s Ilkley Gazette, I read the request from MP Ann Cryer for more local people to take advantage of the free swimming. I was rather displeased that nowhere did it say that Ilkley Lido was excluded from this excellent offer, and I was compelled to write this letter as I would hate for any more people to travel to the Lido, to just be let down by the money-making schemes of our supposedly friendly local pool.

I wondered if our MP was aware of the exclusion of Ilkley Lido from the offer, and if she knew that her appeal for more people to make use of the pool would simply be bringing into sharper focus the separation of our community from other more disadvantaged areas in the Bradford district. Gladly, people can swim in the indoor pool for free, but the Lido, one of the best leisure facilities in the whole district, is out of reach to those who could only go if the Swim 4 Free campaign was inclusive of it.

I hope that you can appreciate my concern, and there are many young people who feel as I do. We do not deem this kind of distancing between communities as healthy for local relations. I would hope that some action could be taken to include Ilkley Lido in the government’s scheme, or at least make clear to anyone wishing to use the facilities that the local pool is exactly that – for use of people within the locality, who have the money to spend, and not for the wider community in less affluent areas.

Colette Howarth

Addingham Moorside

Cost of a new school could be too high a price to pay

A few weeks ago there was a BBC Radio 4 item on a planned new school in West Cumbria. It was to replace three smaller schools in the area and was to cost £45 million.

The plans for the new school were put forward for ‘evaluation’. There was no consultation on whether there should be a new school. Opposition soon grew and a petition with 6,000 signatures was raised in opposition. Opponents to the scheme were told that not a penny would be available for the existing schools if the new proposal was rejected. On the programme one of the proponents of the scheme described the opposition as coming from a few troublemakers. Only the blindly prejudiced could regard 6,000 petitioners as a few troublemakers.

Many of your readers will observe a similar pattern locally. The first we heard about the plan was when you published a photograph of a model of the new Ilkley school. Many, many thousands of pounds must have been spent on bringing the proposals as far as this.

We have not been told the costings for the Ilkley school so I base my calculations on the cost being similar to those in Cumbria. I would be grateful if Addingham’s Councillor Kelly would correct my figures.

The £45 million for the Ilkley school would provide 400 new places – that is £110,000 for each extra place.

In your columns a few weeks ago I suggested a new school near Burley which would provide the new places at £22,000 per extra place.

Within a few weeks of the plans being available for public consultation, Coun Kelly tells us that the proposals are far too advance for alternative schemes to be considered. In Cumbria such statements were described as ‘blackmail’ and I can find no better word.

Coun Kelly lists the many limitations of the present building and site. With all its problems, it is still a school which children from Wharfedale and beyond are desperate to enter.

Whichever party wins the next election, huge cuts in spending will have to be made. There may simply be no money at all for new school building. There will certainly be none for proposals which cost £110,000 for each place when there is an alternative which will cost £22,000.

Colin Carpenter

Grove Road, Ilkley

Ben Rhydding parents and children are blessed

On Monday last, some of the old scholars from Ben Rhydding Primary School were privileged to attend the dress rehearsal of the school’s forthcoming centenary Years of Theatre production.

One of a series of events throughout the year to commemorate the centenary, it was a wonderful production and everyone, including producers, set designers, sound suppliers, pianist, wardrobe helpers, teachers, involved parents and, not least, all the children taking part, provided a happy, varied and first class show. Parents and friends are in for a treat.

A showing of a DVD made near the beginning of the centenary year was also an impressive record of past and present – with oldies reminiscing and the young ones in their period dress playing the old games. With the help of a good friend of the school, the children themselves had taken part in the interviewing, using the camera and asking the questions which together had made up the film.

Ben Rhydding has been fortunate to have an excellent school throughout its 100 years and is still going from strength to strength under its current leadership. Parents and children are very blessed.

Old Scholar

So much to lose and so little to gain

I have been given to understand that the Tesco planning application will be held at 10am on Monday, August 3.

Given that the plans have been submitted for nearly five months now, it does seem that opponents of the plan are being handicapped by such a time. After all, many will either be on holiday or will find it impossible to negotiate time off work.

Indeed, every effort has been made to accommodate councillors and Tesco with regard to the timing. Even the timescale allocated for discussions raises concerns in that Tesco who have spent two years trying to persuade people will get 20 minutes while opponents (and there are many) will only get 20 minutes between them.

The parish council, with one feeble exception, have done their duty by the town.

We can only hope that Bradford councillors will have the same notion as to what is best for the jewel in Bradford’s crown. After all there is so much to lose and so little to gain.

We must not be put in a position of saying “Told you so”, in two or three years’ time.

What this town really needs is for Tesco to put their house in order and start running the existing shop with some degree of enthusiasm.

J Saltmarshe

Brewery Road, Ilkley

Park and ride scheme for Menston could be the answer

As a Menston resident who is affected by the huge number of cars parked along Station Road and Newfield Drive, I am dreading the introduction of the proposed controls which will drive the motorists to find alternative streets and roads in which to park, clogging up more of the village.

Therefore I fully support the suggestion (Letters, June 19) that a park and ride system be instituted using land which, hopefully, could be purchased from the developers of High Royds. This development seems to have stalled for the time being and there are acres of unused land adjoining Bingley Road. Hard standing for up to 200 cars with a bus turnaround could be created for a minimal cost bearing in mind that the railway could still be operative well into the future. A park and ride operating from the entrance by the roundabout could be an added attraction to future residents of the estate. The possibility of extending the station car park by building a deck has been rejected as too expensive, but the problem is not going to go away and this could be the answer.

P Thornber

Menston

Card payment for TV licence strikes back at BBC

I have just renewed my television licence and have been hit yet again by an increase (£3) well above the rate of inflation. In addition, I can no longer use my local Post Office to renew the licence, putting Post Offices under even more pressure by a further loss in business.

Using the Freedom of Information Act, I wrote to the TV Licensing Office to ask what is the most expensive way to them of paying my licence. They replied that it was to pay via the TV Licensing savings card. So I asked for a card and I am now paying next year’s licence over the next year at £2 a time at a Paypoint outlet. It will save me having to find a large lump sum from my pension and has given me a lot of satisfaction in that I am striking back at the BBC.

It is easy to get a card – just phone the Licence Office on 0845 155 0404.

R F Addison

Tanfield Drive, Burley-in-Wharfedale

Charity cyclist thanks sponsors

I would like to thank your readers for their support and sponsorship for my White Rose Challenge bike ride. With their help, we raised over £600 for the Ben Rhydding Primary School and around £300 for Cancer Research UK. I had a fantastic day and, although the route was extremely tough, I really enjoyed the challenge and beat my target time by over an hour!

Paul Thomas

Ilkley

Another knitting wool stockist

Further to the letter from Joanna Moseley about being able to buy wool in Ilkley (Letters July 9), the Otley knitting group might also like to know that Beauty on a Budget in Orchardgate, Otley (near the bus station) has started to stock knitting wool. I share Joanna Moseley’s desire to support local businesses.

Glenys Lowe

The Robins, Burley-in-Wharfedale

EDITOR’S NOTE: Correspondence on this matter is now closed.