29/03/05

We were under the impression that the Westfields land had to be sold off to fund a new sports development across the district. But this development seems never to have occurred. So what became of the capital receipt which was to be set aside for this purpose?

A DIY business which was well patronised by the townsfolk of Richmond was forced out of the Station building because it did not accord with someone's vision of the future in respect of the overall ambience of Richmond's riverside.

Now we have several valuable Georgian buildings to be sold off to developers - one of which, Swale House, underwent extensive and expensive refurbishment at the taxpayers' expense in the late 1980s. Yet the resale value of these - which will no doubt be gutted and turned into flats - is apparently insufficient to fund the purchase of a new headquarters in Colburn, and consequently valuable car parks will have to be sold to balance the books (Echo, Mar 21).

Add this to the consequent loss of trade for Richmond businesses as a result of the "captive consumer" - the council staff - being relocated, and the future insufficient parking for tourists during the holiday season, and what you have is a kick in the teeth for Richmond.

Perhaps the idea of doing away with district councils is a good thing. Strategic issues could be transferred to North Yorkshire County Council and local issues and practicalities transferred to Richmond Town Council. - Colin Richardson, Skeeby.

LABOUR

IF all Gordon Hodgson (HAS, Mar 17) can come up with is the minimum wage, the pensioner winter fuel allowances and low interest rates as New Labour's achievements in eight years of government, let me remind him of a few failures.

The Dome fiasco costing £750m and still costing £160,000 a month to maintain.

The great passport fiasco with thousands of people queuing unnecessarily due to maladministration.

The foot-and-mouth debacle where indecision cost billions to the taxpayer. The European Union confirming "maladministration" reduced dramatically the compensation package by several billion pounds to this country.

Gordon Brown's raid on private pension funds to the tune of £5bn a year. Many savers will have to work longer, or take a reduced pension.

The immigration shambles still ongoing.

The horrendous war in Iraq which started with dodgy dossiers and misleading statements.

As to the winter fuel allowances and free TV which Mr Hodgson says the Tories will cut, who told him this? No-one else seems to have heard any such scare story.

As to unemployment, Mr Brown since 1997 has taken three quarters of a million people from the dole and has them working for the Government as civil servants. A nice way of reducing unemployment - but heavy on the public purse.

There is life outside New Labour and the Conservative Party. It is called the Liberal Democrats. - Leslie Tyson, Crook.

I THINK Michael Howard is setting two laws: one for the rich and one for the poor.

He says that if elected, the police would be made to evict travellers from their sites. He also says that, if elected, the police would not carry on enforcing the law on the people who go foxhunting.

So, am I right in thinking that it's all right by Mr Howard to break the law if you are a Conservative or rich.

We have hundreds more police now than when he was in charge yet he claims that we do not have the police numbers to chase the foxhunters, but we have plenty of them to go after travellers. - R Elms, Crook.

WINDFARM

I DO not believe the windfarm proposed for Trimdon Grange is right because of the instability of the ground at the proposed site, the inefficiency of the turbines, the overwhelming despoiling of the surrounding land and skyscapes.

The bedrock is limestone with a consistency somewhat resembling a crumbly cheese. It is riddled with old mine workings, the cause of much subsidence throughout the area.

I believe that most people, including Durham City Council, support wind-generated power but not at the cost of visual pollution. All that is needed for universal acceptance is an efficient low profile turbine able to utilise a greater range of windspeeds.

We in this area have already made our sacrifices, and after the painful loss of thousands of jobs and expensive landscaping of industrial sites we have, for the first time in two centuries, a green and pleasant land.

After careful consideration, Durham City Council has spoken against the plans and so upheld the wishes of the people by whom it was democratically elected. - JW Scott, Kelloe.

DOLLY BLUES

PETE Sixsmith (Echo, Mar 16) stated that Lancaster City Football Club was known as "The Dolly Blues". That's true enough and came about because their tops were the colour of the Dolly Blue.

However the material was not, as he remarks, invented in Lancaster. It was made at Haverthwaite in Cumbria.

I came to live in Darlington four years ago but my real home town is Lancaster where I lived all of 75 years and my father and brother were directors of the football club. - Hazel Rolfe, Darlington.

PARKING

IN REPLY to the letter writer (HAS, Mar 16) who got a ticket while parked in a taxi bay after 6pm outside the Dolphin Centre in Darlington, it clearly states on each pillar that you cannot park there.

I have seen double parking along there making the disabled access impossible to use. It's only more luck than judgement that there hasn't been an accident.

At the end of the day, it's still a taxi rank whether one taxi or 50 uses it, and the law entitles them to make a living like anyone else. I have seen times when fewer than five taxis have been able to use the bays. If Mr Hookway was a taxi driver and was unable to park on the rank and so lost his wages, he would see things differently. I certainly back the wardens on this one. - CF Walker, Darlington.

HOWDEN-LE-WEAR

THE proposed housing development on Howden-le-Wear allotments (Echo, Mar 23) is unfair on the village gardeners, but it is also being objected to on numerous other grounds.

A considerable amount of traffic would be generated on already dangerous village roads, causing more air pollution and great risk of accident.

A greenfield site recognised by Durham Wildlife Trust and Butterfly Conservation to be rich in biodiversity would be destroyed.

Several other major development schemes have already been permitted within this small village. Another would not only be unnecessary but highly excessive.

The local planning authority has received approximately 250 separate letters and a petition sighed by 400 people objecting to this development.

The National Allotment Association and Council for the Protection of Rural England also oppose it.

If it is allowed to proceed it will show that commerce is considered more important that community welfare, public health and safety, the natural environment and the general wishes of the local residents. - Andrew Paciorek, Howden-le-Wear.