07/01/06

Some months ago the original proposals were given high-profile public exposure. People looked, responded and appreciated being involved in the planning process.

These new plans are substantially different yet the council has approved them without any public involvement. Why?

Yet more up-market flats replace existing leisure facilities. The so-called 'visitor attraction' building and paved area replace the riverside park previously envisaged. The scheme is also architecturally unworthy of its World Heritage context.

Is there a connection between demolishing the existing health club and the provision of similar facilities in the council's own development of new swimming baths across the road?

The LibDem ruling group's election pledge was to be transparent and inclusive in matters affecting peoples' daily lives. Now, people will look at this block of flats on the riverbank and every day they will feel it has been foisted on them with no chance to comment. And they will ask: why the rush? - Esther Ashby, Durham.

ASSEMBLIES

CHRIS Foote-Wood claims that the overwhelming majority voted for the status quo - no change (HAS, Dec 20).

That includes all the region's existing institutions, councils, quangos (over 100 of them), and the assembly.

In the 2002 white paper from Deputy Prime Minister, John Prescott, the Local Government and Regions Secretary Stephen Byers insisted the Government had no intention of imposing regional assemblies on England.

He did not say 'but we will have indirectly elected assemblies or un-elected assemblies in the event of a NO vote'.

Perhaps Byers could explain what he meant to Coun Foote-Wood and then he can let us all know. - K Young, Darlington.

MARITIME BORDERS

WITH the current uncertainty surrounding gas and oil supplies, Northern Echo readers should be aware how international maritime borders may affect them.

The International Law Commission's Convention on the Territorial Sea and the Contiguous Zone effectively states that the land border between England and Scotland continues along the same line into the North Sea. This would bring about 25 per cent of the UK's North Sea oil under England's control.

However, the Scottish National Party say that 90 per cent of the oil is Scotland's because they believe all UK North Sea water above 55th parallel is Scottish. Has some closed-door agreement been made which siphons off England's oil to Scotland?

This is not a problem while the UK exists. However, while projects are being cancelled all over England, Scotland is about to spend hundreds of millions of pounds on its own infrastructure. The extremely generous Barnett formula ensures Scotland receives around £7bn per year over and above its own tax receipts, including North Sea oil. Why is all this money leaking out of an increasingly run-down England into Scotland? Could it be that Scotland is being prepared for independence, at England's expense? If so, we must ensure that England receives its full share of North Sea oil, before such a separation.

The borders must be made clear to English people, but can we really trust our Scots-dominated UK Government to deliver the best deal for England? Its present record suggests not. - Stephen Gash, English Democrats Party, Carlisle.

PAY-BACK TIME

I BELIEVE it is about time that the yobs who cause so much heartbreak to people by their acts of theft, breaking into and stealing cars, property etc causing damage to peoples' lives, should be dealt with in the following way and pay back everything to society.

We all know the world would benefit from more trees being planted so why not work out the total cost to the victim and the Government, police, courts, prison upkeep, insurance, repairs etc and convert this into the cost of planting trees?

Whatever the total is, say 50,000 saplings for instance, then the offender works in a prison gang on the plantations until he has planted his sentence.

Even if it takes him three months or 30 years to complete, he stays until the job is done, working out in the same conditions that any honest person has to to earn a living to buy things the yob has taken.

But, of course, you would all get the do-gooders who would say it was inhuman to do this, making them work and pay back society, rather they put them in prison where they can learn a trade, which is a lot more than a lot of young honest people can get.

Where is the justice and, what is more, where is the common sense when the victim is the one who ends up suffering for the crimes committed against them? - M Stubley, Barnard Castle.

THANK YOU

THIS year ChildLine supporters in Yorkshire raised over £200,000 for the free helpline for children and young people.

We are so very grateful to all those who helped raise this fantastic amount. By taking part in events such as the Leeds Run (which has raised £54,000 over the last two years) or the Great Yorkshire Bike Ride (which raised more than £12,000 this year), by organising fundraising events such as raffles, or by making a personal donation, they have all helped take ChildLine one step closer to its goal of answering all the calls from the children who need us.

Every day, calls from around 2,300 children are answered by ChildLine. However, the enormous demand for ChildLine's service means that hundreds more children each day are unable to get through. We desperately need people and companies in Yorkshire to raise funds - with your support, we can ensure that more and more children get through to the comfort, advice and protection that ChildLine counsellors provide.

Every year we have to raise from scratch the money to provide our unique service. For that reason I would appeal to people in Yorkshire to continue supporting us. There are so many ways you can get involved: why not take part in next year's Bike Ride, or the BUPA Great North Run?

We can supply a pack full of tips for individuals, groups and companies. Do call me on 0870 336 2942 for more information. - Sandra Harding, ChildLine Yorkshire Regional Fundraiser.

TONY BLAIR

TONY Blair is prepared to give £7bn to the EU from our taxes to provide such works as a motorway around Budapest, and subways in Prague, yet no money is available when road safety campaigners here call for the A1 to made into dual carriageway for all its length.

This seems a strange set of priorities for a prime minister who is supposed to represent a constituency in the North-East.

Or is he eyeing the presidency of the EU? After all, he'll need a job when he leaves 10 Downing Street, and he's seen Neil Kinnock do very nicely in Brussels. - Judith Wallace, Whitley Bay.