TRAINING CENTRE

I REFER to your report on the refusal of planning permission for the proposed agricultural training centre at Beacon Hill, Sadberge (Echo, June 1).

John Littlefair resorts to name-calling, rather than producing the evidence we have all sought, in response to the council's reasons for rejecting this plan.

As David Lee points out, the key objection from the residents of Sadberge (and the council) is its location in open countryside, contrary to planning regulations, not the proposal to help disengaged, under-achieving youngsters.

Mr Littlefair has yet to produce evidence that there is a need for such a centre, over and above existing training provision in Tees Valley and Darlington; that it is a viable and sustainable project; that access has been addressed as it is currently only feasible by vehicle, thus exacerbating existing transport and traffic issues in the village; and that alternative, more suitable sites have been investigated, more suitable, that is, for the needs of the underachievers.

Objections have been made on the information he has given, or not, as the case may be, not through scaremongering. As for his intention to take things further, I can assure you, Sadberge will respond. - Millie Scaife, Chairwoman, Sadberge Parish Council.

PEDESTRIAN HEART

FIRST, Darlington Borough Council removed the bus stands from West Row and High Row, thus making the elderly and disabled walk further with their shopping.

Then, the council told us it had no plans to install formal pedestrian crossings that would help the elderly townsfolk.

Now that the public has access from Prebend Row to High Row, via flights of stairs, I would have expected permanent handrails would have been provided as soon as the stairs were available.

But last Wednesday, I witnessed an elderly woman trying to climb the steps to get to High Row. In the absence of handrails, she had to keep her balance to walk up the first three steps and then use the side of a planter to help her up the remaining steps to the High Row level.

The council's attitude towards the elderly and disabled is really disgusting. The Pedestrian Heart is open to all and should be easily accessible for those who use it, but it must be the most unfriendly place in the country for the elderly and disabled.

The area is not fit for purpose, but it seems this is what we are going to get, like it or not. - L Hume, Darlington.