YP Letters: Yorkshire Water bill claim '¨springs a leak

THE letter from Richard Flint, the chief executive of Yorkshire Water (The Yorkshire Post, February 16) told us of all the different services and projects on which his company spends our water-rate money.

This prompted two letters of criticism (Feb 24) about the financial manoeuvres adopted by YW and the proposed increase in our water bills from April.

Two days after Mr Flint’s letter, I received my bill from YW for 2016-2017. Included with the bill was a card which tells of a competition to win the water-bill “paid for a year” via their website.

The card also brags about how YW spends our money:

1. Protecting and improving the water environment.

2. Returning 1bn litres of waste water safely every day.

3. Leaks cut in half in 10 years.

4. £110m invested in beaches.

At the bottom is printed in bold letters: “All this for around £1 a day.” Now £1 a day is about £365 a year and so I would ask Richard Flint why my bill of £932 works out at about £2.55 a day?

I would like to know how many YW customers have a bill of just £365 in order to justify their “ £1 a day”?

Farming vs fracking

From: Sue Cuthbert, Newton on Rawcliffe, North Yorkshire.

RE the column “Our plan to put farming at heart of the economy” written by Elizabeth Truss, Environment Secretary (The Yorkshire Post, February 26).

I quote her words: “Food and farming are absolutely vital. They affect our health, our landscape and the security of our country.”

I agree with her on this, but, how does this equate with the fracking industries?

This is the same Elizabeth Truss who, along with Energy Secretary Amber Rudd MP and Communities Secretary Greg Clark MP, sent a long, detailed letter to George Osborne on July 7 last year about their plan to develop the shale gas sector in the UK.

Part of this letter states: “Alongside geology and investment,the biggest challenge we face is to foster a climate of opinion in which the development of our shale resourses is seen to be safe and acceptable to a majority of the public, nationally and locally ie.communities likely to be directly affected.”

So, they accept that people will be affected by the extraction of shale gas by fracking.

In the part of Yorkshire where I live, Ryedale, agriculture is one of the largest and most important industries alongside tourism. Fracking is not compatible with farming or tourism. We must not allow this to happen in our country.

Systematic approach?

From: Neil Richardson, Kirkheaton.

IN order to reduce the attainment gap at GCSE, Shadow Education Secretary Lucy Powell is arguing for a joined-up approach, a strategic approach, and a whole system approach (The Yorkshire Post, February 27).

Are these three related in some way? And unless using the phrase “system approach” casually as a political buzzword, Ms Powell might also explain which of the many branches in the 50-year-old discipline of systems thinking has fired her enthusiasm.

Culture clash behind abuse

From: John Watson, Leyburn.

THANK you Bill Carmichael (The Yorkshire Post, February 26) for giving us the details of the uncivilised sex crimes in Rotherham against young girls and children which have been going on for years.

It seems to me that wherever these crimes occur there is one common denominator, and that those who have been indicted or convicted are mostly Muslims. The figures prove that is the case. Why is it? I think it is because Islam does not respect the female sex as we do in this country.

The Home Office researcher, who originally blew the whistle, nearly lost her job because she was accused of being Islamophobic. This is what happens in a multi-cultural state. If people of a foreign culture are accused of an offence, one must be very careful about the facts or you are branded a racist. This is what the law enforcement bodies are up against.

Robin Hood aiming high

From: Margaret Foster, Garforth, Leeds.

IN view of the prohibitive cost of proper rail and road links to Leeds Bradford Airport and also the challenges posed by an airport at such high elevation, I agree that the time has come to promote Robin Hood as the main airport for Yorkshire (The Yorkshire Post, February 27).

Dropping the ball

From: Catherine Watson, Hatfield, Doncaster.

I WAS happily reading the article on the front page “One loves tennis” and wishing to read more about Kate Middleton and Judy Murray’s tennis exploits (The Yorkshire Post, February 25).

I turned to page five, as instructed, and what did I find – a full page advert for BT Broadband Bonanza. Now I shall never know what happened next.