Saturday's Letters: Group scores victory after the dark ages of coastal sewage

The group's initial campaign centred on the objection to a wholly inadequate long sea outfall scheme at Scarborough, before they brought the whole issue of coastal sewage pollution into the national and international political arena.

Since their resounding victory in their 15-year campaign for EU legislation outlawing the dumping of raw untreated sewage and toxic waste off the UK coasts, the Scarborough-based Neptune group has been virtually ignored by the media.

The group's commissioning of a comprehensive scientific report by Professor Bruce Denness was the defining moment which unequivocally condemned the pollution of UK and European beaches.

The report irrefutably proved the dumping of raw, untreated sewage via long sea outfalls was pathogenically dangerous to both human and marine life.

Despite receiving initial copies of the findings, the regional water company (Yorkshire Water Authority) still considered their then Viking-age settlement solution for the Yorkshire coast, a viable one.

Roman civil engineers 2,000 years ago would have been capable of building a far more sophisticated and effective system of dealing with the interminable problem of sewage disposal. They at least fundamentally understood the critical importance of the separation of people from raw sewage.

The Sons of Neptune tireless campaign was in effect, a modern-day development of the ground-breaking work in the 19th century of Sir Joseph Bazalgette, in alerting society to the wholesale irresponsibility and inherent dangers of discharging unregulated human waste into coastal waters.

The group's ensuing vigorous and tenacious campaign forced the YWA to eventually update their antiquated and wholly obsolete system, which by then had invariably wasted millions of pounds.

The safe and effective treatment of human sewage has been one of the very cornerstones of any ordered and advanced civilisation, yet this easily understood concept completely escaped the attention of both the water authority and Scarborough Borough Council at the time.

The latest development announcing the upgrade of waste-treatments works by Yorkshire Water in partnership with other organisations in a bid to achieve EU Blue Flag designated beaches, is a situation that could hardly be ever imagined during the water industry's entrenched dark ages of the 1980s and 1990s.

From; Patrick Argent, Fulford Road, Scarborough.

A society with cohesion or just chaos?

From: JW Slack, Swinston Hill Road, Dinnington, Sheffield.

MAY I support the analysis on the likely demise of school sport expressed by Jayne Dowle (Yorkshire Post, November 11)? The end of specialist sport co-ordinators linking schools and clubs is not only an own goal for sport but eliminates one area of life which at least was beginning to help create cohesive communities.

The system, however, failed to address the needs of those children not involved in local activities, mainly through lack of interest and parental support or because they had been deemed not good enough for local junior teams and consequently were unable to use local facilities, booked at not inconsiderable expense by organised groups.

Even the entrepreneurs who run after school and holiday activities tend to attract those children who are already active in clubs while a sizeable minority devise their own activities and believe no-one is interested in them. They cannot afford to use the facilities available, or indeed reach them.

Many mining communities have under-used – maintained up to a point – areas of green space which are crying out for development – and which were specifically earmarked for community use. Money for development is difficult to acquire due to lease agreements – but these areas could be of enormous help provided sufficient parents and adults would train in a variety of sport and act as secretaries and administrators for the young people in the area. This situation needs urgent attention.

Whatever the "Big Society" means, its creation must surely rest in every community developing skills and organisation to create a cohesive framework from the cradle to the grave relating to work, play, health, etc, etc. Of course, cross-boundary co-operation will be needed as the schools have demonstrated in sport.

Are we to bequeath a Big Chaotic Society to our children or a Big Cohesive Society?

How history is brought to life

From: M Hellawell, Cross Lane, Scarborough.

WITH reference to the article by Malcolm Barker (Yorkshire Post, November 12), history should be compulsory, but it also needs to be taught in a way that is bringing it to life, through projects (as in the junior schools) and some of the films available. History books themselves need to be colourful and lively in content.

From an early age I was encouraged to read stories about history; Alfred, Vikings, Canute, Harold and the Normans etc. I loved finding out about life in the past, both fact and fiction. We had two excellent teachers, who inspired a lasting love through the way they engaged our interest. One said: "No need to worry about dates, get it in the right century." The really important dates stuck anyway.

Also, my parents took us to museums, castles and stately homes. I did the same with my children. We have a glorious heritage. We owe it to our children to pass this on and help them to understand and value the past.

Menace of lanterns

From: CB Booth, Birkin, Knottingley, West Yorkshire.

COULD I please bring your attention to the increasing menace of Chinese lanterns? Our farm, though isolated, is apparently in range of these things. We have found several lately, one at the edge of a 75-acre field of wheat at harvest. Was it alight? They are a menace to cattle as the plastic canopy conceals a thin, sharp wire frame.

If cattle ingest this, they will suffer a slow, agonising death. The candle is made of paraffin wax which is prone to melting when hot. There have already been accidents when the hot wax spills onto people – for example, the small boy who got it on his face last week. For the sake of a cheap thrill, and a good profit for the sellers, a great deal of damage can be caused.

These devices should be banned immediately.

Savings on the menu

From: Peter Conwell, Ingham Lane, Bradshaw, Halifax.

WITH respect to the recent disclosure of Bradford councillors spending 3,568 of council taxpayers' money on a freebie Christmas lunch, might I suggest that this year they go to Level 6 restaurant at Bradford College. A three-course Christmas lunch can be enjoyed for 8 per head and a four-course Christmas dinner (Thursday evening) is on offer at only 14 per head, excluding drink, of course.

The councillors should all be able to fund such a modest sum out of their own pockets and at the same time will be giving valuable support to Bradford College students. They will also enjoy excellent Christmas fare to rival any in the city they represent.

Teachers' reports

From: John Gordon, Whitcliffe Lane, Ripon, North Yorkshire.

I FOUND Phillip Green's letter (Yorkshire Post, November 18) about the inadequacies of trainee teachers in the 1970s excessively irritating since the training college at Ripon no longer exists

The whole point of teaching practice was to give the trainee work with experienced teachers who agreed to take part in their training. They reported back to the college but they weren't asked to behave like Lord Sugar in The Apprentice.

At a later stage, the county's inspectors made the decision about the trainees's future. I am sorry that Mrs Green did not get on with her trainee. If she phoned the college, it sounds like a personality clash. Such a situation did occur from time to time, but the great majority of trainees completed their training and became excellent teachers, most of whom are now in their retirement.

All-powerful EU has taken our independence

From: Mrs DM Cope, Beckwithshaw, Harrogate.

IT is interesting to read that many more people are disclosing the frustration that thousands of us feel about the EU.

We British were once a thriving, independent, island race, with a powerful Navy, wonderful fishing fleet and with manufacturing skills second to none. Even when we stood alone, Hitler, with all his resources and millions of troops, couldn't conquer these small islands.

Now instead, the unelected EU, aided by our money, has filtered away our independence. All our utilities are being bought by other countries; water, banks, steel and many others.

We can no longer apply our own laws but are overruled by the EU; Human Rights etc and the latest on prisoners' votes.

How long did the Soviet Union last before individual countries broke away?

Oh, that we had someone of Churchill's stature with the courage and determination to get us out of the EU's clutches and get this country back to prosperity.

From: Jane Collins, Main Road, Newport, near Brough.

SIMON Tilford, of the London-based Centre for European Reform, recently said, when talking about the meltdown in the economies of certain eurozone nations: "Contagion to other member states will be all but inevitable. If, and when, it reaches Spain, the crisis risks spiralling out of control."

Thanks are clearly in order to all the Europhile politicians who have overseen our unwanted connection to the now crumbling European Union.

When a large ship is sinking, anybody nearby gets sucked down in its wake along with it. Time to "unbook our passage" with the titanic European Union while we still can.

From: Les Arnott, Athelstan Road, Sheffield.

WHAT is the point of David Cameron going through the pretence of putting checks on the EU's budget, if he is prepared to allow 8bn to be spent bailing out Greece and the prospects of even more if Ireland goes the same way – which is expected?

Problems that merit answers

From: Nigel Bywater, Morley, Leeds.

IT has been reported that the Office for National Statistics will look at what questions to ask the population of the UK in order to measure our happiness. And then when we are unhappy, David Cameron will alter his policies to make us all happier. Pigs might fly; just plain crackers!

It was reported last week that poor diets and insufficient exposure to sunlight, are causing a lack of vitamin D leading to the return of rickets in northern parts of the UK.

The charity Alcohol Concern has issued a stark warning about the number of children drinking at dangerous levels. This is happening now! So what will David Cameron do?

Place of tribute

From: Mrs Valerie Moody, Rosedale, Little Smeaton, Pontefract.

I ATTENDED a service of remembrance at the National Memorial Arboretum last Sunday. It was a very worthwhile journey to make and I am glad I made the efffort to go there but I wonder at the lack of promotion this memorial seems to get.

It is struggling for funds apparently, but on telling others of the wonderful day we had had, many seemed to be unaware of its existence or only vaguely so.

It would be a good thing surely, to incorporate some film footage into the service at the Royal Albert Hall and a mention at the Cenotaph to encourage people to visit this long overdue memorial, which concentrates the mind absolutely when one reads all the names of the fallen since 1945.

Big match

From: Kenneth Radliffe, The Knowle, Shepley, Huddersfield.

CONGRATULATIONS to Prince William and Kate Middleton on the announcement of their engagement. I hope they will be very happy together.

However, I hope that they do the decent thing and arrange their wedding day when Andy Murray is not playing tennis.

What a dilemma that would be for the BBC!