Wednesday's Letters: Government must build on the work of Yorkshire Forward

In spending about a third of their annual budget on the innovative urban and rural renaissance programme, it has managed to make a significant impact across our region by engaging local communities in the development decision making process and by applying the talents of some of the world's best urban planners and architects to the problems facing our region's settlements.

If there are faults with this approach, these can usually be traced back to the problems of the parent organisation – a quango run by a mostly unelected board made up of the great and the good might not be the best, most democratic, way of targeting government funds into our region.

Nevertheless, Yorkshire Forward is seen as the most dynamic and successful of the country's RDAs and it is right that the coalition Government should seek to not only preserve its role but enhance and build upon its success.

Given the economic dominance of London and the South-East, there is a clear need to bridge the gap between the economic viability of a wide range of initiatives aimed at enabling our region and its people to compete with its more prosperous neighbours.

While the establishment of the Leeds City Region is but the latest attempt to address this imbalance through a coordinated approach to the area's development and potential, it would be a dereliction of duty to fail to acknowledge Yorkshire Forward's positive track record and to, quite literally, capitalise on the difference it has made to the regeneration of the likes of Doncaster, Scarborough, Barnsley and the Upper Calder Valley.

From: Dr Lindsay Smales, School of the Built Environment, Leeds Metropolitan University.

New rail link would give city a boost

From: Bob Watson, Springfield Road, Baildon, Shipley, West Yorkshire.

IF there is one thing guaranteed to bring renewed fortune to Bradford, after all the deserved brickbats over the past few years, it has to be the latest proposal, by a group of Bradford businessmen, for a new through railway line in the city centre, to include a new central station.

In view of the shambolic situation regarding the postponed Broadway development, there is a one-off opportunity to make this happen.

What is needed is the active support of the council, Yorkshire Forward and all relevant Government agencies.

While it is accepted that the economic landscape is challenging, this must not be allowed to put paid to this proposal, which would have massive long-term benefits for Bradford.

For the first time, the city would not be on a rail backwater, many more rail journey opportunities would evolve, and more people would consequently be encouraged to visit the city.

However, this chance will not last forever, and it is surely vital that all concerned grasp the nettle now to move matters forward quickly. To lose this opportunity would be unforgivable.

From: Douglas Hartley, Irving Terrace, Clayton, Bradford.

ACCORDING to recent reports, a local historian has discovered copies of hand-drawn plans to link Bradford's two stations by building either a viaduct or a tunnel. The plans date from the early 1900s. The Bradford Civic Society supports this idea, and has called on Bradford Council to carry out a feasibility study. The Bradford Rail Users' Group agrees.

Will this happen? Would Bradford Council prefer a different link, a watery one? In 1774, a canal branch was opened, from the Leeds to Liverpool Canal at Shipley to Bradford centre. It was used by the woollen industry, but fell into disrepair, and became a foul source of infection.

Will Alsop's "masterplan" proposal was to re-instate this waterway. Maud Marshall, Bradford Centre Regeneration and the council – all were wildly enthusiastic, commending the idea to the public in community publications.

There was to be a canal basin in the Forster Square area, surrounded by tall apartment blocks, cafs and retail facilities. Another

boasted "masterplan" to be shelved? Think of the Forster Square

wasteland today.

The creating of the canal branch would entail the acquisition of land now occupied by commercial property. In its two-mile stretch, 11 locks would be needed. British Waterways faces huge expense maintaining its existing locks across the country. The cost of Alsop's extravagant plan would run into millions. But what is that to Bradford Council, which squanders 24m on a city park puddle?

The rail link? No. Water, water everywhere is what Bradford must have. Tourists will flock in their thousands, to gaze at it in admiration, so the former council leader Kris Hopkins told us. This gentleman seems to have deserted Bradford on his election as MP for Keighley, a town having much better shopping facilities than Bradford.

Family bliss on view

From Terry Duncan, Greame Road, Bridlington, East Yorkshire.

MAY I recommend to your readers the fantastic Sottish Wildlife Trust website and focus on the Loch of the Lowes, near Dunkeld, which we visited about six weeks ago.

At that time, there was a frustrated female osprey on her nest, espied through telescopes at the nearby centre, seeking her new mate – apparently, her old long-time mate never came home – to bring her some food.

Then she laid one egg, then a second and a third.

Now, there are two chicks longingly looking up to her to be fed by the trout brought by their dad from nearby loch.

And, this is all being captured brilliantly by the trust on its close-by camera which occasionally zooms, and can be viewed world wide by going on the internet.

What an example of family life, of a father working to feed the family by catching a fish, and a mother keeping her nest clean and tidy while feeding her chicks.

That to me is family bliss – if only it could be replicated in today's society.

Theatre of memories

From: JN Duckitt, Wormley Hill, Syke House, Goole, East Yorkshire.

WITH reference to your front page photograph of the Queen (Yorkshire Post, May 22) making her first visit to Scarborough for 35 years, seeing the Queen opening the refurbished open air theatre at

Scarborough last week bought back memories of how it was in its heyday.

I remember seeing a performance of Hiawatha and will never forget the sight of the canoes being paddled along the front of the stage. The Indians paddling the canoes all wore magnificent feathered head dresses – a splendid sight!

In those far-off days, a novel method was used to warn the public if a performance had to be cancelled due to bad weather. A rocket was fired up in the sky above Scarborough which was a visible message informing open air theatre audiences that the show was off that night.

History shows Yorkshire was first to have iron bridges

From: Keith Noble, Sowerby Bridge, West Yorkshire.

JOHN Woodcock was probably taught at school, as was I, that the great bridge over the Severn at Ironbridge was the world's first iron bridge, (Yorkshire Post Magazine, May 22). Iron the bridge is and oldest surviving it may be but first it isn't. That oft repeated error does Yorkshire a disservice.

When Abraham Darby's remarkable structure was opened in Shropshire, other iron bridges had been around in Yorkshire for some time.

The following appeared in the Leeds Intelligencer for February 2, 1770, nearly a decade earlier: "A few days ago was finished by Mr Tobin of this town, a most curious bridge of one arch, six feet wide, and seventy-two feet in span; made entirely of iron; and is thrown over a canal in Sir George Armitage's park at Kirklees in this county; It has also iron ballustrades, which are ornamented with roses of the same metal; may be taken to pieces at pleasure, and is thought the greatest curiosity of the kind that was ever exhibited in this part of the country."

It is Mr Tobin's and Sir George Armitage's misfortune that their

bridge did not survive into an age which respects artefacts from the Industrial Revolution.

Even earlier, a cast iron bridge of 1769 may have carried the Great North Road over the River Ure Navigation at Boroughbridge but it collapsed under a heavy load in 1946. Walton Hall, dating from 1767 near Wakefield, is still reached by an iron bridge over the moat. By its construction, it is very early but little is known of its origins.

Earlier still there are suggestions of iron bridges in France and, of course, China.

National park litter volunteers

From: Andy Wilson, chief executive (national park officer), North York Moors National Park Authority.

I WRITE in response to the letter from G Burroughs (Yorkshire Post, May 18) which was headlined "Rural idyll is being ruined by rubbish".

Yes, it is a real shame that some visitors to the National Park decide not to take their litter home with them.

Just last weekend, rangers and voluntary rangers had a "litter blitz" along the Blakey Ridge and collected two trailer loads of rubbish. Volunteers work over 11,000 days each year for us and our voluntary rangers do about 3,000 of these. It is a pity that any volunteer (or staff) effort has to go on litter picking.

But three cheers for the efforts of people such as Mr Burroughs.

Difficulties ahead

From: Roger S Tipping, Marlborough Road, Town Moor, Doncaster, South Yorkshire.

NOW that the election uncertainty has been resolved, we must hope that the coalition Government can bring stability and trust back to our country.

This will be difficult because there are glaring policy differences between the Conservatives and the Liberal Democrats on immigration, Europe, taxation and the voting system.

The coalition must be given a chance to succeed, even if this means Right-wing Conservatives and Left-wing Liberal Democrats having to bite

their tongues. No other combination would have produced a working majority.

Clothing costs

From: Audrey Hinchliffe, Harrogate.

THERE is no wonder that the Duchess of York (Yorkshire Post, May 24) is trying to get some money when a recent newspaper photograph of her daughter showed her wearing a dress (300 plus) and shoes (600 plus), not to mention an expensive handbag.