YP Letters: Fracking will be toxic to life in Ryedale

HOW heartened I was to read Tory peer Anne McIntosh (The Yorkshire Post, May 13) say she could not imagine anything “more harmful” to the livelihoods of people living in and around Kirby Misperton than fracking.

It was a bad day when Anne McIntosh was de-selected by the Tories as MP for Thirsk and Malton. I, and thousands of others, share her same concerns about the toxic effects of the fracking industry.

In Ryedale, there are thousands of jobs in tourism and agriculture which would suffer badly if fracking is allowed here.

I hope that the North Yorkshire planning committee will make the right decision on Friday and reject this application.

From: Caroline Davis, Pasture Lane, Hovingham.

THE impact of fracking will change lives forever, particularly in areas reliant on tourism and farming. Fracking is a short-term solution which will leave behind leaking wells and yet another nasty legacy for future generations to find “novel solutions”. We are not able to make more countryside. When it’s gone, it’s gone.

From: Michael Farman, Willow Grove, Beverley

AMONG all the conflicting claims between the pro and anti-fracking lobbies, is there anywhere we can find true evidence of the dangers involved in High Volume Hydraulic Fracturing (HVHF), the type of fracking proposed for UK? As a retired engineer, I believe we should try to find reliable and balanced information before forming an opinion. The most reliable sources known to me are peer-reviewed scientific papers.

In these, the authors are obliged to take a cautious but rigorous approach to the interpretation of information; their reasoning and conclusions must be critically reviewed by other scientists.

But with regard to this form of fracking, where should they look for evidence? Clearly, the place should be North America where it has been carried out massively for decades.

From: Michael Tanner, Southlands Court, Nawton.

FRACKING would be bad for Yorkshire. Bad for our environment, our health, our farmers, our animals, home owners and tourism industry.

That’s why so many locals have objected to the Kirby Misperton planning application, why so many have taken the trouble to thoroughly research this unconventional gas industry. A great many have attended talks both for and against, given by academics, politicians, the gas industry, councils and protest groups. People, who have never protested before, realise it could be their area next.

This is probably the most objected to application NYCC have ever dealt with. Across Ryedale there is unprecedented opposition to this industry.

It’s not always a question of ticking the boxes of planning law but of using a bit of Yorkshire common sense. NYCC planning committee has the people’s mandate to reject this application, let’s hope they do.

From; K Russell, Terrington.

IT’S official. NYCC has effectively hung a great big For Sale sign above Ryedale and its residents.

Large area of outstanding natural beauty for sale, pillage and plunder as much as you like and we promise that we will not stand in your way.

Weeping for my city

From: Bill Grimshaw, Clayton, Bradford

AS Jesus wept over Jerusalem (Luke 19:41) so I weep over Bradford, the city where I was born, raised and have lived all my life. MP Naz Shah should be ashamed of herself for previously tweeting that Israel should be relocated to the US.

As far as I remember Jews have always lived here without causing any problems, yet some members of the Muslim community have brought Bradford to a shameful low by the grooming of young girls.

At 81, I despair of my city. I hear of all faiths coming together to fight prejudice – and then someone like this MP can spoil all the good being done by a moment’s ill thought.

Her apology is too late, the hurt has been done and she should no longer be an MP. I wonder if the ghost of Bolling Hall, reputed to have said “Pity poor Bradford”, still thinks that.

Benefits of cycling

From: Dave Roberts, Scunthorpe.

AS a cyclist living in the vicinity of Hugh Rogers, I assume I must be one of those cyclists he comes across whom he describes as “pests” (The Yorkshire Post, May 11). I find this quite objectionable as I endeavour to ride within the law (certainly not jumping red lights), with consideration for other road users. I do also drive a car as do most adult cyclists, and do not think I have the arrogance Hugh accuses cyclists of.

There is obviously a minority of cyclists who behave as Hugh describes, as there is a minority of motorists who drive poorly.

He claims that cyclists should pay for special tracks. The main cycle path in our area is the Ridgeway path; actually used more by pedestrians than cyclists. The country benefits massively from people cycling from their better health and the saving in air pollution. How would Hugh get users of cycle paths to pay for them?