YP Letters: Remember the realities of EU growth

THEY sport badges proclaiming ‘‘We Love Europe’’ as they decamp and protest outside Parliament, but do these fanatics actually understand the real EU? They never seem to make a convincing case for staying in, reluctant to examine too closely what the future entails.

Do they realise, especially the young, how the EU is continually evolving if we remain? The status quo is not on offer as the project moves on, treaty by treaty, until the final goal of the original Treaty of Rome is achieved – a Federal European State.

In a second unwanted referendum, they would have to face this question once and for all.

From: John Van der Gucht, Cross Hills.

MICHAEL Gough (The Yorkshire Post, December 18) writes about the stupidity of getting rid of Margaret Thatcher.

He doesn’t he recall the poll tax debacle, let alone her role in her splitting of the Tory party over Europe, and which has been a running sore ever since.

This is ironic given she was one of the architects of the single market. Theresa May is secure because her opponents are hopelessly split.

From: PJ Blackshaw, Mount Pleasant, Cleckheaton.

THE result of the referendum held in June 2016 was a majority vote in favour of leaving the EU. I do not agree with holding a second referendum; the so-called ‘‘People’s Vote’’. We have already had that.

However, if we are to have another referendum, then there can only be two options. One is to accept Theresa May’s appalling agreement or we prepare for a no deal exit. To offer any other options would be to fly in the face of UK democracy, and thereby destroy the trust of many voters.

From: PJ Doyle, Ackworth Road, Pontefract.

THE future is a no deal Brexit, an united Ireland and a long overdue independent England. Get used to it.

Lessons in healthy food

From: Coun Tom Leadley, Haigh Moor Road, West Ardsley, Wakefield.

MUCH is made of ill-health due to obesity and its burden on the NHS. Leeds City Council is about to take a small, though significant, step towards tackling unhealthy eating by adopting a Supplementary Planning Document (SPD) which will let it control the opening of new hot food takeaways within 400 metres of the gates of high schools, and the opening of new takeaways in areas where there are too many already.

This is a spin-off from an appeal by McDonalds against refusal of planing permission to build a drive through restaurant on the New White Bear site at Tingley, close to the back gate of Woodkirk Academy. At that inquiry, I successfully presented Morley Town Council’s case as its planning witness and the appeal was dismissed, but only on grounds that overspill parking outside houses would disturb neighbours.

When the policy is in place, it will give Leeds useful levers when controlling the siting of new hot food takeaways. Leeds is close to national averages in its levels of obesity, but they are growing and there is no room for complacency. Leeds has the second largest number of hot food takeaways in England, which isn’t surprising as it’s second in population only to Birmingham.

What is of much more concern is that it is ranked 15th out of 325 local planning authorities in terms of density of hot food takeaways per 100,000 people.

A matter of altered values

From: Stephen Oliver, Churchill Grove, Heckmondwike.

SKY News has reported the item about the toll charges on the Severn Bridge now being abolished. The report said: “When it was opened in 1966, the charge was two shillings and six pence (2s/6d) which is equivalent today of 12 and a half pence.”

Wrong. Today you would need about £2.50 to purchase what cost 2s/6d in 1966. It was a further five years before decimalisation changed it to 12.5p in 1971 when it had devalued by a further 17 per cent so you needed about 14p (or 2s/9d) to get the same value as 1966.

Library staff play key role

From: Matthew Smith, Hillsborough.

ANOTHER victory for human library staff over technology today in Sheffield Central Library. On entering, I connected to the library wi-fi and used the library catalogue to search for books on the history of Sheffield.

Once I had scrolled through myriad items, it had taken in excess of five minutes before I gave up! In contrast the member of library staff I spoke to was able to recommend and locate a fascinating book in under a minute.

Library staff are such a vital resource. While technology can be a great addition to human work and interaction, in the case of libraries it cannot and should not replace them.

I wish all Sheffield library staff, past and present, a merry Christmas.

Parents must take blame

From: Hilary Andrews, Leeds.

ONCE again suggestions are being made as to how to stop the young from becoming criminals. This time it is being laid at the door of the police (The Yorkshire Post, December 15).

The real problem is the parents of these young children who spend all their time on their phones, and thus encourage their offspring to do the same.

They use social media to develop ideas of crimes. Please address the real issues here.