Is this how we wish to be seen by visitors for Tour?

It is bad enough that those who live in Otley have to see them, but is this how we wish to be remembered by those visiting for The Grand Depart and possibly hundreds of millions following the Tour de France on TV throughout the world?

The debate about the Summercross was one which, in my opinion, lacked objectivity and one I do not wish to pursue.

The reason I write is to ask Tates politely to freshen up The Yeoman and to pose a question to the owners of The Summercross, businesses and Otley Town Council, rather than indulge in rhetoric.

I am offering a possible short-term solution: if boarding was erected to hide the Summercross building could A-level students from Prince Henry’s or art students be commissioned to paint a mural on the board celebrating Le Tour, Yorkshire and Otley? I will start the ball rolling and put £100 into the pot. Could anyone be prepared to help, including the owners of The Summercross, Otley Town Council, Greg Mullholland and the head teacher of Prince Henry’s? Otley Town Council can contact me to make this happen. We could even sell advertising space around the borders of the mural if this is permissable, which may make it more viable.

Tony Grey, The Junction Inn, Westgate, Otley

My experience of home when wife was resident

I have been following the articles regarding Red Gables with interest having had first-hand experience of the service when my wife was resident there.

Sadly she passed away earlier this year, but I felt compelled to write having seen the letter written by Beverley Lee.

Unfortunately my experience differed greatly from hers.

I agree that the manager tried to be helpful; however, the fact that she is not a qualified nurse in my opinion means she was unable to answer questions with the level of knowledge required. At times she seemed out of her depth and greatly relied on the knowledge of the qualified nurses to guide her. Frightening then, that the home is now ‘residential’ and she will no longer have the invaluable expertise of the qualified nurses.

The entertainments gentleman had to split his time between Red Gables and other homes, which meant his presence in the home was limited to say the least.

He never once ventured upstairs to visit my wife for example, despite the fact she would have enjoyed someone reading to her or chatting with her.

Chatting with other relatives of bedbound residents, their experience was the same. We felt he abandoned the more infirm of residents.

Queensland Care perhaps should have paid their staff more to keep them; four qualified nurses leaving in a two-month period is not good for any business and needs to be questioned as to why decent staff chose not to stay. My daughter alerted me to the latest Care Quality Commission report published on April 15 regarding the appalling state of affairs at Red Gables.

The report is a genuine, factual description of the current service and makes frightening reading for anyone considering long-term care for their loved ones.

I would advise anyone utilising the services of Red Gables to read the CQC report immediately.

Mr J Haigh, Coppy Road, Addingham

We have an extraordinarily successful film society

In your article about the Ilkley Film Festival you quote the festival director, Martin Pilkington, who says “Ilkley hasn’t had a cinema in years."

What he does not mention is that, for 45 years, Ilkley has had an extraordinarily successful Film Society, that (in the 2013/14 season, running from September to May) has shown 24 films to a near-professional standard at the Ilkley Playhouse.

Thanks to Ilkley Film Society, Ilkley film fans have been able to see a very wide range of films every other Sunday evening for nine months of the year.

I note the Ilkley Film Festival’s ambition “to secure a permanent monthly high quality cinema event in Ilkley”; even then, the Film Festival will be showing fewer films than Ilkley Film Society.

Owen Wells, Ilkley

I will oppose plan to switch off some of our street lights

Leeds City Council’s Highways department has recently contacted me with proposals to switch off a small number of street lights within the Guiseley and Rawdon ward. The idea is that, in an attempt to save money, street lights that can be turned off without having a negative impact on people’s or motorists’ safety will be switched off between midnight and 5.30am.

I am fundamentally opposed to these proposals. As well as encouraging burglars and other miscreants, I think that the amount of money saved per lamp doesn’t justify switching the lights off.

Furthermore, when all the street lights in Leeds were replaced in a five-year project, one of the arguments for the costly scheme was that we had to adhere to certain levels of illumination to ensure safety. Now that money is tight, these seem to have been conveniently forgotten.

Please be assured that I will do all I can to prevent any street lights being turned off in Guiseley and Rawdon.

Leeds City Councillor Paul Wadsworth (Guiseley and Rawdon)

Thanks for your hard work leading up to bloom judging

Following the judging for Yorkshire in Bloom last week, Ilkley in Bloom would like to thank those residents who helped litter-pick and generally tidy up the evening before.

Also thanks to the Bradford Metropolitan District Council Parks and Landscapes’ staff for their hard work leading up to judging.

Under the current marking scheme for ‘In Bloom’, only 50 per cent of the marks are allocated towards horticulture, with the remaining 50 per cent being for Community Involvement and Environmental considerations. With this is mind we would be pleased to hear from any residents who look after patches of land within their area, other than their own property, so that we can point out to the judges areas where members of the community are involved.

I can be contacted on (01943) 604521 or kkmbrown@tiscali.co.uk. Summer judging will be taking place during the morning of Wednesday, July 16.

Kate Brown, Honourable Secretary, Ilkley in Bloom

Can you be Independent and Tory at the same time?

For this relief much thanks – the news that Anne Hawkesworth would be standing for election again. But we must stop meeting like this through these columns and stop teasing everyone – will it still be as an Independent or as a Tory once again, or can you still be an Independent and a Tory party member at the same time?

Councillor Sandy MacPherson

Inappropriate development is not going to go away

With some surprise I read of Councillor Greaves’s decision to retire and was delighted he has endorsed me as a possible future Independent successor.

I share totally his views on the betrayal of the electorate and Conservative values by the current Government.

In my opinion the only honest way electors can put up any effective opposition to plans for excessive development in Wharfedale is to be free of party-political influence.

The issue of inappropriate development in the Wharfe Valley is not going to go away and as Councillor Greaves says, Wharfedale must have a voice. After fighting for the last four years with the Wharfedale and Review Developments Group (WARD), Menston Action Group and the Community Association, I feel I can say in all honesty we have had some success in preventing developers running riot over our countryside. All these groups are apolitical.

As projects manager of WARD I am currently bringing together all the like-minded hardworking groups in Wharfedale who have sent representations to Bradford Council on the Local Plan to debate their submissions and look towards the next stage of the process. Invitations with date and time etc will be forthcoming. See WARD website wardyorkshire.org.

Steve Ellams, Menston

Homes plan will destroy our privacy and security

You recently did an article on the eyesore fencing in Bramhope. You may be aware that the company concerned has now submitted a planning application to build four detached houses on the site. However, on close scrutiny of the plans it seems that the border between the applicant’s land and that of the adjoining houses, which was the stream, has been ‘straightened out’ and it seems that land will be taken from the end of the gardens of the adjoining houses to create an access road.

I own a house on Wynmore Drive and if this goes ahead I and my neighbours will lose something between a metre to two metres from the end of our gardens and hedgerows; mature trees and fencing will be destroyed.

This will leave our gardens completely open to the rear, destroying both our privacy and security.

We are obviously appealing to the Land Registry and I have contacted Greg Mulholland and alerted Leeds City Council to the fact that the applicant appears to be seeking planning permission which extends to land he does not own.

Catherine Liversedge, Bramhope