Readers' Letters: Harrogate tempietto removal reaction is 'hysterical'

Readers’ Letters is a free weekly column giving you the chance to have your say on issues affecting the Harrogate district. It is an opinion column and does not reflect the views of the Stray Ferret. Send your views to letters@thestrayferret.co.uk.

The hysterical reaction to the removal of the tempietto is the Harrogate bubble in action.

One person on the Stray Ferret's Facebook page even compared Carl Les to Vladimir Putin over it. Calm down, dear. The anti-Gateway people have lost all sense of perspective and are sounding quite mad now. I am half expecting to see a gilet-wearing Harrogate businessman chain himself to the Tempietto in a final, desperate act of protest.

Thomas Barrett, Harrogate 

We need to put our foot down to protect Harrogate's heritage

The removal of the 'temple' in Victoria Square was symbolic of the contempt in which North Yorkshire Council holds public opinion. As soon as the appeal against the Harrogate Gateway scheme was dismissed by the Court of Appeal, the council gleefully destroyed the temple — despite public pleas to save it. They had already got rid of the flower beds last year.

The leader of the council says that NYC is one of the most productive local authorities in the country. Destruction must be the measure of 'productivity', as that's what NYC is good at presiding over. Many residents are horrified by what NYC has sanctioned locally. 

For example, part of the Harrogate Wildbelt, Sandy Bank Wood SINC (site of important nature conservation) and 20x26 metre sections of  precious ancient hedgerow near Pannal have been gouged out for a new sewer. The sewer is to serve new housing in the Harlow area. Why is so much new housing permitted over fields when there is now plenty of space within towns to create excellent homes near amenities ( because retail premises are emptying due to more people shopping online)? The answer is always profit before people and planet.  

The council seems to be a soft touch when it comes to developers, so residents had better step up if they want to save their heritage as corporate giant Danone (Harrogate Spring Water) is poised to destroy specially planted Rotary Wood as well as the world famous unique aquifer under the town.

Boom Energy wants to cover beautiful fields near Scotton with solar panels and dangerous battery energy storage systems (when solar panels should of course be on roofs). 

The only option if we want to save our homes is to get organised. Join with others such as  Harrogate Wildbelt (which aims to protect and enhance our surrounding landscapes for nature, food and community) and Save Rotary Wood. We need to put our foot down if we don't want the hobnailed boots of corporate profit to trample all that we hold dear.

Shan Oakes, coordinator, Knaresborough and Harrogate Friends of the Earth and Green Party Knaresborough town councillor

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