Stray Views is a 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.

---

Being a local resident, I have no experience of trying to park in Harrogate hospital with the new system. However, I have lots of experience as a cyclist, trying to bypass the regularly huge queues of traffic that built up in both directions at certain times of the day on Lancaster Park Road, waiting to get in to the hospital car park – queues sometimes extending all the way to Knaresborough Road and Willaston Crescent.

Very dangerous – with queues of traffic on one side and parked cars on the other, cars suddenly moving out of the queuing traffic made it very dangerous for anyone, particularly a cyclist, trying to pass. Yes, I’ve had a few close shaves.

It also made it very difficult, sometimes impossible for a vehicle to  bypass the queue – I have witnessed flashing ambulances that were delayed as they couldn’t get past the queuing traffic to get to the car park entrance.

Hazel Maxwell, Harrogate

---

Read more:

• Stray Views: ‘Shame’ on councillors who voted for allowance rise


• Stray Views: Government should clamp down on homelessness tents

---

Royal Baths valuation 'hypothetical'

Whilst I have absolutely no brief for North Yorkshire Council, perhaps an aspect of your story regarding what the Royal Baths is costing the taxpayer is a little misleading. 

Yes when they purchased the legal interest it will have been the £9.5million, you quote. Any subsequent valuation whilst they own (hold) it (and local authorities are required to do them over a five year period on all categories of assets) will be at a point in time and a 'book figure'. A true comparison can only be made when they actually sell their legal interest to a third party. 

To arrive at the current book figure, they are required to take in a number of factors, to arrive at a valuation as at that point in time. It is conjecture therefore that it is actually costing the taxpayer money at this stage as the valuation is hypothetical and only if and when they sell their interest, can the true loss (or profit) be ascertained.

Other current losses, such as rental income and rates, are indeed losses that the taxpayer will need to pick up.

Bernard White, Ripon

---

Do you have an opinion on the Harrogate district? Email us at letters@thestrayferret.co.uk. Please include your name and approximate location details. Limit your letters to 350 words. We reserve the right to edit letters.