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.

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Selling of council land at Oak Beck

The council have now decided to flog off this last piece of green space in New Park. Apparently to provide a bit of dosh to prop up the
conference centre business in fear of Leeds grabbing OUR visitors.

Piece by piece this lacklustre council having spent lots of dosh on pointless and ineffective plans and schemes, now are evicting wildlife from the final vestiges of natural environment.

This is a lovely area of peace, where we can hear the birds, and listen to the beck gurgling it's way (sometimes sewage as well).

Where are all these creatures to go? Where can we go to escape the stresses of life in Harrogate? Another rotten plan from a soon to be defunct council.

William B Thompson, New Park, Harrogate

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Reduction in the Fire Service in Harrogate. I have not seen the details of this proposal to fully comment. However, since the Harrogate fire station was built some years ago and staffed with the suitable staff levels and appliances, Harrogate has expanded massively with additional housing and industrial units. Just looking from my car driving into Harrogate by the A59 or by Penny Pot. Huge housing developments. Industrial units near the Army College. Even Killinghall has probably doubled in size with additional housing. This is happening throughout the area. Then there's the condition of the older existing properties both housing , retail and business premises. These properties will have been modified over the years and retail and business properties may well have not had proper upgrading of fire resistance ( work done on the cheap). These older properties will have timber roofing members, floor joists which will be now tinder dry and with the change in climate, plus heating and other equipment not being updated, the fire risk will have increased quite a lot. Remember the huge fire next to what was the North Eastern pub some years ago? Any reduction will impact public safety. So any reductions seem unwise!! Allan Campbell, Harrogate

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Read More

• Starbeck KFC withdraws expansion plan


• Harrogate fire station changes won’t increase risk to life, says commissioner

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Starbeck should support KFC expansion – a response

 William Powell makes some good points in his call for Starbeck’s KFC to be expanded, but he is wrong to dismiss the views of local people.

He is right that Starbeck is in a wonderful strategic position between Harrogate and Knaresborough, with excellent transport links. He is right that empty premises on our High Street are a bad thing.

He is right that Starbeck has a vibrant economy, but this is driven by the local residents of our diverse area who use these shops and facilities. But they are also impacted by those businesses, whether its litter, noise, traffic or a range of other issues that local people regularly raise with the Residents’ Association.

So the Starbeck Residents’ Association (SRA) asked people who live locally what they thought about KFC’s plans and others. And views were split. Some thought it was most important to fill empty premises. Others wanted a wider diversity of businesses on a High Street that already has plenty of takeaways. Both are right and not contradictory.

The SRA recognises that we cannot force particular enterprises into a particular area. That’s why we are in touch with the local Chamber of Commerce and others about what more we can do to promote Starbeck. It has a well used library, swimming pool, successful sports clubs and facilities like Belmont Park and a real sense of community, with numerous local voluntary groups attached to our vibrant church communities and many others.

So let’s be ambitious for our area. I know I’m not alone in being proud to live in Starbeck and together we can make it better.

Chris Watt, Chair Starbeck Residents' Association