The Stray Ferret

Readers’ Letters 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 [email protected].

This letter is in response to an article published this week about parking charges being introduced at Stainburn Forest, near Harrogate. It follows a series of articles about parking charges coming into force at nearby reservoirs.

As a Beckwithshaw resident and a very regular walker at Stainburn Moor, I am absolutely dismayed by the introduction of car parking charges you have highlighted this week.

But what I am more horrified by is the bland, uninformed corporate PR response from Forestry England. I quote:

“Access to Stainburn forest remains free for those who chose alternative transportation methods, ensuring that local residents can still enjoy the forest without charge.”

Clearly written by someone who doesn’t know the area!

While this local resident can see the forest from my upstairs window, there are no buses I can take, nor trains and indeed nor are there any pavements I could safely walk on. But then if I did walk the two miles to get there, I could well be too tired to take a walk in the woods but would certainly be too tired to walk back.

I could, of course, be on trend and get out the bike but, sorry, my 70+ year old arthritic knees can’t do that anymore.

These forests are destinations. They have car parks because it takes a car to get there. If there weren’t any car parks, there would be no revenue-generating opportunity, would there?

So, to cut to the chase, dress it up however they like, this is only about making more money out of the already economically stretched public who just want an outing and some fresh air to breathe.

What a dismal state of affairs.

Steve Crisp, Beckwithshaw

Highways should ‘try my disability scooter’ to feel poor pavement conditions

This letter is in response to a story about Ripon firms making the city more accessible for the disabled.

On seeing the article about Ripon and the disabled, I would like to bring to your attention the dreadful state of pavements for people like myself, who have to use a wheelchair or mobility scooter.

I live at the bottom end of Otley Road. The pavements and lack of dropped kerbs — or kerbs that are not even proper dropped kerbs — are unbelievable.

I like to go into town occasionally or to the local Co-op, but either adventure can leave me literally shaken.

I would love to take out a member of the highways department and let them try my mobility scooter to see just how bad this problem is.

Ann Townson, Harrogate

Second home council tax premium is a ‘blatant cash-raising exercise’

This letter follows news that North Yorkshire Council is introducing a council tax premium for second homeowners in the county.

Reading North Yorkshire Council’s latest newsletter, it seems the real reason for imposing this 100% surcharge has been unwittingly revealed.

Apparently, the pretext is to make available more affordable housing, but the council states IF NOT, it will help raise much needed funds to assist the council’s finances.

I think the council needs to come clean on the real reason for the surcharge.

I doubt very much that second homeowners will feel compelled to sell or rent their second homes significantly below market value, and even if some of them do it will not make the homes affordable to the people who need them.

This is a blatant cash-raising exercise.

The funds will be used to prop up essential services. Why can’t the council be honest about it?

Robert Ames, Boroughbridge

What was Pat Marsh thinking?

This letter follows a series of articles published last week after former Lib Dem councillor Pat Marsh’s antisemitic tweets were exposed. The former Lib Dem leader called Jewish people “horrendous” and “vile” and funded global politics.

The comments Pat Marsh posted on X are reminiscent of Nazi Germany.

Did she not think that someone would object or take offence? To say that Jews are backing politics financially worldwide is another Nazi conspiracy theory.

Thank goodness she resigned from North Yorkshire Council before she was pushed. Over three decades as a councillor — what was she thinking?

Sandra Goldberg, Harrogate