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. See below for details on how to contribute.
Let’s do more to help travellers
What a good idea for districts to provide stops for travellers en route to Appleby Horse Fair.
Having lived in the area for 80 years, I see the slight inconvenience of a couple of nights encampment en route or return as no problem.
Travellers have always stayed in the district. In my youth we had the fair at Boroughbridge. Traffic slowed to let the horses and caravans go along their slow and steady way. We have seen the steady decline in public houses over the years (a very English tradition) and we are in danger of losing our identity.
Yes, hold the travellers to account over how they leave the site and make arrangements for them to pay for a clear up, or block their exit if it is not done, I am sure they would comply as a safe stopover is better for all if put into place. Councils should think twice about costly court orders and put common sense into the mix.
Sandra Theobald, Harrogate
Read more:
- End of an era: Harrogate working men’s club folds after 108 years
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We need new blood on our councils
Councillor Carl Les talks about fairness but what people want to know is: by how much their bills are going to reduce and what economies he is going to introduce?
There is no mention of this and no plan so until he can produce this, it’s not convincing. We also need new blood in our councillors, not just a reshuffle.
Harrogate people also want to know that their payments are actually spent in the town and not elsewhere in the region e.g. our roads are bad and North Yorkshire County Council’s highways department has consistently dragged its feet about traffic improvements whilst locals have told them how to improve matters.
What we really need, is for Harrogate to become a city and control its own affairs — we are certainly getting to this size.
Until we do, our cash can be siphoned elsewhere with little or no say about it.
John Holder, Harrogate
Harrogate Christmas Market is tacky!
Do you have an opinion on the Harrogate district? Email us at [email protected]. Please include your name and approximate location details. Limit your letters to 350 words. We reserve the right to edit letters.
