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.

Concerns over Scotton Weir removal

Over the last few years, ecologists and others have been busy building dams and weirs in streams throughout the UK in order to slow the flow of water into river catchments thereby reducing the impact of flooding. It’s been pretty successful, dams and weirs are well known to help in lessening the impact of flooding. Indeed, in some areas we now employ beavers to do it for us.

Why then has Scotton Weir on the River Nidd been removed?

Scotton Weir has, for over 200 years, held back thousands of cubic metres of flood water that will now race down the catchment increasing flooding and the risk of flooding in Knaresborough and downstream communities.

The work, as I understand it, is to help fish migrate upstream towards Harrogate North sewage treatment works outfalls and west which is great news for the fish but not so for those at risk of flooding.

I did ask the scheme promoter for comment, he didn’t have the courtesy to respond. I spoke to North Yorkshire County Council’s flood and water management team who describe themselves as “the lead local flood authority” — they batted it on to the Environment Agency quicksticks and I finally got a lengthy and rather tedious phone call from a chap at the EA who assured me I was wrong and that there would be no impact on downstream flooding.

I hope he’s right but I fear he isn’t.

David Howarth, Bilton

Call for Knaresborough cemetery group to be formed

Responding to Jayne Jackson’s letter regarding the cemetery in Knaresborough, I think it would be really helpful if a ‘Friends of the Cemetery’ group was formed.   

It could then formulate policy and practice about how the cemetery is managed.  Personally, I’m always aiming to maximise biodiversity and wildlife havens, since humans destroy so much nature all the time, so we need to find places where we can give nature a home.  

It seems to me that cemeteries are an ideal place to have wild areas, as long as there are pathways so that it’s still possible to get close to the graves.

Many cemeteries have this policy, such as the wonderful York Cemetery,  Sharow Church, and now also St John’s Church in Knaresborough.

Shan Oakes, Knaresborough

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• Stray Views: Noisy cars in Harrogate should be monitored at weekends
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Queen’s great-grandchildren were well behaved

The most important part of a funeral if you have to take your children, for them to pay their, respects to their great grandma the Queen is that they know how to behave in the service and try to follow and understand what is going on.

I congratulate William and Kate on their upbringing of their children. It was a very long day for two young people. Their behaviour was impeccable when required.

If the children outside of the service behaved as children do, it doesn’t matter. They are human children

Any grown up does not have the right to criticise any parents about the behaviour outside the services their children have had to go through.

Margaret Beckingham, Harrogate

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.

Jayne Jackson began maintaining the Knaresborough Cemetery after feeling Harrogate Borough Council wasn’t doing enough.

Mrs Jackson has been working on the grounds for almost four years but now ill health means she has to pack away her tools.

As a regular visitor to the cemetery, near King James’ School, to visit her parent’s graves Mrs Jackson said she was getting “frustrated” by its condition.

She said there were a host of issues including; long grass, overgrown bushes and tree roots causing graves to collapse.

Mrs Jackson has reported issues over the years including a leaking tap and damaged graves, to the council, but said these often went ignored or took a long time to be repaired.

Mrs Jackson said she knew she had to do something for the town she has lived in since she was seven years old.

Her lone volunteering turned into a large undertaking costing her “100s of pounds of my own money”. She would tackle the overgrown foliage and keep weeds at bay.

It was also important for Mrs Jackson to carefully maintain the baby and war graves. Her aim was to create a peaceful place for others.

Jayne Jackson left this note for the cemetery’s visitors.

But now, she has been left questioning why she continues to work on such a large space alone:

“It was important for me to keep it tidy. Over the years there’s been less and less maintenance, lots of the graves have just been left to overgrow. I’ve enjoyed doing it and met some lovely people too but a little help from the council would go a long way.

“I’ve got so frustrated I now just think what’s the point?”

Mrs Jackson has said she hopes Harrogate Borough Council take the same care she did to maintain the cemetery.

Councillor Andrew Paraskos, Harrogate Borough Council’s cabinet member for environment, waste reduction and recycling, said:

“On behalf of the council’s bereavement services, I’d like to say thank you to Jayne Jackson for her work at Knaresborough Cemetery, it has been very much appreciated.

“We have a regular programme work, across all of the district’s cemeteries that we manage, and when specific issues are raised we work to address these.

“Visitors to several of the cemeteries across the district may also start to notice some areas that are being left to grow and not mown. We want to encourage biodiversity so are working with parish councils to leave specific areas to grow, attract pollinators and create habitats.

“We will of course continue to mow the grass along pathways and around gravestones so that mourners can pay their respects to their loved ones.”

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• Bishop Monkton church could sell its pews in its bid to transform the building

Opened in 1876 the graveyard holds over 3,000 graves.

Her hard work has not gone unnoticed with numerous local residents thanking her on a Facebook post after she left a note in the cemetery to say she was stopping her work.

Mrs Jackson says it is her time to step away after noticing her arthritis makes some of the jobs too difficult.