Labour mayor under pressure over 29% council tax hike for fire services10: Labour parks its tanks on Tories’ lawn with North Yorkshire mayor election winMayor appoints Ripon company founder to chair business boardMayor approves extra £500,000 to support Harrogate Station GatewayNorth Yorkshire mayor ‘would support’ extension to £2 bus fare capMayor of North Yorkshire announces £10m high streets fundFrom business to Downing Street: North Yorkshire’s mayor two months onMayor seeks Harrogate district business leaders for new boardReaders’ Letters: ‘Large boulders’ would block traveller camps in KnaresboroughReaders’ Letters: Does North Yorkshire Council not know how a drain works?

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 letters@thestrayferret.co.uk.  

The following three letters are in response to the extreme flooding in Knaresborough earlier this week. Roads were under water, homes were flooded and residents evacuated. The council denied the conditions of the drains played a part, but some residents feel otherwise.  

Does North Yorkshire Council not know what a drain is and how they work?

I think the Stray Ferret should take a stand on behalf of all Knaresborough folk and demand that they do something about it.

I live up Ripley Road and can tell you that the drains on High and Low Bond End and Ripley Road haven’t been cleaned out properly for at least 30 years.

Steve Newbould, Knaresborough

Here on Hambleton Close we had a near miss – although both our neighbours took on water.

I have consistently notified North Yorkshire County Council (that was) about the state of drainage in Knaresborough. Each time I receive hollow words of acknowledgement, but nothing is done.

The autumn leaf-fall and the failure to sweep the roads only added to this catastrophe.

What do we pay our council tax for?

Ralph Thrower, Knaresborough

We have reported the blocked drains for years and no works seems to have been done.

Last week we were down to one working drain on our street and we directly reported it to the council.

We have issues with Waterside becoming a river even with normal levels of rainfall.

We warned the council numerous times it would flood, as the water has nowhere else to go other than through the houses.

Mark Johnson, Knaresborough

Maybe Keane Duncan’s defeat means he will ‘finally fix our roads’

This story follows the York and North Yorkshire mayoral election last week. Labour’s David Skaith took home the crown, leaving Tory councillor Keane Duncan defeated.

Thank goodness for the mayoral result, which hopefully now means we are also done with Mr Keane’s tedious photo opportunities (hopefully!).

For months he’s courted the camera and delivered on little else. Even the well-hyped ‘100 days in Peggy’ went suspiciously quiet.

Maybe now he can finally concentrate on the job he has, including fixing our roads for starters.

He might want to take Peggy for a drive down Pannal Ash Road and sample the disgraceful state of a public highway.

Simon Ewing, 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.

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