YEP Letters: March 12

Check out today's YEP letters

Let cyclists pay for roads

Peter Horton, Ripon

I WAS astonished to read the outrageous suggestion of “cycling ambassador” Chris Boardman that the Government should add 2p per litre to the price of petrol to finance road improvements for cyclists.

The British motorist pays vastly more in taxes than is spent on the roads and I cannot believe the sheer effrontery of this proposal.

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Cyclists use the same roads without paying a penny in any form of tax or insurance and I suggest that, if cyclists want road improvements for their benefit, then they should pay for it.

Red light zone is ‘terrible mistake’

D S Boyes, Leeds 13

WERE any truer words spoken about the terrible mistake Leeds City Council has made by declaring an official managed red light zone in Holbeck, than by local resident Mr Sheikh Maalik (YEP Letters March 3).

He and his family have made their home in Holbeck believing it to be somewhere Leeds City Council was interested in improving by encouraging inward investment in housing, business and jobs - with instead it being denigrated to its present state.

Leeds as City of Culture? More like Sodom and Gomorrah. The democratic representation by Labour councillors virtually non-existent, as they see, hear and say nowt, with the Leeds Central MP Hilary Benn only speaking up very recently.

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Against this background will anything restore public confidence other than resignations. Three ward councillors, an executive board member and police commissioner take note.

Although I wish Mr Maalik well in his contact with the Prime Minister and Leader of the Opposition, I can tell him from personal experience that the response either from the Home Office or Department for Communities staff will only be ‘take it up with Leeds City Council’.

Way to resolve homes crisis

Vernon Wood, by email

Well done Mr Wallwork with your letter on modular housing (YEP March 8),

You took the nib from my pen! The post war pre-fabs (“homes for heroes”) were a great success, and the concept could go a long way to resolving the current housing crisis.

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Designed to last for 10 years, the prefabs provided inexpensive homes for families well into the 1970/80 era.

Indeed I know of small communities still resident, and who are awaiting yet another upgrade !

There is abundant evidence of the market for modular homes in the many Park/Lodge developments which abound throughout country and seaside locations.

Ideal as low-cost starter-home ownership, and also for retirees, these could be located in more convenient sites closer to town and city amenities.

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Land and infrastructure costs could be reasonable as the Government has instructed local authorities to release their unused sites for housing.

Regrettably, building societies have always shown a negative attitude to homes of “non-traditional construction”,ignoring the widespread improvements in techniques, technology and materials which have been introduced in recent decades.

It is remarkable that no local authority has shown interest in these fully equipped 2/3 bedroom houses which can be built on prepared footings from £25,000.

No care for refugees

G L Hall, Wakefield

We have been watching in the national news, for months now, the mass migration of human souls from Syria and other parts of the world.

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They are running for their lives from bombs and persecution, not for the pittance of our benefit system. This is the largest mass migration of the human race since my dad fought and won the other tyrant trying to rule the world.

I am astounded that all 28 countries of the EU and all those over paid politicians have failed to do anything about the wretched condition of all these men, women and children.

With all the technology that is available did no politicians notice 150,000 people collectively moving towards their borders?

In news reports we can see cameras and people being interviewed, looking cold and scared, not knowing if his wife and children were alive or dead and being asked inane questions like ‘how’s it been for you?’

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We also see soldiers with riot gear, gas grenades and armoured cars. Children with tears in their eyes from the gas and the panic.

What we don’t see is any Samaritan intervention by the EU. Where are the doctors, nurses, paediatric staff, basic supplies for human survival? What’s more, it is evident that there are always new diseases starting, I do not see any screening process for these diseases?

Instead of meeting refugees at a border with sustenance and care, they are met with guns and gas. How unfortunate that Syria has no oil like Kuwait?

Recently, in the middle of winter, someone who is extremely clever (and belongs to the EU) decided to knock down the shelters of refugees in waiting camps. Would this person put his children in steel cargo containers? I doubt it.

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When it comes to voting as to whether we should stay in or leave the EU, there can only be one logical answer for me if the combined total politicians of 28 countries absolutely fail to take charge of the care and welfare of all the oppressed people migrating towards Europe.

If a club that was formed to take care of people and to stop wars can ignore the sorry plight of millions then I don’t want to be in a club like this and therefore my answer has to be a resounding no.

Where are the drain cleaners?

J Hall, Morley

I would thoroughly agree with your correspondents about street cleaners, but would ask the question “where are all the drain cleaners?”

There are numerous drains in Morley and district which have not been cleaned out for some considerable time, I would therefore suggest to Leeds City Council that next time they send us a street cleaner could they also send a couple of drain cleaning wagons.

Support for carers

Colin Brook, Revitalise

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Caring for a disabled loved one must be one of the most challenging tasks there is, and there are in excess of 6.5 million carers in the UK – that’s 1 in 8 of us.

Six out of 10 of all carers are women, but why are there so many more female than male carers? I work for the charity Revitalise, which provides respite holidays for disabled people and carers from across the UK, and we did some research to find out.

In our survey, we found that eight out of 10 female carers thought that women felt pressured into the role of carer on account of their gender.

What’s more, nine out of 10 felt there was an expectation in families and society that women take on the role of carer.

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But what’s surprising is that eight out of 10 women and nine out of 10 men agreed that men are just as good at caring as women! So what is going on?

We think it’s because there is a widely held view in society that caring is somehow ‘women’s work’- a task that a woman can do better, or is better suited to, than a man.

Well, there are around 2.65 million male carers in the UK who would strongly disagree! So isn’t it high time we got rid of such lazy stereotypes?

Because if women are feeling unfairly pressured into giving up their careers, hopes and plans to become carers solely because of their gender, then we think that is quite wrong.

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At Revitalise we think much more needs to be done to support unpaid family carers across the board, including enabling them to have respite breaks.

I’d like to invite readers to get behind Revitalise’s essential work supporting disabled people and carers – male and female – from across the UK.

For more info and to find out how you can help, call 0303 303 0145 or visit www.revitalise.org.uk.