YEP Letters: February 3

Labour to keep forests in public hands

John Appleyard, Liversedge

I am pleased to see that the Government plans to plant a northern forest with one million trees and that Yorkshire Water has made a similar pledge to plant a million trees across 
its land over the next ten years in a bid to reduce flood risks, which echoes the Labour Party’s General Election Manifesto of 2017 to pledge to work with farmers and foresters to plant a million trees of native species to promote bio diversity and better flood management.

Unlike the Conservatives, who attempted to privatise our forests, Labour will keep them in public hands.

Lighthouse to be built in Leeds: your views

Plans to build a lighthouse in Leeds have been given the seal of approval. Proposals to erect the lighthouse in the South Bank area as a symbol of the city’s arts scene were first suggested when the European Capital of Culture 2023 bid was made. Despite Leeds being told they will no longer be eligible to bid for the title due to the UK’s decision to leave the EU the council has agreed to stage an independent ‘Leeds 2023’ year of cultural events. The lighthouse will be funded by local businesses and the council confirmed at a Leeds 2023 meeting this week that an agreement was already in place to get the project off the ground. We asked YEP readers for their views and here’s what some of them said on social media...

Martin Walker

I don’t see any point to a lighthouse, ’cos we’re landlocked! Okay, we have sea cadets and a yachting club and ties to the former HMS Ark Royal, but a lighthouse? I’d back a large tower with an observation deck so you can see the entire city from 100+m up.

Val Wheatley

Why do we need a lighthouse? Use the money to build a shelter for the homeless.

Andy Baylis

So many backward thinkers. Whinging all the time, that’s why we didn’t get the sculpture planned for Holbeck Triangle, so Gateshead got Angel of The North, iconic, pulls in tourists. We lost out again, because of whiners. Get it built...simple! You can whinge about council houses all you want, I want investment.

Lesley Brown

What the heck do we need a lighthouse for in Leeds? Surely the money would be better spent on other important things?

Crag Wilig

If Leeds wants to build a tall building build one with a telescope (observatory) or something interesting at the top.

If that lighthouse had a spiral slide like a helter skelter around the outside then yes build it.

Laura Smith

Why do we need a light house? The money would have been better spent on volunteers and businesses who are feeding the homeless and offering them warmth and some where safe to stay.

If there is room for a lighthouse surely that space can be for some kind of hostel or refuge for our homeless.

Douglas G Greenfield

Missed chance with Antony Gormley’s Brick Man.

Neil Rathmell

Oh dear! How to get culture a bad name.

Jean Norris

Good to know that money is not going to be wasted on anything frivolous like social care.

Motorists are set to be hit with more fines for driving on smart motorways - for driving under ‘Red X’ overhead signs. Automated electronic signs operate on smart motorways across the country. The signs on overhead gantries flash up changes of speed limits - with drivers being warned this week that driving even 1mph over the limit could lead to a fine. From the spring drivers will face a penalty for driving under a red X on a smart motorway. Here’s what YEP readers think about the plan..

Paula Hanlon

The last time I was on the M62 was just after Christmas at 11pm. The road was dry and empty. Yet our “smart” motorway had me tootling along at 40mph all the way from Huddersfield to Leeds; reason unknown.

So before they start introducing new ideas and laws, why don’t they have a bash at getting the existing ones right first?

Dave McNalus

It always seems to be on the M62. The M1 is a smart motorway, but you don’t seem to have this ‘unknown’ speed reductions as you do on the M62.

Bethany Austin

I’m all for penalising people who deliberately break the limit but I’m scared these new rulings could cause a nation of dithering drivers more preoccupied in looking at their speedometers than what’s actually going on on the road in front of them.

I’m talking about doing a long stretch journey and you accidentally press down a bit too hard for a split second.

Stephen Morton

Common sense is what it takes but you always get those who want to stay in the lane for as long as possible which then causes domino braking.

Rheanne Holmes

So happy about this. The more they crack down on idiotic motorway drivers the better.

Simon Duffy

Why a new law? Surely this would be covered by existing road traffic laws.

Andy Baylis

Nothing new... x means lane closed... what’s the issue?

Wayne Wilson

The whole intention of these so called smart motorways was to get more money out of us all who use them.

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