Clitheroe 22321, (Editorial), 22323 (AdvaHisiv.fi). Burnleu 1,22331 (Classified)


Menace to other road


users I WRITE.following an incident i which happened


to me. on',my way home from work::


I was'travelling along


Whalley Road towards the bypass at approximately ■ 5-15:,p.m: when I found myself behind a driving school car driven by a learner driver; accompan- i e:d b y, a d r i v i n g instructor. I; was a b s o lu t e ly


appalled when, with no prior warning, the driver


slammed on the brakes, turned on the fog light ami stayed motionless for about three minutes. This was just after Primrose Lodge, the road was busy, very dark and slightly damp. If I had not had my wits


about me there would almost certainly have been an accident. When I over­ took the car on the bypass, the driver then, probably at the instructor’s instruc­ tion, turned on the full beam, which almost blinded my vision and was indeed the improper thing to do. What I would like to


know is why the instructor thought it fit to get the d riv e r to come to an abrupt halt on a busy main road at that time of the night, when it was quite unsafe to do so., It was my opinion that


qualified driving instruc­ tors had to pass strict examinations and be capa­ ble of teaching non-drivers how to drive on the road safely and confidently. I am now disillusioned.


It is my opinion that this particular instructor — and it makes me wonder how many others — are neither fit to do the job that they are doing nor to hold a driving licence. This particular man is a menace to other road users and frankly, 1 feel, should be reported to the Board of Driving Instructors. I wonder how many


other people have come across arrogant and selfish driving instructors, who think, once they have a pupil in the driving seat and Lhey are in the com­ manding position of instructor, that they own the road and can do what­ ever they like?


J A N E T A N N


MOWARTII, 25 Winterlcy Drive, Iluncoat.


MUST be accompanied


® LETT lilts to be con­ sidered for publication


It I, the fu l l name and address of the sender,- and a telephone num­ ber, i f possible, so that thep can be verified.


IS MP NIGEL THE PLANET


PERIODICALLY, after reading an article or letter in your paper, my hand appears to have a will of its own and


pens a letter that I appear to have no control over; ' ; • Such an article was in your November 5th issue regarding Nigel


Evans’ comments to the Chamber of Trade. However, due to the absence of pen and paper and presence of visitors from down south, my prolific hand subsided until I read on November 12th that there actually were people agreeing with what he said. Comments from now are from my hand and I have no control or even idea what is


coming. I thought Nigel came from Wales, but it would appear he comes


from the planet Zork, as this can be the only reason for such comments. Yes, there is a world recession and we are suffering our third year of it. In my job I have customers cutting back daily on orders and going bust, owing thousands. Next time this happens I shall simply tell my boss it is Chtheroc s


fault. I am sick and tired of politicians saying we are coming out of recession and that things are looking up. As far as I am concerned, there are no signs at all of recovery and we still have a lot of pain to


endure.


All I would say to Nigel and his colleagues is, I don’t mind a bit of pain for a while, but sheer bloody agony and no sign of a cure I cannot


■ "


accept. So come nn. Nigel, we can beam you up into the real world.


Let’s drop interest rates by at least two per cent and start a recovery


going. I have voted Tory all my life and realise things are bad, but let's be


under no illusions' where the recovery can be started — by the Government and nobody else. They must take the lead. Finally, I would like to say that I would probably not have written


about tliis alone, but the fact that our MP bottled out at the last minute on Maastricht as well was the thing that got the hand going. As I have said enough on the Chamber of Trade issue, I will give the hand a rest for now and watch Maastricht with interest. There is nothing wrong with Clitheroe not being in the 20th cen­


tury; in certain areas that is one of the endearing qualities which I love about my adopted town.


IAN BROWN,


91 Chntburn Road, Clitheroe.


_ ■' We’re not living in the past


THE correspondence in y o u r is su e of N o v e n i be r 12th prompts us to write to clarify and resolve what are clearly mis­ understandings as to the position held by Clitheroe and District


Chamber of Trade. The comments made by


Eric Bracewell are, as usual, well structured, well thought out and made with the best interests of


this town in mind. As far as those comments go, this Chamber is in agreement because, like Mr Bra­ cewell, we see the devel­ opment and refurbishment of the town centre as vital to the future of Clitheroe. Ever since discussions


concerning the old auction mart site first began, this Chamber has been sup­ portive of redevelopment. However, we state


again that any such devel­ opment must complement and contribute to the existing retail structure. Only then can the town flourish in harmony, to the benefit of traders and shoppers alike. A document, reported in


this journal, from the eon- sultants retained by RVBC, indicated that the development, as proposed, was not financially viable. Since the scheme was “deferred and delegated” behind closed doors, no information has been made- public which suggests otherwise. We must, however, dif­ fer from Mr Bracewell in


his opinion of Skipton. The Craven Court d e v e l­ opment is now in decline, with some 50% of shops empty. We do not need that in Clitheroe, nor indeed schemes such as Otley’s, where the shop­ ping centre has never got off the ground, or Lea­ mington Spa, where the new development has sucked the life from the surrounding streets. What must be con­


sidered of equal import to, and in conjunction with, the auction mart site is the effort needed on the exist­ ing infrastructure and buildings. Attention must be paid to traffic manage­


ment, selective pedes- trianisation, pavement widening, canopied walk­ ways, street furniture, accessible parking, tourist provision and the like. This must be addressed


i r r e s p e c t iv e o f the progress of the auction mart scheme. We have written to both the council and Nigel Evans MP, inviting a joint effort in addressing these issues, but still await replies. One thing is certain,


Clitheroe needs a groat deal of work to prepare for the road out of recession. That journey should not be into the hands of a specu­ lative developer who,


quite justifiably, is driven by a need to return a profit for his shareholders. Such a course will spell the end for many of our inde­ pendent retailers and the town will lose quality, ser­


vice and choice. This Chamber is NOT


living in the past. Our vision extends well into the next century. When we arrive there, we would like Clitheroe to be alive


- and vibrant, a flourishing community — not another g ra v e y a rd o f failed speculation. CHRIS WOOD, President, Clitheroe and District Chamber of Trade.


Mr Evans’ gall is breathtaking


SO Nigel Evans thinks the Ribble Valley’s economic problems are self induced, caused by a lack of long-term vision locally, presumably as


exemplified by his own Party’s policies: As trade, commerce and


unemployment are no


worse in the Ribble Valley than elsewhere and better than most areas, this must


. apply to everywhere: it’s all our fault! The reduction of manu­


facturing capacity, large- scale unemployment (which we have had for 12 years or so; now), the creation of a credit-based consumer boom, resulting in chronic debt and a huge


balance of payments defi­ cit, 'due to a dramatic


increase in imports, are all irre le vant or not the resp on s ibility o f the Government? Revenues from selling


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off the utilities and from North Sea oil and gas help to conceal the true struc­ tural deficiencies of the economy in the ’80s. A “ fo rw a rd th in k in g ” Government might have considered using these for training and investment in what was left of British industry which, inciden­ tally, did everything asked of it by making itself lean, profitable and competitive at great personal cost to many who used to work in it.


Come the inevitable


consequence of its infia­ t ion a ry p o l ic y , this Government of “long-term vision” over-reacted and greatly exacerbated the effects of the already turn­ ing global economy. The events of the ’80s, while not causing the recession, greatly increased its impact and more seriously reduced our capacity to respond when recovery


finally arrives. Mr Evans’ assertion


that recent political events change the picture is ridic­ ulous. The momentum of increasing backruptcies and unemployment, the continued downward direction of the property markets, the downward pressure on commodity prices, reducing margins and reinforcing the first two points, the rising costs of imported goods and raw materials (remember the trade deficit?), the contin­


uing decimation of the industrial base and,


finally, the opinion of many analysts that we are on the downward curve of a long-term macro-eco­ nomic cycle, means that these changes are too lit-. tie, too late.


In the context of the


above, Nigel Evans’ gall in placing responsibility on to Ribble Valley’s traders, for major problems they share with the whole coun­ try, is breathtaking.


In last week’s paper the


Nigel Evans article was adjacent to the piece on the Monster Raving Loony Party. With representa­ tives'like Mr Evans, I leave readers to consider who the real loonies are; the others are just acting!


R. M. VALOVIN, 9 Green Drive, Clitheroe.


‘Exhibits’ to pay as well


NIGEL EVANS was reported in your news­ paper some two weeks ago saying that “Clith­ eroe risked becoming a museum” in a direct riposte to the Chamber of Trade’s concern at the lack of action by Government to the economy locally and nationally. His views are rather


prophetic, for one week later the council adopts the principle of most museums, including their own, and decides to introduce charges to visit in the form of paid-for car parking. It should be noted,


though, that the “exhi bits” themselves will be


charged as well as the visitors, be they tour­ ists or simply from neighbouring towns. One of the “altered


circumstances” that the council quotes as requiring to review its previous no action policy is: “The stated Govern­


ment position, particu­ larly in general plan­ ning guidance, is that town centre car park­ ing should be limited by either capacity or price." So there you have it


MP and council acting hand-in-glove to ensure the future prosperity of our town. However, somehow I


get the impression that locals might just point their vehicle some­ where other than the town centre and visi tors might just visit once, if at all!


BRUCE DOWLES, 145 Whalley Road, Clitheroe.


MY LETTER TO MR EVANS


I ENCLOSE a copy of a letter sent to Nigel Evans MP, in response to the comments recently made by him and reported recently in your paper.


“ I understand from


reading the ‘Clitheroe Advertiser and Times’ that you feel the reduction' in trade in the retail sector is due to actions taken by the traders and local peo­ ple. I f this is so, then this applies to every town" in England and Wales. “ To -say'-fhat people


ignore the Chancellor’s comments about economic growth is an insult to intelligence. How many times have we heard from various-chancellors over the last few years that we have ‘reached the bottom’ and the future indications were for growth? When f see positive plans for growth and not just gen­ eral statements, I will b e l ie v e th in g s are changing.


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of the importance to the North West of good com­ munication links, if we are not to be isolated with the inevitable move eastwards of the centre of commerce and industry in Europe. I have heard of no imminent plans to build additional roads to relieve the Mil and, recently, the pro­ posed upgrading of the main west coast rail line through Preston has been scrapped.


• “Clitheroe is one of the


few towns not ruined by modern town planning. To suggest that people choose to visit Blackburn is not a very enlightened state­ ment. I feel you would find most people highly dissa­ tisfied with- retail (level-1 opment in that town, write as someone who lived there in the 1950s.


“ 1 am fully aware that


the whole ‘Western World’ is suffering recession and I don’t think there is any one reason, so to say that the traders and people of- the Ribble Valley are themselves to blame is, feel, very ungracious in the extreme.”


MR JOHN HOLT, 5 Manor Fields, Whalley.


»Si?I


Clitheroe Advertiser & Times, November 10th, 1092 9


FROM ZORK?


Local government is all about consultation


LAST week’s letter from Mr Waller raised some important points, which deserve a response. He recognises that the borough council has a respon­


sibility to ensure that the opinions of local people are properly represented and taken into account when decisions are being made. This is, of course, exactly what local government is all about. The Ribble Valley Council carries out a vast range of


services and is at any one time dealing with a wide range of issues. On any individual issue being decided by the coun­


cil, some people will wish to participate in-the debate, some will take the time to talk to their parish or bor­ ough councillor and, of course, some will_.be happiest just to criticise whatever decisions aro.taken. All of this-is perfectly acceptajjle and, until someone


comes up with a better alternative, we can at least be assured that the present-system has been designed to deal with day-to-day-issues in an accountable way. There are some important issues that do need to


be brought to the attention of the local community. From time to time it is necessary to actively consult


local people to make sure that the decisions taken are truly democratic. Mr Waller is quite right to suggest that this is best done by the local council and it is our duty to make sure that the consultation is carried out


properly. We actually put a lot of effort into this work and


the effective partnership between our parish and dis­ trict councils, the high level of concern and invol­ vement of our residents and the detailed local know­ ledge of councillors and officers all mean that this council is better than most at gauging local opinion. We even consult about consultation. Recently


group of parish councillors was asked to examine our democratic procedures and concluded that “ Ribble Val­ ley Borough Council consults on all issues relevant to


parishes." Mr Waller mentions the recent DoE consultation


paper on the role of parish and town councils. Ribble Valley has carried out this consultation most effec­ tively and has successfully sought the views of the district’s 287 parish councillors. In fact the borough recently held a series of seven consultation meetings around the area, using village


halls as venues. Central Government is going to restructure local


government to increase local accountability. The Rib­ ble Valley Council is enthusiastic about the opportuni­ ties that these changes will bring. We are sure that not only will we continue to provide efficient services for local people, but that, in partnership with parish coun­ cils, we are in the best position to properly under­ stand and respond to local needs.


COUN. BILL FLEMING, Leader, Ribble Valley Borough Council.


Disarray


of parade R E G A R D IN G th e Remembrance Day Parade on November 8th, I think I speak for residents of Clitheroe on the disarray of our parade to honour our comrades of two_ world wars and other conflicts. Before next year, can


the powers-that-be please organise our men, women and organisations who accompany our mayor and councillors to the cenotaph to be led by a band and make our fallen comrades worthy of their past sacrifices. Many villages can do it,


so surely a town can, too — for their memories, if not ours.


MRS VIOLET WOOD, ex-aircraft worker, “Halifax bombers,”


Strand Road, Preston.


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