LETTERS ROUND-UP

The proposals outlined include sheepdogs (where would they mess), chemical repellents (wild birds are protected under European and British law), dead decoys and lion dung.

All I can say is that at least two of these suggestions would simply replace one type of mess with another.

The council should really get to grips with the type of mad solutions being suggested, by people I can only conclude have nothing better to do.

People who suggest such bizarre ideas seem to be a few sandwiches short of a picnic, which is probably why the geese flock to these areas in the first place, because humans provide the wildlife with a picnic.

The council need to spend their time on educating the public, not to feed the geese.

Using sheepdogs (unless the dogs are tethered) would deter people from entering the areas concerned due to the fact that quite a number of people are scared of dogs.

Geese and other wild birds are not totally stupid and would soon work out that a decoy was not really one of their own deceased and would probably leave a calling card.

Basically another load of mess.

Howard Perry, St James Place, Dringhouses, York

SENSE at last over York’s largest brownfield site – the Teardrop (The Press, September 19).

Co-ordinated development answers the city’s needs for business growth, job opportunities and affordable homes at a stroke.

It just needed impetus to overcome the inertia of a decade and more of stalled ideas.

York Central (to give it its proper name) is crying out to be a high priority development site.

Yet it was relegated to a medium to long-term site in the stalled Local Plan because of the last administration’s preoccupation with a greenfield-sites-first-approach.

An administration that was prepared to subordinate the city’s position at the centre of Yorkshire affairs to one of a poor relation as a dormitory town on the periphery of the Leeds City Region.

It’s good to see the new administration living up to its aims to engage with neighbours and enterprise agencies to create opportunities for prosperity and provide affordable homes – all on one site.

Let’s hope the Government is listening to York’s claims to be able to play a major part in contributing to the Northern Powerhouse through this enterprising scheme.

Full marks to York council’s enterprising leadership.

Allan Charlesworth, Old Earswick, York

CRANBROOK Avenue is a fairly short avenue with a crossroad halfway down and about 20 houses in total and yet 200 people have signed a petition to turn this public highway into a private road (The Press, September 19).

I would have thought that if all these people live in 20 houses their main complaint would be overcrowding rather than speed of traffic.

Let them people not forget that we all contribute to the upkeep of these streets so have every right to use them, unless they are prepared to take over the expense of creating a quiet residential street that no one else can use.

If the council close this road off with bollards, as they have done in other parts of the city, this would only cause more congestion and pollution in other areas which the council would have to solve.

A better solution to the speeding problem would be to install a chicane, similar to the one in Huntington Road which would prevent cars speeding in this relatively short stretch of public highway, but I doubt this solution would satisfy the “200” residents of Cranbrook Avenue.

If every residential street in York was to adopt this attitude and were successful, there would be nowhere to go.

AP Cox, Heath Close, Holgate, York

I HOPE the people who are campaigning to welcome refugees to York manage to veto them can ensure that we and we don’t get the ones who throw rocks at the legitimate police forces of those countries of whose borders they are legally protecting or the ones who threaten lorry drivers with knives at Calais and then when they get into this country illegally, apply for asylum because their lives are under threat in their own countries.

Angela Merkel will surely go down as the Margaret Thatcher of German politics. Making policies without thinking of the consequences.

If she wants 800,000 refugees in Germany she should put a fleet of planes on from Athens airport to fly them into German cities and it would save all this mayhem.

These people are refugees when they enter the first safe country they arrive in. After that they are economic migrants.

How are these families going to support themselves financially? They certainly won’t be working at the carriage works or Terry’s.

Yes, we have to be compassionate to refugees and migrants, but to be taking people endlessly into this crowded island is not the answer.

W Harrison, St Oswalds Road, York

THE council’s care home closure plans come at the same time as Labour in York are pushing for the city’s Guildhall to be used as “temporary” housing for refugees; potentially costing thousands of pounds in adaptations and renovations.

While York Central MP Rachael Maskell seems able to find her voice to speak up for refugees, she seems to be very quiet on the matter of the closing care homes and continuing lack of provision for the elderly in our city.

I have every sympathy for true asylum seekers but we must not let the refugee issue distract us from providing long term care for the elderly, who often don’t feel they have a voice, just like the refugees.

Council plans for two new super residential homes have now been cancelled, but care home closures prompted by the original plan seem to be going full steam ahead.

All we have is a vague promise of new extra care sheltered housing to replace the super home plan and I am deeply worried that the council is vastly eroding the city’s provisions for elderly residential care.

I would like our local MP to stand up and fight for the people of York in the same way as she is standing up for the migrants.

Judith Morris, UKIP York, Moorland Road, York

I NOTICE the first three lights on the Marygate side of Scarborough Bridge are not working.

These lights illuminate the approach to and the steps on that side.

These lights were only installed in March this year. Surely this installation is still under warranty?

We are approaching the first frosts of autumn and the bridge has had issues with mugging in the past.

I have raised the problem with the council over two weeks ago, but the issue has still not been rectified.

I look forward to a speedy result.

Name and address supplied

JEREMY CORBYN wants to re-nationalise the railways.

Calling it the “people’s railway” will not expunge the facts of the last time it was nationalised and called British Rail.

This name stood for gross inefficiency, strikes, work to rules, massive government subsidies and a timetable that was a work of fiction.

It would probably be even worse this time around.

Geoff Robb, Hunters Close, Dunnington, York