NHS bureaucrats are costing us all

WHY is it year on year no matter how much money is thrown at the NHS, managers always complain it is not enough?

Can we be sure this over-manned array of bureaucrats are in fact capable of doing the job?

To many of us they themselves, by weight of numbers, are the biggest drain on resources.

Peter Rickaby, West Park, Selby

How I miss my BHS shortcut!

Oh, I do miss British Home Stores, not necessarily for shopping but as a short cut to Coney Street.

Before the empty shop becomes yet another restaurant or pub, wouldn’t it be a good idea to have something different?

Let us celebrate York for the locals and the tourists alike – how about two floors of small rented spaces for street food, art, crafts, knitting groups, seed and vegetable swaps, book swaps and much more.

Come on, approach a millionaire or perhaps Philip Green (he was responsible for the closure). Ask them if they would like to contribute. How about a Beatle – come on Sir Paul – guitar lessons on tap.

Anne Church, Severus Avenue, Acomb, York

Tories delivering on front line services

COUNCILLOR Stuart Barnes is wrong with his street cleaning comments. From our opposition policies to the Conservative Manifesto to forming the coalition in York we have been committed to focusing on front line services. Take the six month trial of new street cleaning arrangements. Cllr Barnes claims these are cuts but it is working to cost savings Labour put in place and we are providing a disciplined street cleaning system rather than the previous targets which were never stuck to by Labour.

Whether not charging for green bins, increasing road maintenance or providing more grit and dog bins, we are delivering the council residents expect rather than Labour’s grand vanity projects.

It is all about choices. Here we are providing the best way to clean the streets given Labour’s cuts and it is an area we are investing in. If Labour hadn’t chosen a consultant on £840 a day whilst taking 200 rubbish bins or dozens of grit bins from our city residents may think Cllr Barnes had a genuine concern rather than his desire for column inches.

Cllr Barnes says the plans are secretive but he has “uncovered a copy”. Details were given at a session all councillors were invited to which was followed up with a full briefing note and copies for every single councillor of their ward. I have since briefed some parish councils and other ward residents. I will disagree with him on the definition of secret.

Chris Steward Councillor for Rural West York, Dewsbury Court, York