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Comment

WITH the best will in the world, it is hard to see how Leeds City Council can continue to justify its unilateral decision to fence off the River Wharfe at Otley.

Firstly, it was claimed that the coroner at an inquest into a Roundhay Park drowning had recommended fencing off the river This subsequently turned out not to be the case.

Then it was said that the city council had no choice but to erect a fence because of recommendations contained in a report from the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents. If they didn't, said councillors, they could lay themselves open to legal action. However, as pointed out elsewhere on this page by the Wharfemeadows Action Group, this report was flawed because it was based on a legal ruling that had been overturned four years ago.

The next reason given by the city council was that it was contained in legal advice given to the council by counsel. Not only has this turned out to be completely untrue, with no mention in the legal advice about fencing off the river, counsel does refer to the flawed RoSPA report and the inaccurate claim about the coroner at the Roundhay inquest. It is still unclear what action the council is required to take and the fact that a fence has alreday been erected is a disgrace.

Unfortunately it is symptomatic of policy being made from afar, a consequence of centralisation. Councillors who are not answerable to the electorate in Otley, and who have no feelings or connections with the town, are treating its residents with disdain and making decisions at total odds with the wishes of the townsfolk.

The same has happened with Wharfedale Hospital, where health chiefs in Leeds have ridden roughshod over local residents by closing wards without even telling them.

Health warning: Centralisation is bad for you.

10:39am Thursday 20th December 2007

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