Regarding your article about the inconvenience of the closure (by flood) of the A65 at Menston, it might reasonably have been expected, I think, that having had the road blocked, a car winched out and the emergency services in attendance, Bradford Council would have cleared the drains on the A65 to prevent this happening again, particularly as more heavy rain is forecast for the coming week.

However, I have walked the length of Burley Road, from The Fox roundabout to the turning into Endor Crescent, and it is apparent that only the half dozen drains and gullies immediately adjacent to the flooding have been cleared.

Of about 50 remaining gullies on that stretch of the A65, only three or four are clear on the southern side of the road, and only two on the northern side, which means that 90 per cent of the drainage built into that road – presumably for a good reason – is operationally ineffective.

As they haven’t cleared the accumulation of leaves, and they can’t get into the drains on the higher stretches of the road, it follows that all will be washed into the few drains which have been cleared, and the consequences are foreseeable. So, when it rains again, we can expect it to flood again.

Bradford Council knows that Menston, being built on the side of Rombalds Moor, is at risk of flooding as water tries to find its way from the top of the moor to the River Wharfe.

They are in possession of a geological report from the developers who want to build on Derry Hill and Bingley Road which states that the area is unsuitable for housing and unsustainable because of underground springs and water sources.

They have been given a Flood Risk report from the UK’s leading drainage engineers which says the fields on which they want to build flood regularly and will continue to flood, and houses built there will be at risk of flooding, as will others downstream, by displacement of water.

Yet, they passed the planning permission without allowing councillors sight of the evidence. The moorside around Menston acts as a natural reservoir to slow the water, and filters it through the vegetation. As it forms ponds in the fields, the rate of flow of the water is slowed.

If the fields were not performing this function, the water would race down the moorside at maximum rate of flow, and would inevitably flood the A65 and the Otley bypass to a greater extent than it currently does, and it would place at risk all the housing to the northern and western side of Menston. What’s wrong with these people that they can’t see the obvious? The reason the fields in Menston have remained open fields for all these years is that the previous generations of planners knew the situation and took account of the facts.

We’ve now got people in so-called authority who either don’t know or don’t care.

Alan D Elsegood, vice-chairman, Menston Community Association, Menston

There’s an alternative to a Guiseley parish council

I was originally going to write this as from Coun Pat Latty (who will seek re-election in May) but of course most people realise that Pat is not in any way a political animal.

She is a brilliant local councillor who makes a good job doing things for local people, things that people want and need; politics as such does not motivate her. So, these are my thoughts, but ones which Coun Pat fully supports.

Mr David Bowe is currently busying himself with trying to obtain sufficient (about 1,000) signatures to ask Leeds to facilitate the formation of a Guiseley Parish Council. Although I would support the people of Guiseley should they really wish to have such a body, I would like to discuss this and suggest an alternative.

Mr Bowe wants a Guiseley Parish but does not say what his Guiseley is. Does it include Hawksworth, High Royds or Queensway? What boundary does he set?

Many years ago I tried to get people interested in an Aireborough Parish Council, and I still think that if we have to have a Parish Council, an Aireborough one might be more sensible. Leeds has designated Aireborough as a ‘Housing Market Characteristic Area’ and when you think about it, so it is.

I am not aware of any in-depth consultation on Mr Bowe’s part. He has not held wide consultations, he has not even talked to the Neighbourhood Forum, who did widely consult before taking the steps necessary to be accepted by Leeds as representative of local opinion Should he obtain the required number of signatures and it comes to Leeds consulting with residents, businesses and public bodies within Guiseley, seeking to confirm he is representing the views of a majority, and that that majority understands the exact boundary of the parish he proposes, it could well be thrown out.

I am on record as saying that whilst I would support a Parish if that was what people wanted, I believe the emerging Aireborough Neighbourhood Forum, a totally non-political body, is better placed to do the things that matter. To help plan the future shape of Aireborough.

There is no reason why such a Forum could not, should people still want to elect Parish and pay a precept on their council tax, become the basis for an elected body. That way you would be electing people from all walks of life; people who are not that interested in politics.

Most, if not all of what a parish could do can already be done by we Leeds city councillors. We are, though, only three and that means we get a bit stretched from time to time.

To sum up, I am saying, think carefully before you commit to something you might not need, something you could get without paying a premium, and something that would be truly local. Something you are going to get anyway in the shape of the Neighbourhood Forum.

If at the end of the day you choose to try for a Parish then I and my colleagues will support you all the way. Let’s just be sure it is what will be good for all of us.

Councillor Graham Latty, Conservative Chief Whip, Shadow Spokesman Health and Adult Social Care

A neighbourhood forum has had excellent support

There is a petition, being circulated by David Bowe, of the Guiseley and Rawdon Labour Party, asking for a referendum on a Guiseley Town Council. But before considering signing it, there is something the people of Guiseley should be aware of.

Very soon the Aireborough Neighbourhood Forum (ANF) will apply to Leeds City Council for designation, following nearly two years of preparation and consultation.

The ANF, as a fully constituted neighbourhood forum, will be bound by law, the Localism Act of 2011, to faithfully represent the opinions of local people from all walks of life, who live, work or have a business in the area of Aireborough to Leeds City Council.

The ANF has to be non-political representing the views of all local people, who do not have a Parish or Town Council, to Leeds City Council without political bias.

The ANF’s accepted area nomination includes Hawksworth, Highroyds, Guiseley and Yeadon and the people of these areas, who completed an ANF survey in 2013, were overwhelmingly in favour of Aireborough and standing together to make decisions for the future of the places they had always shared and enjoyed.

They expressed strong, informed views and opinions on housing development, public transport, employment, education, medical services, leisure facilities and green belt development.

After research to find supporting evidence, the ANF took those views to the Leeds City Planners, the builders and developers and the Government Inspector, who examined plans that Leeds City Council had (their core strategy and development framework) for future development in Aireborough and the views were all respected and properly noted.

The ANF has had excellent support from all the various locally elected councillors who helped at meetings, advising on procedures, financial support and publicity.

Our MPs have represented the ANF in Parliament, asked questions on our behalf and publicised the ANF.

If Guiseley decides to have its own Town Council, it will lose the support of the ANF, all the work done so far will be wasted and Aireborough, the heart taken out of it, will be fragmented.

Guiseley, without the strength in numbers it presently has to push for local needs and decisions will stand alone, as will Highroyds, Hawksworth and Yeadon.

If the petition obtains 1,000 signatures, at a time when every penny must be carefully counted, Leeds City Council will have to spend the ratepayers’ hard-earned money to consult everyone.

With our local elections due in May, is now is the right time for all this upheaval? I feel such important decisions should be given a great deal of thought and research to find out all about the implications and consequences.

Christine Schofield, Aireborough Neighbourhood Forum

Diocese is considering the development of small plot

With reference to your story on December 24 (‘Church U-turn on bid to build on Scout land in Guiseley’) I would like to clarify some points.

The Diocese of Bradford is considering developing a small part of church glebe land in Guiseley.

The development of this plot was agreed in principle in 2011 with the Scouts and Guides who meet on the next door plot of glebe land (which is not involved in the planning application). At that time we entered into a 20-year lease with them to give them security of tenure and this arrangement continues exactly as agreed.

The next door plot of land was reserved for proposed development and, until planning applications were ready to be drawn up, the Diocese agreed temporary access to this next door plot on an interim basis and at no charge (until the completion of work on the neighbouring vicarage site).

Rather than wanting to ‘keep it quiet’, the proposed development of the site has been public knowledge for the last three years.

The recent planning application was withdrawn because it erroneously indicated that this plot of land was ‘not being used’.

This will be corrected in a revised planning application and we apologise for the consternation it caused.

The Diocese greatly values the Scouts’ and Guides’ contribution to the community and their association with St Oswald’s Parish Church.

We regret the misunderstandings over this issue and as we try to balance our different responsibilities in the management of this land, we are in touch with the leaders of the Scouts and Guides to listen to their concerns and to see how we can continue to support them.

As with all our parishes, the Diocese is committed to serving Guiseley for many years to come and to deepening the partnership between the church and the wider community.

The Venerable David Lee, Archdeacon of Bradford Kirkgate, Shipley