CROOK CARNIVAL

CONGRATULATIONS to the Crook Town Carnival committee for providing the residents with a magnificent day of entertainment last Saturday. I understand that attendance was slightly up on last year and considering the weather that we had had in the previous week, we were fortunate it took place at all.

A couple of worrying points for next year, Crook's 90th carnival, and the recent problems that have impacted on this year's County Durham Show - policing costs and the charges incurred to close roads. This kind of cost will have a huge impact on villages and towns across the county and force many events like this to end. It will be a shame for communities and it's something which everyone should be aware of.

As next year is the 90th carnival, I would hope that organisations, both official and community-based, will be able to work together and produce the best event for the town.

It will also be Festival Week, the week prior to the carnival and the Crook Community Partnership will be holding an event on the first Saturday to help "book-end" the week.

Once again, congratulations to all involved in the organisation and running of this year's carnival. - Andrew Hall, chairman of Crook Community Partnership.

WASTE OF TIME

With reference to your report about Ravensworth Homes being given planning permission for 20 homes in Milton Street, Crook (Echo, July 4). I believe it a waste of time any member of the public objecting to a planning application put before the Wear Valley District Council development control committee as members seem to have already made a decision and everybody concerned is merely attending just to rubber-stamp the document.

I objected to this application at the meeting on July 2. I expect councillors to listen to, and take action upon, comments and complaints that are raised, but this did not occur.

It is plain to see that the public are a minor part of the process of gaining planning permission for any development and developers take precedence.

It is not all about providing affordable housing in relation to targets, just look at the amount of houses for sale in and around Crook, it is about landowners and developers making money while depriving the public of another piece of open land and cutting our precious green environment.

Councillors may be right in saying they have a legal obligation to approve this application. They also have a moral obligation to the public who put them where they are. - Des Murphy, Crook