Moor facts

As is so often the case with single issue campaigners, Mr/Ms Warden has either completely missed the point or is being deliberately disingenuous. The legislation does indeed designate land used for training racehorses as expected, but only until noon, a fact, which Mr/Ms Warden is well aware of.

The article which prompted Mr/Ms Warden's letter clearly stated that the Middleham Moors are used throughout the day for the training of racehorses. She/he also ignores the safety issue to both the public and the stable staff who exercise the horses.

Also ignored is the fact that Middleham Moors are very large tracts of land and that the legislation allows for land to be accessed from any point. The simplistic idea that signs can be used is nave in the extreme. How many signs will be required and at how many points?

Middleham attracts thousands of visitors each year, many of whom enjoy walking and there are a great variety of beautiful walks, footpaths etc to choose from including footpaths on Middleham Low and High Moors. We welcome these visitors and are very happy to share our towns and villages and indeed our landscape with them but I maintain that the right to roam legislation is ill-conceived and is being very badly applied with no thought to the associated risks in this and no doubt many other cases. One size does not fit all.

Ramblers generally arrive early, taking up our very limited parking spaces, change into their walking boots etc and set off. They return in the late afternoon, change, get back into their cars and drive away.

We have no objection to ramblers, but the notion that they contribute to the local economy is nonsense. Public health is not and has never been my responsibility but I am extremely concerned about public safety.

Coun TAMMI TOLHURST

Mayor of Middleham.

Making sense

Sir, - I refer to the letters from G Parker and M Pitman. (D&S, Jan 30).

Mr/Ms Parker is right to mention use of Middleham High and Low Moors, lack of medical facilities and inadequate car parking as problems facing our community.

Mr/Ms Parker could have added streetlighting and a need for more cemetery provision as mentioned by Mr Pitman.

However, neither has referred to other important matters such as affordable housing, youth facilities, vandalism and effective policing. Contrary to what these correspondents seem to imply, Middleham Town Council has addressed and continues to address all these matters.

If Mr/Ms Parker knows of suitable land for a car park which would not meet widespread objections and which is available for purchase at a reasonable price, then the town council would be glad to hear of it.

Mr/Ms Parker is also clearly unaware that the Middleham Trainers' Association already pays for use of the moors on the basis of the number of horses using it, However, if he/she believes that this money and the small additional amount which Middleham might receive from Richmondshire District Council as a result of full council tax being charged on holiday homes will together be sufficient to build and maintain a cottage hospital or to provide and sustain a staffed day medical facility, he/she clearly has no grasp of modern economic reality.

I do not understand why Mr/Ms Parker thinks Middleham Town Council should want to stop people using the High and Low Moor and to allow Middleham Trainers' Association exclusive use. I am aghast that Mr Pitman alleges the town council is attempting, and I quote "to make it illegal for the world and his wife to step foot on Middleham Low and High Moor."

This is nonsense. There has never been any suggestion from any councillor that people on foot should be banned from the moors and exclusive use given to horses.

Middleham Town Council is simply trying to make sense of and apply the right to roam legislation for the benefit of all and it is about time damaging and' untrue allegations to the contrary ceased.

Coun MAX HOLLAND

East Witton Road,

Middleham.

Our paths policy

Sir, - Mr Leyshon is correct in his statement that North Yorkshire County Council has a statutory duty to clear obstructions from public rights of way (D&S, January 30).

However, he may not be aware that the county council adopted a policy specifically for dealing with obstructions of public rights of way on September 24, 2002 and this can be inspected on the county council website www.northyorks.gov. uk.

This policy lays down procedures for county council officers to follow when an obstruction is brought to their notice and also details time-scales for the removal to be completed.

However, Mr Leyshon's information is somewhat out of date in relation to the performance indicator. The current percentage of rights of way that are easy to use - as assessed using the prescribed inspection criteria - is 47pc.

I accept that this is not a figure to be proud of but the authority is improving its performance year by year. Under a central government initiative - The Local Public Service Agreement Scheme - the county council has agreed a target of 75pc of the network to be easy to use by April 2006.

In order to achieve this some £336,000 additional funds are being made available to the public rights of way staff to ensure that routes are of the required standard across the whole of the network.

County Coun PETER SOWRAY

Executive member for Environment, North Yorkshire County Council.

Culture - let's talk

Sir, - The first exhibition this year at the Saltburn Gallery gives us an occasion to consider the gallery's contribution to the cultural life of the area and, hopefully, to open a lively and friendly debate on the nature of its role and function.

An exhibition is, among other things, a public statement. What is the current show saying to us? We need to talk about it.

SHIRLEY FLETCHER

Lune Street, Saltburn.

C BRANNAN

Saltburn.

N KENNEDY

Gill Street, Saltburn.

S BROCKBANK

Stanhope Road, Stockton.