Sir. - I was amused to see the exaggerated claims of the design team responsible for the new Yorkshire Dales National Park Office at Bainbridge (D&S, August 1).

Talk about "historical pastiches, moving the park into the future, taking local people with them" is but a demonstration of turning spin into "sexing up".

It will bring an ironic smile to those planning applicants who have been knocked back by the park for even daring to stray one inch from traditionalism, by including in their designs, for example, plastic windows, that modern everyday necessity in our harsh Dales climate.

When the hype reaches the suggestion that "Bainbridge will be put on the map" by the arrival of this gimmicky building straight out of Teletubbyland, I feel it is necessary to remind the team that what actually puts Bainbridge on the map is its wonderful village green set in the beautiful landscape of Upper Wensleydale, all of which has been around for more than 500 years before the national park was even mooted, and all of which has been shaped, cared for and nurtured entirely by the natural instincts of generations of local people.

Burying the meeting rooms in a bunker underground is highly offensive to their efforts, and to those who try on a daily basis to involve the outstanding scenery and superb lifestyle of the dales in a quest to attract footloose entrepreneurs to establish or expand businesses to increase the prosperity and quality employment prospects of a dales economy that, because of the continuing decline in agriculture, faces an uncertain future.

It is more than possible that one of these entrepreneurs might have had their interest awakened by sitting in a planning committee meeting at the park (which go on for hours) enjoying the lovely view from the window of the meeting room, but instead they just might as well be in Central London in the basement of a high-rise building looking at four blank walls.

Recently, a local businesswoman told me that an individual from well beyond the dales had made a major investment in her business because "he could not resist being involved in an enterprise with such a lovely view". If this is not to be another opportunity lost by the park of promoting the best interests of local people, then please provide the meeting rooms with windows, or why not incorporate the rooms within a conventional lean-to extension of which there are thousands of examples in the Dales?

Coun JOHN BLACKIE

County Councillor, The Upper Dales

Market Place,

Hawes

Mart protest

Sir, - Fifteen years ago we moved into a bungalow in St James Drive - a perfect retirement home. Within weeks of moving in, a caravan was parked on the drive of the house opposite, completely depriving us of the view down the cul-de-sac from our only window at the front.

Nothing could be done. There was no bye-law to help, nothing in the deeds to prevent this happening, from the planners "very sorry, but...".

Now, right out of the blue, we hear the auction mart is to be moved into the next field. How quiet this has been kept!

No-one I have spoken to knew anything about it, except the few who had letters from Hambleton planning.

We wish to protest most strongly.

The traffic will be awful. It is bad enough now at the top of St James Drive. We understand there is to be floodlighting, slurry facilities, and the noise generally. The smell is bad enough now when slurry is being dealt with, but that is only occasionally. How much worse is it going to be in the future, when it is a permanent fixture?

JOHN & PAULINE WALKER

St James Drive,

Northallerton.

Holes plea

Sir, - May I make a plea that there should be a moratorium on the digging up of the A684, particularly the area between Bedale and Leeming bar. The endless holes and trenches which are dug and filled in leads to resurfacing at a later date, which again leads to hold-ups.

I have no doubt that this subject has been raised by other people in the past, but no improvement appears to be in sight.

D R THOMAS

West Scrafton

Leyburn

Thirsk In Bloom

Sir, - I would like to tell you about the "Thirsk in Bloom" team of ladies. They have enhanced the appearance of Thirsk in all directions. The town has beautiful displays of flowers and plants, in all types of interesting containers, so very colourful and striking.

I am sure all residents get great pleasure from their inspiring ideas and hard work, and would like to thank them all, and wish them luck in any future competitions.

GEORGINA DAVEY

Sowerby,

Thirsk