Saving our clock tower would mean so much

I FEEL very strongly about the preservation of the iconic Lockwood clock tower Huddersfield building and have sent the following letter to all Huddersfield Councillors.

Thank you to the Examiner for highlighting the Council’s proposed demolition of it, I hope it’s not too late to save it as suggestion was demolition was fairly imminent.

I at least feel, as a local, I have had a chance to put a view forward. The letter was as follows: ‘Dear Councillor, ‘It was with dismay I read of the proposal to go back on the sensible Council agreement on saving the historic and beautiful Lockwood Clock Tower for future generations of Huddersfield residents to enjoy and admire.

‘Some nonsense has been spoken about creating more space and some nonsense about leaving a rotting building...Why not knock down part of Buckingham Palace to create a bigger garden but that analogy?

‘It is a sound, watertight structure which has stood for over 120 years and can easily with some little maintenance stand for a century more...to knock down to save costs is absurd.

‘No resident of Huddersfield wants to lose it, so why are the Council as our representatives considering it?

‘Please do the right thing and do all you can to save it for Huddersfield town as part of OUR heritage.

‘Thank You.’ MR Martinek may, for a change, have it right (Examiner, January 30) .

If we have the Brexit he describes, we could end up with the EU in the driving seat “for years to come”, with the UK unable to influence future developments.

This is completely different from the situation prior to the EU Referendum when our government had a say in EU decisions.

Extremist Leavers may not have liked those decisions, but the arrangements gave us firm trading arrangements, human rights and immigration policies that supported British economic activity, civilised industrial relations and British services.

We must hope Mr Martinek is wrong and the government is able to negotiate arrangements that carry the same benefits as present EU membership.

This is looking increasingly unlikely.

That is partly because the EU has not proved to be the pushover Leavers expected.

It is also because Leavers’ negotiating positions have been unrealistic.

Most of them have had to be abandoned in the face of reality.

It would be ironic if we ended up with the kind of arrangement with Europe that the Leavers mistakenly thought already existed but with this country having lost all influence.

Perhaps surprisingly, the EU would like us to retain our position in Europe.

It would be good for democracy and increase our influence in a troubled world. We have not left yet. It might just be simpler and more beneficial to go back to where we started and work to improve the EU from within.

That would remove the likelihood of our becoming poorer and offer real hope for the future.

It would also be a mature recognition of the world as it exists, not as some would like it to be.

There are different ways in which this could happen but does the government have the confidence and ability to act in the national interest?

Unfortunately, the signs are not encouraging.