Local lesson in lockdown
From: Steve McGivern, Lealholm.
WE will all have learnt different things during the pandemic and subsequent lockdown.
One thing that became absolutely obvious is the value of local shops and stores when supermarkets failed to meet the demands of doorstep deliveries.
Seeing these shopkeepers working all hours to meet demands for essentials leads me to hope that people remember these efforts. Many are already under huge pressure due to second home and holiday lets where visitors arrive fully stocked for the week, as well as the continuing expansion of click and deliver. Perhaps the old slogan of ‘‘a dog is for life, not just Christmas’’ could be adapted to ‘‘local shops are for always and not just for global pandemic lockdown’’ – or next time they will simply not be there.
From: John Wade, Harrogate.
THERE is now a road block on Leeds Road, Harrogate, for the next six or more weeks.
This will cause serious traffic hold-ups, delays, frustration but, more important, loss of business.
The town centre and Leeds Road shops have been wrecked by the pandemic, the town centre badly affected by parking fees, and now, just when we may expect to see an improvement, the roads are closed or blocked.
One seriously wonders why our councillors, elected to promote Harrogate, allow this, and even whether there is a plan to wreck the town.
I am sure I am not alone in being appalled.
From: Derek Hirst, Halifax.
WHAT on earth are our councillors thinking about? With our shops and businesses struggling to survive in these straightened times, they decide to add two more hours to the parking limits and to include them on Sundays.
Surely it would have made more sense to allow us more time to visit town centres to help with the recovery of our economy instead of imposing more restrictions, and now to include every day of the week?
Common sense has gone out of the window.