Road builders do their thing

March 25, 2000

[Once was woodland - Dowley Gap]

Work on the Bingley "Relief Road" is due to start in Spring next year, taking two and a half years to complete. The road scheme was one of six that have been brought forward, following the budget announcement last week.

But a huge swathe of woodland near Dowley Gap has already been cleared by the Highways Agency, just 3 weeks after the Agency promised local residents that the trees were safe until the Autumn at least.

Shipley Green Party member Muriel Thompson, who was at the neighbourhood forum meeting on February 3, said "I feel that this is a disgraceful act of vandalism, turning what was previously a beautiful, ecologically varied and productive woodland into, literally, a waste.

"I can see no possible justification for this action, although it might convince numbers of local people that we cannot trust a single word of Highways Agency says, particularly not their promises."

A spokesman for the Agency later apologised, blaming the government for bringing the scheme forward.

See Main Feature - The road to nowhere

Fury as Yorkshire Cable doubles local Internet charges

March 22, 2000

[Telewest - messing up its customers]

Yorkshire Cable have caused fury amongst hundreds of local Interent surfers following a surprise price rise which has seen phone bills more than double overnight. One surfer claimed he was disconnected without notice, when he unknowingly ran up a £250 bill.

Customers were encouraged to sign up with YC when it first moved into the area, with half-price charges for using local Internet Service Provider "Legend Internet".

Telewest - Yorkshire Cables parent company - insist that customers were warned in December last year, but many customers are adamant they received no such warning. The companies call centre staff are using the move as a cynical sales opportunity, telling people who complain to switch to Telewest's own new "Surf Unlimited" service instead. But this service too has caused outrage, with customers unable to connect. Telewest has been forced to pay compensation.

A spokesperson for Telewest told KDIS "May I take this opportunity to apologise for the confusion that seems to have arisen over our tariffing system.

"If the Internet Access numbers Legend uses are geographic numbers then calls to them will now be charged at 3p, 2p and 1p depending on time period with a 3.5p connection fee. If they are non-geographic numbers, for example beginning with 0845, then they will be charged at Telewest's Local Non-geo rates of 3.95p, 1.49p and 1.00p for daytime, evening and weekend respectively, again with a 3.5p call connection fee.

"The price change notification was in accordance with our contracts with customers. As this notification was approved by our legal department, we are not expecting any OFTEL interventions in our price change."

Neil Whitaker of Legend Internet said: "To be honest, we are extremely unhappy about this - YCC state they have sent leaflets outlining the new costs, but we have had a few complaints from users who have not been informed."

Join the outrage on the Legend Local Chat site
See also: Telewest

Forum boss linked to hotel companies

Mar 2, 2000

[Iain Copping and the Craiglands Hotel]

Iain Copping, the former director of Keighley Business Forum, held private interests in Hotel companies that had business dealings with the Forum. He failed to declare these interests to the Forum's management.

He was a director of "Pro-active Worldwide Ltd" through which 2 Environmental conferences were organised for Keighley Business Forum (KBF) at the Craiglands Hotel.

He was also a director of "Hotel Agenda (Reservations) Ltd" which was run from subsidised offices at KBF's Cedar House Business Centre and which also did business with KBF.

KBF and an associated environmental company NCEEM collapsed at the end of last year with debts totalling £800,000.

Former KBF Chairman Tim Parr told KDIS:

"I was obviously aware of the existence of Hotel Agenda as a tenant. I had no idea that Copping had any involvement. If what you are saying is correct, I am horrified.

"I was totally unaware of the existence of Pro-active Worldwide Ltd. I would have expected Copping to have informed the board of any involvement he had. He did not. If what you say if correct, I am most unhappy."

Iain Copping said: "I am no longer involved with Hotel Agenda and Pro Active has been dormant for nearly 2 years. Neither company made profits but Pro-active did take the risk for the 2 conferences held at the Craiglands."

See the full story: Copping the Lot
See also main feature: Raking in the Green stuff.

Super-quango takes "ownership" of 2020 Vision

March 2, 2000

[Charles Forgan]

Bradford Congress, the secretive and powerful quango that effectively runs Bradford, has been given "ownership" of the Councils much hyped "2020 Vision". The move was formally approved at a Council meeting yesterday.

The 2020 Vision plan, which is currently being drawn up, followed a massive public consultation exercise. Even KDIS made a submission. However, the current draft seems to reflect the Councils own priorities rather than anything put forward by the public.

At the same time Bradford Congress is to be "restructured and relaunched". Retiring secretary Charles Forgan has drawn up a blueprint for the new super-quango. As if to emphasise the self-selecting nature of the quango, representation from trade union and voluntary sector groups are to be downgraded.

The moves were condemned by Lib-Dem leader Cllr Jeanette Sunderland. She told the Council meeting:

"After much public involvement, the creation of interest and excitement, the engagement of people in creating a vision for their Bradford - then we hand it over to Bradford Congress because they own it.

"Well it was news to me, I've gone back and looked at the documents, no mention of Bradford Congress owning anything, not on the papers, not on the pens, not on the postcards and not on the placards hauled around the town.

"Would the people of Bradford joined in so readily if they had known is was a vision to be owned by a private group, who meet in private and keep private notes?"

See: Bradford Congress Restructuring plans
See: Councillor Sunderlands Speech
See: KDIS's 2020 submission

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