It’s full circle as Bank reinvents the wheel

I WAS reminded of the principle of reinventing the wheel by the news (Yorkshire Post, December 19) that the Bank of England is to introduce plastic pound notes, a very practical form of currency we enjoyed using on a family holiday to the Isle of Man some 30 years ago.

It is a good move, but should the bank be sounding quite so pleased with themselves 
after taking 30 years to catch 
up?

Last week, you featured yet another worthy report concerning the cost to the economy and the environment of traffic congestion on commuter routes into our major cities including Leeds – a regular 
event that is absolutely true 
and totally useless because, 
like all the other reports on this topic, it will be completely ignored.

Suburban dwellers have to live with the results of over-development and the congestion report told what we already know, so why is it that national development companies 
are allowed to accumulate massive land banks, eliminate local builders and use 
their substantial assets to intimidate local councils?

Developers make no secret of wishing to build only 
highly profitable developments on green fields and have no interest in assisting in much-needed urban regeneration, 
but this attitude is clearly 
against the public interest 
and should be opposed and 
not encouraged by 
Government.

Once the current politicians and builders have dismantled the present green belt, set up in the 1950s to prevent urban sprawl and encourage urban regeneration, will we then see another set of politicians in the future claiming credit for re-inventing it?