Council's cobble wobble: People power delays removal of stone setts in Beverley's Saturday Market

“No doubt a Council spokesman will say they mentioned they were prepared to work out-of-hours to rip the cobbles up meaning they just wanted to keep the disruption to a minimum and most certainly not as a threat to the campaigners.
Pull the other one you slippery sidewinders. What they mean is that they now know the growing army of campaigners are prepared to stage a sit in when the bulldozers arrive and knowing the embarrassing publicity this will bring, the Council are desperate to do the dirty whilst most of them are asleep.
I can imagine Monday morning the engineer who informed Prof English that it was perfectly possible to relay the setts instead of tearing them up, being hauled in front of a ready to explode Parnaby. Maybe this new revelation, this ammunition, that actually there is a more feasible option to Mr Parnabys and Mr Leightons obsession to just destroy the cobbles, is something the campaigners ought to look into more.”

“Just like a large global company, if any of the people are not receptive to change, we will just have to bring in different people who are, people who will embrace new ideas and who do not care about nonsense such as tradition/history.

Beverley needs to change its people at a faster rate so we can more easily alter it's physical appearance. We need to inject some diversity and multiculturists there, it is not fair that just the bigger cities benefit from it.”

“No setts, please, we're British.

I remember when these setts were laid, in the 80s. They are not the original ones, instead they are similar to those depicted in early photographs. These ones came from Hull docks. I didn't like them at first, and I don't like cycling over them still, but they calm the traffic, although they are noisy. If they can be laid once, they can always be laid again if it's decided we should want them back.

I rather like the idea of having York stone, to match the pavements. The setts are in disarray anyway, and need re-laying, so I think it would be rather nice to have a change. But I don't see it as any sort of priority, nor a particularly prudent use of funds. The pavements around the market place need most urgent attention — they truly are a hazard. And the tarmac in the market place itself has been in a parlous state for years, huge puddles everywhere.

I don't think anyone's coming out of this looking particularly good, protestors and councillors both. I just hope it doesn't go to court. Remember the case in objection the development opposite the Minster? The case was lost, the development went ahead and several individuals lost a lot of money and, I'm sorry to say, quite a lot of respect.

I think the Market Place should be tarmac-ed, as it was until the Eighties. Cheap and cheerful and no-one seemed to be offended by it. I bet they'll put in speed bumps, though!”

“Did you hear the performance of Mr Leighton, this morning, on the R4 Today programme? His 'performance' about the Beverley cobbles and against preservation of our beloved Saturday Market was appallingly awful.

Is Mr Leighton really as insensitive, incompetent and uncaring as he sounded? No, I can't believe that he could be so dismissive of the cares and concerns of the people who care about beautiful Beverley and the people who live in that fine town and love it and, from further afield, those who will wish to be able to enjoy enjoy the county town - as it is.

No, I feel that Mr Leighton is merely a time-serving local government employee who lacks the courage to challenge his political master, Cllr Parnaby, on a yet another ill-thought and uncaring decision by the confidential inner cabal of ERYC.

Alas, it could be alleged that, lacking the courage to support the best interests of those who pay most into his pension fund (Council Tax payers), Mr Leighton dare not provoke the wrath of his political Dear Leader (allegedly).

Shame on you, Mr Leighton; shame on you Cllr Parnaby (yet again!)”

“It seems to me that a lot of Beverley residents are stuck in the past and wish to stay there.

And @dontwo - I'd hardly call it vandalism. Unless you want to keep it bumpy and uneven so that in the event of a trip or fall, you can claim compo! That must be the reason so many want to keep the setts - Compensation!”

“It seems to me that the people of Beverley have a lot of time on their hands.”

“I would not like my legacy to be the man who ripped up the cobbels in bevelrey what an awful epitafph and a shameful thing to be rememberd for”

“Just get rid of Parnaby and the East Riding will be a better place.”

“Hopefully, these "officers" will be genuine in their findings,and inform Mr Parnaby that IF he goes ahead with this vandalism, then the only potential future use of these setts will be for the betrayed people of Beverley to insert them where the sun dont shine in the generously proportioned part of his body. Sideways.
The only reason there seems to be a rethink is that Mr Parnaby and the others involved know full well that the majority of Beverley people will remember what he did, and will get even at the next elections. Dont think for one moment that they are listening to you, dont think they are showing they are in touch with you. Remember, Nigel Leighton, director of environment and neighbourhood services, had already decided no negotiation and {been told more like} that these cobbles were to be ripped up. The public outcry, the backlash, has caught them all on the wrong foot. They know now that hundreds of Beverley people, and visitors too ,actually like these setts and that ripping them up will carry too high a risk of consequence on their political futures.”

“When people get together and challenge the people in power, those very people will offer concessions to try and take the heat out of the protest, keep up the pressure. However I would prefer it if the designated £2.5 million was spent on the much neglected road network in the East Riding!”