Andy Burnham must not forget rural areas in his devolution drive - Yorkshire Post Letters

From: Nick Tennant, Park Croft, Gargrave, Skipton.

Cities like Manchester should not be the only beneficiaries of the new Prime Minister's welcome drive to devolve power from London (‘Burnham vows on communities as Labour chief’, July 18).

Isolated, more rural communities, such as my hometown of Earby in the Pennines, also deserve to have their voice heard. They have been overlooked by Whitehall for decades, located far from most decision makers' home turf.

In 1970, Westminster axed our Skipton to Colne rail service, despite, even, Dr Beeching advocating its retention. At a fraction of the cost of HS2, the missing link's reinstatement - just 12 miles could - quickly and cost effectively boost rail connectivity across the north and kickstart growth in some of the country's most deprived boroughs.

In 1974, despite its deep Yorkshire heritage, civil servants in the capital also shunted West Craven into Lancashire, a change still not accepted by many locals.

Now, again at central government's behest, our local authority, Pendle, is to be merged with four other cash-strapped councils as far away as Blackburn. It makes little sense.

For Earby currently, power seems to be getting more remote, not closer.