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Drivers voice anger at threat to Flappits
Page 20
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Part of Yorkshire's trucking heritage is threatened with
closure. David Harris reports.
THE FLAPPITS, the peculiarnamed but affectionately regarded Yorkshire parking area, that has provided drivers with a break and a meal for more than half a century, is under threat of closure.
The large lay-by on the A629 between Keighley and Brighouse. West Yorks, is regarded as irreplaceable by its regular users.
Ken Longthorne, of Hebdenbased tipper operator Longthorne & Sons, says: "I've been in business since 1959 and it was well-established when I started. It would be a hell of a loss if they shut this place. Dozens of hauliers use it, there are two cafes on the site and with the drivers' hours rules it is absolutely essential that it is kept open. The road is wide, you can see for half a mile in each direction. It's absolutely ideal and there isn't anywhere to replace it.
Mark Gelbard, a former ownerdriver who now owns a nearby landfill tip, agrees: "I go there for my dinner. It's disgraceful that Bradford City Council are even considering closing it."
A council spokeswoman would only confirm it is "considering the future of the site".