DEAR oh dear there's deep dissent, sorry about the alliteration it's so tempting, and maybe not surprisingly it's about public art. Not as you may imagine the fact that it's been put up, although up to £50,000 did seem steep for the deer family currently residing on a verge on the outskirts of Bedale. There was obviously a lot of work involved though and the vast majority of the community seem to have taken the metal deer to their hearts.

Appropriately coloured pom poms appeared when the Tour de Yorkshire came to town, and Christmas time and Valentine's Day has seen them positively festooned. No it's not the fact of them that's the problem it's the placing that seems an issue. Spectator has heard mention from disgruntled residents that they're in the wrong place.

Initially apparently they were going to have pride of place in the middle of the huge roundabout which marks the Bedale bypass. However Highways were concerned about road safety and deer distraction.Well that doesn't hold much water with locals who regularly see drivers and car occupants craning necks, and occasionally swerving to get a good look at the rather appealing family gathering.

Coupled with the issue that the roundabout itself is not a vision of beauty deer deployment could be desirable.

SPECTATOR also sees consultants reckon, at a cost of £29,000, that ground source heat pumps for leisure centres at Northallerton, Bedale, Stokesley and Thirsk are not a good idea. Hambleton is now calling on the Government for more support for authorities pursuing renewable schemes, perhaps spreading the word on what the findings are around other councils would be a good move too, as well as potentially saving consultants all that hard work.