Sir, The University of St Andrews seems determined to insult local politicians and the townsfolk by pushing ahead with the appeal against the overwhelming decision to not permit the building of Kenly Windfarm at Dunino.
What does it hope to accomplish for the long term?
We well remember that Alex Salmond is a former student at the university and the current principal is an economics adviser to guess who?Yes, Alex Salmond.
This appeal will attract opprobrium not seen in our community before. It comes after the university made it impossible to build the Madras School on the pond site, favoured by many, because they demanded the council build an access road to their other properties on the North Haugh, adding £10 million or so to the cost!
This invalidates myearlier suggestion that the university should give the low-value site to the council to regain some goodwill. Quite clearly goodwill does not exist in localacademia.
Dr D King. Kinaldy House, St Andrews.
Birds sacrificed for money
Sir, I smell money behind the scandalous eight-month delay in reporting the killing of two rare hen harriers on SSE windfarms. Sure enough Googling RSPB and SSE confirms the past financial linkage between the two.
Evidently we are to sacrifice our raptors, especially golden eagles, as well as thousands of other birds for subsidy money derived from unaffordable, unreliable electricity from landscape-destroying windfarms.
Time for some sharp investigative reporting.
Stephen Grieve. 60 Nethergate, Crail.
Stop this carnage
Sir, The news that 47 people have died through drugs in Tayside this year is terrible. How long are we to allow this carnage? All addicts should be rounded up and taken to a place of safety.
Human rights people will say this is a fascist policy but it would save lives.
In contrast to the UK authorities’ appeasement and surrender to dealers the Chinese Government acts vigorously to defend its people from the misery of the drug trade. Convicted dealers there face a firing squad.
George Aimer. Kinghorne Road, Dundee.
Story needed balance
Sir, You report (December 20) that the Rev Bruce Dempsey of Coupar Angus Church is to lead the “fierce opposition” from faith groups, including the Church of Scotland, to the proposed same-sex marriage legislation.
Your article, however, says nothing of the support in the Church of Scotland for same-sex marriage from MrDempsey’s colleagues, such as the Rev David MacLachlan, of Langside Parish Church, who told one newspaper recently that theological arguments against same-sex marriage were “nonsense”, adding that he no longer felt he was in “a minority group in the Church” because so many more people were coming on board to support the Scottish Government’s proposals.
I am sure you will agree that the media has a duty in the coming weeks to present all sides of the argument in a balanced way.
As to Mr Dempsey’s implied threat to MSPs, that they risk losing their seats if they upset those opposed to such a change in the law, the same argument could be made if MSPs vote against a proposal that the majority of the electorate support, including many in the Church of Scotland.
Alistair McBay. National Secular Society, 5 Atholl Crescent, Edinburgh.
Found safe and sound
Sir, My father went missing in the Crieff area for a period on the evening of December 12.
He suffers from cognitive impairment and with temperatures falling well below freezing it was critical he was found quickly.
On behalf of my family I would like to extend our huge appreciation to the police officers (including the specialist dog handlers brought in from Dundee), the ambulance and fire services, friends and caring members of the public.
Their efforts resulted in my father being found safe and sound with only a minor injury.
I would also like to extend a personal thanks to staff at Ashdene Care, Crieff, for their initiative and prompt action in providing support to my mother at a very difficult and stressful time.
To protect their privacy I would ask you not to publish my details.
Name and addresssupplied.
Two important questions
Sir, Re the letter from Ian Lindsay of Eurowind (December 21), I would ask him to answer two questions.
Where does our power come from to cover base load when the wind doesn’t blow?
Would your company still be planning to build windfarms if there were no subsidies of any kind?
John Dorward. 89 Brechin Road, Arbroath.