Sir, – People who are against the creation of a new Madras College at Pipeland, St Andrews, should at least stick to proper reasons and not some of the spurious ones they continually trot out.
For example C. Finnie (April 25) pointed out there will be no facilities for golf.
This is a new one on me. I am not aware of any state school in Scotland that provides such a facility but if there is, it would be interesting to know. Any person who knows anything about golf coaching would know that due to safety, extra staff would be required which I would imagine would be unaffordable.
Children swinging clubs back and forward is a clear safety risk.
Madras pupils who live in St Andrews get free golf on St Andrews courses, except the Old and Castle Courses.
Pupils elsewhere in north-east Fife are afforded a similar advantage with a very modest fee of £30 annually.
This is generous by any standard.
I have no doubt that St Michaels, Drumoig and Scotscraig allow junior membership. There is also free coaching from St Andrews Links Junior Golf Association.
Even if golf was a consideration in schools, given the foregoing, it would surely be over the top to expect such a facility at Pipeland.
I turn to the use of the facilities at the university by school pupils. This is a delusion during university terms.
Then there is the argument about building a school next to a hospital.
I believe that some people who now use this as an excuse for not building the school at Pipeland objected to the building of the hospital, in the first place.
St Andrews, is a beautiful place to stay but had this situation occurred anywhere else in Fife, the school would have been as good as built.
R Thomson. 35 Lindsay Gardens, St Andrews.
School pupilsdisadvantaged
Sir, – Over the past couple of weeks there have been several letters from people, including from David Middleton and John Birkett, opposing Fife Council’s decision to build a replacement for the current Madras College at the Pipeland Farm site to the south of St Andrews.
In his most recentletter Mr Middleton stated: “Contrary to Fife Council’s assertions, much more suitable sites are available.”
I was intrigued by Mr Middleton’s statement and I wrote to him on the day his letter waspublished, asking if he could advise me of the sites he had in mind.
At the time of writing I haven’t received a reply from Mr Middleton and, given that he has had a fortnight to reply, I believe it is not unreasonable to conclude that he has been unable to come up with any sites that are available and suitable other than Pipeland.
That is the conclusion that Fife Council arrived at some time ago, as did the Scottish Government and, of course, following the judicial review, Lord Doherty concluded that Fife Council had followed due process and were entitled to arrive at their decision.
So, given that Mr Middleton is unable to come up with an alternative site, why I wonder are St Andrews Environmental Protection Association proceeding with an appeal against Lord Doherty’s judgment?
My appeal to theSTEPAL directors would be to step back.
Fife Council has exhausted its site search. There is no other site that is available and suitable to build the replacement for Madras College that Fife Council would want.
All the current action will achieve is further delay and further costs for STEPAL and Fife Council. But the biggest losers will be the current generation of youngpeople.
Bryan Poole. Councillor and education portfolio holder, Fife Council.
Church’s role in community
Sir, – I have been an elder of the church for almost 50 years.
I accept that membership of the church and attendances at public worship have fallen over recent years.
But the Church of Scotland still seeks to serve every parish in Scotland.
Many ministers and elders serve on committees and contribute to organisations and activities in their local communities, outwith the church.
Many churches now have pastoral care committees and the people on these committees are there to support people through difficult situations.
Again, they are there for anybody in the community, not just church members.
Thomas Michie. 93 Main Street, Kinglassie.
God created perfect beings
Sir, – In reply to Howard Evans (April 24), the answer to his question, did God create gay people, is simple. I cannot understand why he has not had an answer before.
God did not create ‘gay’ people. If you read the creation account, you will see that God created two perfect human beings to complement each other.
Only after Adam’s original sin did mankind fall into ways that God did not plan for them.
Mr L. Morrison. 8 Nursery Park Caravan Site, Nursery Lane, Brechin.
Montenegro can manage
Sir, – Those who insist that Scotland is too small to govern itself should consider Montenegro, a sovereign state with only 620,000 inhabitants from which I have recently returned from recuperation from a chest infection.
Despite its size, Montenegro has four national daily newspapers and two television channels and it was a pleasure to read papers and watch TV without having to see or hear David Cameron.
I can speak enough Serbian to get by but those who only speak English can get by in the country.
It is best to visit during the temperate seasons of spring and autumn because it does get very hot at the height of the summer.
Those who like to get their passports stamped will be delighted. Serbia, Montenegro and Albania all stamped my new passport on arrival.
Robin Ball. 27 Morgan Street, Dundee.
Availability of parking
Sir, – I hesitate to get drawn into an invidious dispute with Bob Hutchison (April 25) but my comment on Glenrothes parking did refer to disabled parking, which is normally free in Scotland, with the odd exception like the already mentioned Newton Stewart and Ninewells in Dundee, even if you park outwith a disabled space.
Laurie Richards. 100 Crail Road, Cellardyke.
Economic amnesia
Sir, – What short memories we have.
Five years ago we voted out of office the Labour Party because of the economic mess the United Kingdom was in, partly caused by the high spending and borrowing of that party.
Now there appears to be great enthusiasm for the SNP, which has even higher spending andborrowing plans than Labour.
When will we ever learn?
Hugh Laidlaw. North Lodge, Monimail, Cupar.
An end to UK divide and rule
Sir, – With recent statements like “we can’t have a Scottish tail wagging the English dog” it is clear that some Westminster MPs can’t stomach the thought that for the first time since the 1707 Union of Parliaments, the Scots could have a genuine say in the running of the United Kingdom.
But what does that say about the UK parties and their Scottish branch offices?
It says that from an English perspective they are insignificant, ineffectual and can be treated with disdain and ignored as an irrelevance. In canine terms, the tail can be docked.
Until now, splitting Scottish voters across two or three UK parties played into the hands of Westminster but that system has now run its course.
Voters now realise that for Scotland to have a proper say in the running of the UK there has to be a genuinely Scottish party with large number of seats.
Roy Bertram. Laigh Croft, Kemnay.
Scots put wind up Westminster
Sir, – The Liberal Democrats claim to be true to the principles of their party, yet Nick Clegg states that he will not accept the democratic wish of the Scottish electorate if they dare to vote for the SNP.
Has he trashed his democratic credentials?
From Labour, Gordon Brown and Jim Murphy are ranting about a second independence referendum which nobody, let alone the SNP, are promoting.
Is this to influence the choice of government in the same way they diverted the independence referendum with further devolution promises which were not on the ballot paper?
And what of the Tories?
Are David Cameron and Ruth Davidson really telling us that the Scottish electorate are not mature enough to make decisions at Westminster?
The last time Scotland had Westminster this panicked was when Prince Charlie’s Jacobite army reached Derby.
Brian Rattray. 124/2 Gylemuir Road, Corstorphine, Edinburgh.
Norway wealth no small beer
Sir, – I fully understand why supporters of London rule get twitchy if anyone dares point to the continued success of our Nordic cousins. It is an embarrassment to the unionist clique that they manage to do so without a larger neighbour’s broad shoulders to take the strain.
The irony is that if through some historical quirk, the Norwegian economy had come under London control, the same arguments used against Scottish aspirations would be have been deployed against Norway.
A similarly empowered and successful Scotland would be even more of an embarrassment to the self-serving denizens of the Mother of all Parliaments.
This would no doubt lead to English voters wondering how their poor, previously subsidised neighbour was achieving so much.
There is an alarming disparity between the quality of life in Norway and Scotland.
Beer may be expensive at £6 a pint but Norwegians have a high level of disposable income.
If having a higher standard of living for everyone in Scotland results in higher beer prices shouldn’t we consider that a price worth paying?
Ken Clark. 335 King Street, Broughty Ferry.