Sir, – I read with interest the article by Cheryl Peebles (August 20) about the Cupar North masterplan.
The residents of Cupar are only too aware that the spectre of Cupar North is looming over the horizon. We are advised that the development consortium wish us to attend another exhibition relating to their plans for the town.
The so-called masterplan purports to cover areas such as transportation, road design, flood risk and drainage. This is commendable but what the numerous objectors to Cupar North wish to be advised about are:
Will the proposed Cupar bypass be completed at an early stage in the development, or will the roads through Cupar become congested once more?
Although the consortium’s plans make provision for a primary school within the development, do they really expect Bell Baxter High School to cope with the influx of teenagers from the proposed Cupar North scheme?
Assuming that the bypass is provided at an early stage of the proposed development, will the A914 to Dundee, and indeed the Tay Bridge, be able to cope with the increased commuter traffic at peak times?
These are only a few of the points which require consideration before this plan is approved. The initial concept apparently stemmed from TAY-plan Strategic Development Planning Authority, which is based in Dundee.
I would suggest that if they require accommodation for people working in the Dundee/Perth area, then housing development on the north side of the Tay, in say the Carse of Gowrie would be more appropriate.
What then are the advantages of building 1400 houses on thenorth side of Cupar?
Precious few I wouldsuggest.
It is to be hoped that common sense will prevail and some means can be found to prevent the historic former county town of Cupar being ruined by blatant over-development, such as has occurred at the other end of Fife, in Dunfermline.
Robert I G Scott. Northfield, Ceres.
Tougher action needed on abuse
Sir, – The Catholic Church has had hundreds of years to weed out child molesters, but as recently as a decade ago they were merely moved to another parish rather than tackle the root problem.
When Cardinal Keith O’Brien was ousted, we thought things might change but not so.
The McLellan Commission, to review abuse within the Catholic Church, consisted of 11 persons of note to pontificate on this abhorence.
The Very Reverend Dr Andrew McLellan was himself a Church of Scotland minister prior to resigning to become Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector of Prisons from 2002 to 2009, only to be unusually reinstated by the Church of Scotland after his time away.
He has risen in its hierarchy and was chosen as the non-Catholic chairman of this commission.
He reports that three things will happen: ‘’First and most important, a beginning will be made to heal the hurt and address the anger that so many survivors feel.
“Second, the Catholic Church in Scotland will begin to confront a dark part of its past and find some healing for itself. Third, a significant step will be taken to restore public credibility in the Catholic Church.’’
So the Catholic Church will pour oil on those abused and on its own troubled waters. Its concern is simply for its own image.
What about actually stopping the abuse so that it will never happen again?
Malcolm Parkin. 15 Gamekeepers Road, Kinnesswood.
What’s farmers’ view of GM ban?
Sir, I refer to Derek Farmer’s letter (August 17) in which he made some valid observations on the SNP Government’s record.
The party has certainly come in for considerable criticism in the media recently with comments being made such as their lack of experience in business and finance.
Many of these seen unfair and, given time, the SNP should provide real benefits for Scotland.
I was surprised that Derek Farmer made no mention of the SNP’s ban on genetically modified crops, their claim being that it protects Scotland’s clean and green image.
The party’s stance is in conflict with advice from various scientific institutions which are in favour of GM. It would be interesting to hear the views of farmers in Dundee, Perth and the surrounding areas.
Alex McLaren. Rosslyn Cottage, Cairneyhill Road, Bankfoot.
SNP has created split in nation
Sir, – Regular readers and contributors to these columns will be bemused by the latest letter from George White of Auchtermuchty.
Mr White finds letters critical of the nationalists and independence depressing.
Recalling previous letters from Mr White and his ilk, is this another example of the pot calling the kettle black?
Was it not Alex Salmond and Nicola Sturgeon who ignited the flame that has bitterly divided our country with a hatred unlikely to be healed for generations, if at all.
RHL Mulheron. 28 Cowgate, Tayport.
Disadvantages of Pipeland
Sir, – Councillor Bryan Poole keeps quiet on Pipeland’s advantages for Madras College, despite John Birkett’s challenge (August 4).
Can I mention some disadvantages his letter omitted? Major amenity loss to the hospice and housing from car drop-offs, bleeping buses, sports field noise/light pollution, a huge drainage tank and a high biomass chimney overlooking the town.
There will be unnecessary school buses travelling through St Andrews town in conflict with , “Scotland’s Greenest County” ambition.
There would be a single access, shared by the hospital, delivery vans and emergency services.
Planning for 1,450 pupils seems low when there are plans for 2,000-plus new houses in north-east Fife and we are expecting more army families at Leuchars.
With 1,400 new houses planned in Cupar and Bell Baxter at capacity, the catchments will need redrawing. Will this mean more pupils for Madras?
Marysia Denyer. 132 Scooniehill Road, St Andrews.
Gambling with energy security
Sir, – Once again, Fergus Ewing, minister for business, energy and tourism, tries to divert attention from reality by blaming Westminster and grid transmission costs for the forthcoming closure of the Longannet power station, conveniently failing to admit that the more fundamental cause of Longannet’s closure is his own government’s electricity generation policy which focuses on the reduction of carbon emissions through extensive and ever-increasing use of renewables, primarily wind.
Wind-turbine manufacture and construction generate significant carbon emissions and do not reduce carbon emissions simply by operating but can only do this by displacing fossil-fuel generation.
Since wind generation is mandated to be given priority access to the grid, fossil-fuelled generators like Longannet are constrained off the grid when the wind is blowing.
Inevitably, as the amount of wind generation increases, fossil-fuelled plants are constrained off more often, resulting in their becoming less economic.
Two questions for Mr Ewing. Firstly, once Longannet is closed, exactly how will building ever more wind turbines achieve any further carbon reductions without coal-fired generation to displace?
Secondly, where will the back-up necessary to keep our lights on when the wind is not blowing, come from?
Certainly not fromour two ageing nuclear generators nor half agas power station at Peterhead.
A bit more openness and less obfuscation from the minister would be much appreciated.
Dr GM Lindsay. Scientific AllianceScotland, 7-9 North St David Street, Edinburgh.
Council can act when it wants
Sir, – It may seem a long way from Fife Council’s decision to buy Paywizard’s office building in the north of Kirkcaldy (August 20) to the current controversy over library closures in the region.
It certainly shows how quickly and flexibly the local authority can move if the need is great enough. Securing the jobs at the John Smith Business Park, possibly at a cost of hundreds of thousands of pounds, is to be welcomed.
The authority has worked constructively with a business partner to help make Fife’s economy more dynamic.
Why can’t it work in the same constructive way with Fife Cultural Trust and local communities to secure the future of our libraries?
The consultation process is all very well but it smacks of a tick-box approach.
I have to question the points made by education spokesman Bryan Poole in a letter in the same edition.
There is no attempt on my part to personalise this issue but the dispute over libraries should not be treated as some sort of accounting exercise between the council and the trust.
It should be seen as a chance to think outside the box and use the buildings for a variety of purposes.
This already happens to some degree but it should be explored further before closures are considered.
Many people will look at the Paywizard situation and be puzzled as to how a cash-strapped authority can suddenly find the cash to solve the problem.
It did so to help secure the future of Fife’s economy. It needs to think with the same urgency and the same innovation about how to give our libraries and our communities a viable future.
Bob Taylor. 24 Shiel Court, Glenrothes.
Have driving laws changed?
Sir, – In view of the decision by DVLA not to prosecute the driver involved in the Glasgow bin lorry crash, I always assumed that to make a false declaration on any official document was a criminal offence. Has the law been changed? If so, the floodgates are now open to abuse and false declarations.
John McDonald. 14 Rosebery Court, Kirkcaldy.