Sir, – As both a geographer and a planner, I have long argued that Dundee’s boundaries were a lot more sensible from 1975 to 1995 when they encompassed a much greater area known as Dundee District.
The Conservative Secretary of State for Scotland, prior to the Scottish Parliament, cut those boundaries back to their present straitjacket in 1996, and thereby returned settlements that are evidently full of Dundonians, to Angus.
The lack of sense in this is now underlined by the Level 3 Covid restrictions which see Longforgan, Invergowrie, Liff, Birkhill, Bridgefoot, Tealing, Wellbank, new housing just north east of Whitfield, East Barnhill, and Monifieth, all put in a different Covid zone from Dundee, when their residents are part of the city in every other sense, and in at least one case the boundary runs down the middle of a residential street.
Much the same could be said about Newport, Wormit and Tayport which are actually even closer to Dundee city centre than many of the places already mentioned.
The residents of these places are advised only to come into Dundee for essential purposes and Dundee people are told not to patronise businesses in these “Angus” settlements.
It is evident that most of what the people from the Dundee hinterland need for their lives to function well, involves essential journeys into the city.
If you need essential access to the city, are you not a Dundonian?
For the sensible organisation of a wide range of services but particularly including education, public transport, and waste disposal, Dundee needs wider boundaries, which would also give hinterland residents a vote on what happens in the city of which they are largely a part.
Gordon Fleming.
St Nicholas Place,
Dundee.
War on obesity would also save lives
Sir, – As Alex Bell says (‘Covid policy has taken us down hugely damaging route which makes no sense’, Courier, October 29) we’re always dying from preventable causes.
The UK Intensive Care National Audit and Research Centre found three-quarters of critically ill Covid patients were overweight or obese.
I wonder how many Scottish Covid, and other deaths, would have been avoided if, in her 10 years as Scottish health and first minister, Nicola Sturgeon could have saved if she had daily televised brefings on healthy diets and recipes.
Thousands, I’ll wager.
Allan Sutherland.
Willow Row, Stonehaven.
UK’s munificence is part of the problem
Sir, – I am aghast at the recent sea tragedy when two adults and their children were lost at sea when their overcrowded boat capsized, and that others are missing, presumed dead, all in their quest to reach Britain.
It would seem there are a number of factors at play.
Firstly the blatant disregard for life which is led by the thirst to make money at all costs by people smugglers.
Secondly the now well recognised fact of the French turning a blind eye upon such boats, clearly heading towards our country, and thirdly the need, determination and indeed ability to acquire large amounts of money, in this case £21.000, to the smugglers for the journey.
However lastly and importantly we have to question if Britain’s over generous benefit system and munificence are heavily contributory facts in the ever increasing sea voyages made, and potential tragedies such as in cases like these.
David L Thomson.
Laurence Park,
Kinglassie.
Childish freedoms have been lost
Sir, – I have an impression, due to the corona advice and the unending government proposals on how we should behave, that we have lost the freedom we had as children.
Many things we did are now illegal: sliding on ice in the playground, going to pick potatoes on a tractor trailer, cycling without a helmet, climbing trees. I could go on.
But not allowing my mum to smack me takes the biscuit.
Have politicians lost the plot or am I just losing my marbles?
A A Bullions.
Glencairn Crescent, Leven.
