Sir, – I was somewhat surprised to read that housing developer John Stephen is making accusations about misleading information being peddled about the clearly unwanted further development in Scone until a further bridge is actually built.
I fail to see what is misleading about the effect that any such development is bound to have, namely, the substantial increase in traffic pollution through Bridgend and Atholl Street.
Another consequence will be the detrimental removal of precious greenbelt land and woods with the inevitable destruction of wildlife and the overburdening of the educational and medical establishments in Scone to the point of complete inability to provide the services required.
Last December you published a letter of mine about a rather misleading advertisement in a Sunday newspaper endeavouring to sell houses in an existing (and ever growing) development in Scone.
Part of the advertisement stated these new houses are “only a stone’s throw from Scone town centre and 10 minutes from the bustling city of Perth”.
I went on to write that having lived in Scone for 31 years I had always believed it to be a village.
It does not have a town centre and what was more misleading was the 10 minutes from Perth.
The bus timetables (even with the benefit of a bus lane) state that the journey is about 15 minutes to the centre of Perth. During school-term time, the rush hour can result in a journey of more than 30 minutes.
Add a sprinkling of snow, for some obscure reason, and the journey regularly takes 50 minutes or more in my own experience.
Can you guess who the local developer was?
John D Ridley.
Spoutwells Drive,
Scone.
Stop pandering to drug addicts
Sir, – I was sitting in the waiting area of my GP surgery the other morning when a male entered and started talking to the receptionist.
He was obviously a person who was no stranger to illegal substances and, in a loud voice, told all and sundry that he had a carer.
He quickly explained that his carer was his partner and that he was his partner’s carer.
Now some people, I am sure, myself included, cannot help wondering how someone who allegedly can’t look after themselves, can look after their partner and vice versa.
I can assure you that this is not an isolated case.
It happens all the time and we, the tax-paying public are paying for drug addicts to be paid a lot of money to be carers for other drug addicts.
You can also imagine what all this extra money is spent on.
It certainly is not on get well cards for their partner as this would kill the golden goose.
What I want to know is why no one in the Department for Work and Pensions does anything about this situation?
I used to work a 45-hour week and had less to spend than these parasites once I had all my deductions taken off.
For goodness sake, let’s stop treating these people, who caused their own problems by choosing to take drugs, as if they were special cases.
After all, there are plenty of unpaid carers out there who deserve that money, but do not claim it as they really do care for their relatives and not the cash.
Steve Hainey.
26 Seaforth Crescent,
Broughty Ferry.
Litter lesson must be taught
Sir, – I read with interest and approval the impeccably reasoned letter from your correspondent on the lack of enforcement of existing laws.
In a similar vein, I would like to draw attention to the food containers discarded casually along the length of Perth Road, Dundee, each lunchtime as Harris Academy pupils consume their lunches on the return journey from the local shops.
On moving to this location a few years ago, I was astonished to witness a council employee with a plastic bag following in the wake of the pupils and seagulls, cleaning up the mess of litter these children left in the street.
No doubt both will be in attendance once again now that the rebuilt school has opened.
In addition to the unnecessary cost to the public purse, this unenforced law against dropping litter misses an opportunity to teach our children a valuable lesson in respect for their environment and their community.
F Dobson.
394E Perth Road,
Dundee.
We must cut nation’s deficit
Sir, – I have to ask if Ken Clark (September 1) has actually sourced and read the 2015-16 GERS report or has he based his challenge to my earlier letter on an article on a fundamentalist SNP- supporting website which echoes his letter’s content? He is seemingly unaware that the GERS report is made in Scotland in that it is prepared by Scottish Government statisticians in Edinburgh, issued by the Scottish Government and its constituent parts have been modified over the years by the Scottish Government. It has nothing to do with Westminster.
Perhaps Mr Clark didn’t notice that during the 2014 independence referendum, the GERS report was referred to regularly by the Yes campaign and was used to develop some of the arguments in the White Paper issued by Alex Salmond as a basis for independence.
Now that oil revenues have plummeted and our financial situation looks terrible, with expenditure way above revenue, it has become a pariah document, either denied or castigated by the SNP and independence supporters who cannot accept reality.
The fact remains that we in Scotland are spending significantly more than we earn, resulting in a deficit of 9.5% of GDP, higher than all EU countries bar one, and government action must be taken to rectify this.
GM Lindsay.
Whinfield Gardens,
Kinross.
Come to terms with reality
Sir, – Ken Clark does not believe “the veracity” of the GERS figures which show that an independent Scotland would have a deficit worse than Greece and would need super-austerity to survive.
Mr Clark demonstrates the difficulty nationalists have in coming to terms with the economic reality.
William Loneskie.
Amulree,
9 Justice Park,
Oxton,
Lauder.
Introduce tax on new bicycles
Sir, – Jeremy Vine released footage of a motorist verbally abusing him.
You know the well-trod path, cyclists break the Highway Code but are never caught and drivers do not show cyclists consideration by cutting in on them, passing too close and shouting abuse.
The argument from the motoring side is that cyclists do not contribute enough for their cycle routes, although this is hotly denied.
One suggestion would be for a tax on new bicycles similar to that on new cars where in the first year there will be an extra charge.
Second-hand bikes like second-hand cars would be exempt.
If people can afford a new car they can afford this tax and those purchasing new bicycles should contribute. Peace may then break out.
Clark Cross.
138 Springfield Road,
Linlithgow.