Sir, It is almost exactly 60 years since I became a member of the then Kinross County Council, beginning a period of some 25 years as a councillor.
At no time then or since have I witnessed such a shambles as is now taking place in Kinross High Street.
It is now about nine months since the plans for environmental improvements were put out to consultation and, leaving aside the question of the justification of so much public expenditure on such a scheme, I was advised at a meeting in the local campus that the work would start in March or April and would be completed in eight to 10 weeks.
We are now in mid July and remarkably little progress has been made, and I understand that it will not be completed until October.
Questions have to be asked of Perth and Kinross Council.
Who signed off the plans for the scheme, much of which would seem to have been replacing like with like?
Who signed off the contract agreeing to the work and disruption taking place in the summer months and over such an extended period of time?
Why are the works taking so long and did the contract not include the time for the work to be done and a date for its completion?
Some days there has only been one man in a digger.
Was consideration given to the massive disruption the works and road closures would bring to the people of Kinross and in particular to the local traders and businesses in the height of the season?
Will the businesses involved be entitled to financial compensation for the major losses they are incurring?
Someone must be held responsible for this chaotic situation.
It should not be allowed to happen again to other communities.
Sir David Montgomery. Home Farm, Kinross.
Missed chances of Perth City Hall
Sir, The deadlock over the future of Perth City Hall demonstrates a lack of competence and professionalism by our elected members on Perth and Kinross Council.
Personally, I think the market hall proposal is the best on offer and may I remind our councillors that back in 2005 there was a similar proposal.
Had that been accepted, the hall would be in use now and bringing in revenue for the local authority.
Alister Allan. 18 Castle View, Letham, Perth.
Butterstone traffic fears
Sir, I write to express objection to Ecotricity’s renewed proposals for a windfarm at Dulater Hill near Butterstone and would encourage readers to make their views known to the Energy Consents office in Glasgow.
There will be disruption to local traffic and residents.
Ecotricity have made much of their intention to minimise disruption, but the A923 between Dunkeld and the Blairgowrie and Coupar Angus areas serves a district with many farms and houses as well as accommodation for tourists.
It is also a very busy road, busy but narrow and twisty and already subject to traffic heavy congestion, specially when heavy lorries meet.
The proposed construction traffic and ongoing maintenance traffic will certainly make life a misery for everyone living in the several villages along this road and many other road users.
WJ Hogg. Craigwood, Brae Street, Dunkeld.
Harley event hijacked
Sir, I am a resident of Brechin and went along to the Harley in the City event on Saturday.
Although everyone seemed to be enjoying themselves at the weekend, I felt that the real reason for this event has been lost.
It seems to have been turned into a commercial sham.
They have taken away everything that this event was supposed to be.
As we all know, it was started by the guys at the Davidson Legacy and attracted a lot of Harley Davidson owners from across the country.
Saturday’s event was totally commercial with Clerk Street taken up by stalls and bouncy castles instead of the bikes we would have like to see.
The bikes were pushed around the corner into an area on Panmure Street.
This showed that the organisers now have really offended the bulk of Harley Davidson owners, with neither Dunedin Harley Owners Group or West Coast Harley Owners Group turning up for this year’s event.
With these guys there could have been the potential for up to 300 turning up.
It was a shame as these guys know how to put on a show when they turn up.
There were no Harleys with flags, sirens or flashing lights the things the public like to see. It seems that the event has been taken over by people who have no passion for what it was supposed to be all about.
Brian Smith. 96 Market Street, Brechin.
Look again at police funding
Sir, There is something nightmarish about the story of the car that crashed off the M9 and lay in a field for three days with its occupants trapped inside.
My thoughts are very much with the families of the deceased.
What makes the story particularly worrying is the fact that the police were made aware of the incident and failed to act.
Although the M9 incident is far more serious, it is similar to the reports that police no longer investigate many break-ins as it is “not a good use of time”.
This comes within the context of year-on-year cuts to Police Scotland’s budget.
To maintain the police numbers and balance the budge, Police Scotland must cut administrative posts and have police officers take on more paperwork.
In Edinburgh, station closures and the abandonment of anti-burglary teams has coincided with a massive spike in house break-ins.
The Police Scotland budget cuts have been exacerbated by the way in which the force was reorganised.
Despite warnings from Unison and Scottish Labour, the SNP Government proceeded to implement an accounting structure that resulted in Police
Scotland being billed for an additional £23 million in VAT.
No doubt the SNP Government will assert that these are “operational matters” that Police Scotland should address, but it is clearly time for them to look again at how policing is the deceased.
What makes the story particularly worrying is the fact that the police were made aware of the incident and failed to act.
Although the M9 incident is far more serious, it is similar to the reports that police no longer investigate many break-ins as it is “not a good use of time”.
This comes within the context of year-on-year cuts to Police Scotland’s budget.
To maintain the police numbers and balance the budge, Police Scotland must cut administrative posts and have police officers take on more paperwork.
In Edinburgh, station closures and the abandonment of anti-burglary teams has coincided with a massive spike in house break-ins.
The Police Scotland budget cuts have been exacerbated by the way in which the force was reorganised.
Despite warnings from Unison and Scottish Labour, the SNP Government proceeded to implement an accounting structure that resulted in Police Scotland being billed for an additional £23 million in VAT.
No doubt the SNP Government will assert that these are “operational matters” that Police Scotland should address, but it is clearly time for them to look again at how policing is funded and organised in Scotland.
Dr Scott Arthur. 27 Buckstone Gardens. Edinburgh.
Politicians need to take heed
Sir, I am deeply saddened at the tragic events of the past week, when two people lost their lives as a consequence of a fatal road accident.
My thoughts are obviously with the families involved.
Police Scotland have been severely criticised, possibly justifiably so, but only time will tell.
Initial indications point to human error by an officer drafted into the call centre to cover for staff shortages.
Through media coverage, we are all well aware of the constraints that call-centre staff are working under due to staff shortages.
The Scottish Government, and notably the First Minister, have been conspicuously absent from commenting on the situation.
Let us not forget that the Scottish Government were responsible for introducing the single police force and imposing the severe budget constraints.
While in my opinion, the incumbent chief constable has a number of failings, he is merely carrying out the instructions of the Scottish Government.
Is it not time that they had the courage to come out into the open and admit their failings?
Jack Harley. 9 Mackie Crescent, Markinch.
Portuguese and the eurozone
Sir, Your business editor’s suggestion (July 8) that the Portuguese would feel hard done by in the event Greece is offered some form of debt relief that would enable it to remain within the euro and the European Union is just one view. The reality is much more complex.
The current Portuguese government, which was elected in June 2011 after the Troika had been called in by its predecessor, signed the standard agreement to increase taxes, reduce the welfare bill and privatise.
In its anxiety to be seen as a “good pupil”, this government introduced austerity measures that went beyond anything the Troika called for, and frequently beyond anything the country’s constitutional court was willing to allow.
After three years of the Troika, Portuguese GDP had declined by 6.2%, the public debt had increased by 7.6% and unemployment had risen by 16% all at a time when more than 100,000 mainly young, well-educated people have been leaving the country each year.
Many now fear speculators could seek to test the resolve of Europe to protect the remaining eurozone and begin a concerted attack on its next weakest member Portugal.
In the run-up to October’s election, the leader of the opposition Socialist Party has called on the country’s government to change its tune on austerity. Many of his compatriots seem to agree
Stewart Lloyd-Jones. Director, Contemporary Portuguese Political History Research Centre, University of Stirling.
Scotland could boost business
Sir, In the Queen’s Speech, the government announced that it would further restrict trade unions’ right to strike, leaving Scottish workers with some of the weakest legal protections in the developed world.
While the UK Government is keen to tackle poor productivity, countries that rank highest for workers’ rights have higher productivity than the UK.
According to OECD statistics the vast majority of EU countries, including Germany and France, ranked best by the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC) for workers’ rights have higher productivity than the UK. Eleven members of the EU are top rated for workers’ rights by the ITUC.
This attack on workers’ rights is, therefore, not just morally wrong but will also undermine economic progress.
With full powers over trade union and employment policy the Scottish Government can work more effectively in partnership with trade unions, the third sector and business to boost growth.
Alex Orr. 77 Leamington Terrace, Edinburgh.