Sir, James Angus (Letters, January 3), is once again correct in his assessment of the significant contribution to increased flooding resulting from lack of maintenance of ditches, burns and waterways.
Rainwater has to go somewhere and the responsible authorities have a duty to provide an efficient and unobstructed means for this water to be carried out to the sea. When was the last time anyone saw a river bed being dredged to maintain a river’s capacity, or see councils cleaning out ditches?
These basic water management activities are more necessary since councils are permitting more and more building on flood plains.
Replacing these flood plains (which slow the flow of rainwater to rivers) with concrete, sealed block or tarmac driveways etc, will inevitably speed up the flow of water with consequent overload and flooding.
It would appear that those with the statutory responsibility for such maintenance are all too ready to jump on the “climate change” bandwagon to provide them with a convenient excuse for their dereliction and neglect.
Another excuse for not maintaining streams and burns, which now appears to require a licence from SEPA, is potential damage to wildlife. Does “potential” damage to wildlife trump the misery inflicted on homeowners as a consequence of ever-increasing instances of flooding?
GM Lindsay. Whinfield Gardens, Kinross.
Cynicism about food banks
Sir, I missed Dr John Cameron’s recent letter on the “starving masses campaign”, so I am obliged to your correspondent Allan MacDougall (Letters, January 4) for drawing attention to the sage of St Andrews and his cynicism about the need for food banks and the degree of poverty in this country.
Actually, it is hard to keep up with the good doctor, as he bombards so many newspapers with his right wing, anti-Scottish views and his insistence that “all is for the best in the best of all possible worlds” the British Union in spite of the overwheming evidence to the contrary.
Since the end of the Second World War, Britain has been in decline and shows neither the will nor the ability to make the radical changes to its economic and social structures which are so badly needed.
Alan MacDougall is, of course, right to deplore the scandal of child poverty and “working poor” propping up the bogus economic “recovery”.
Mr Cameron clearly chooses Tory dogma over affordable houses and a decent living wage unusual, surely, in a man of the cloth?
I hope in September he and sufficient others choose to try to make Scotland a better place, free from the dead hand of Westminster rule.
David Roche. 1 Alder Grove, Scone
No Hogmanay in Dundee?
Sir, From early afternoon on Tuesday December 31, Radio Scotland broadcast reports from across the world and its timezones, of the public celebrations to mark the coming of the new year.
Closer to home, Edinburgh had its world famous street party, bands and magnificent fireworks display, Glasgow had its George Square family fun and celebrations. Inverness, Aberdeen, Forfar, Arbroath, Stonehaven, and so on, had their public festivities. Dundee nothing.
Even the children’s carnival rides in City Square closed early.
Visitors from south of the border could not believe that this was the much-vaunted Scottish Hogmanay. City of Culture? City of the living dead more like.
Morag Lennie. 26 Brantwood Avenue, Dundee.
Happy school memories
Sir, Mr A’Hara’s letter (January 4), brought back happy memories. I remember the Top of the Form competition at Kirkton High School and Geoffrey Wheeler.
Kirkton High was indeed a young school when I was there but the education offered was second to none. Mr A’Hara, our Latin teacher, can himself be described in similar glowing terms to those he bestows upon Geoffrey Wheeler.
His excellent teaching, together with that of many other staff members at Kirkton, has borne much fruit in my life and, I’m sure, in the lives of many fellow pupils.
His lessons were full of fun and interest and prove how priceless a good teacher can be. Many thanks to them all.
Catriona Robertson. 38 Beauly Crescent, Dundee.
They should face sanctions
Sir, The two-finger sign to authority given by train robber, Ronnie Biggs, shortly before his death and commemorated with a wreath at his funeral demonstrated how little respect such criminals have for the law or society.
Biggs showed no remorse. Even the train driver’s blighted life did not concern him. How Brazil could give sanctuary to such a man and refuse to allow his extradition to Britain I do not know.
Here’s an area the countries requesting extradition, the UN and the EU could profitably examine. It is simply not acceptable that countries such as Brazil should be allowed to refuse extradition for common not political criminals and yet continue to enjoy normal diplomatic and trade relations with the rest of the world.
International legislation should be in place to force such refuseniks as Brazil to toe the line or face crippling sanctions of all kinds.
George K McMillan. 5 Mount Tabor Avenue, Perth.