Sir, – Being the owner of the car park at Lunan Bay, I would like to comment on your article, Campers’ unwelcome lock-in (June 17).
The car park at Lunan Bay is leased by me to Angus Council as a car parking area for people wishing to visit Lunan Bay and not as a party venue.
One of the conditions of the lease is that there will be no overnight parking or camping.
There is a notice at the entrance of the car park, clearly visible to even the most intoxicated visitor, of the conditions of use of this car park.
These conditions have been agreed by myself and Angus Council.
Historically, overnight parties at Lunan have left the area littered and soiled and far from being a positive tourist attraction.
At the moment, Lunan Bay is probably cleaner than it has been for many years (thanks to the many volunteers who make it their business to keep it so) and we would like to try to maintain this.
There are many areas of outstanding natural beauty in Fife that have been ruined by uncontrolled partying that this group could have used without feeling the necessity to come to Angus.
If they had left the place immaculate after their party they would have been the exception and, if you encourage one party, then you cannot complain if many more follow.
I would like to point out that the “stand-off” only inconvenienced conventional visitors to Lunan Bay to the extent of having to walk 10 to 20 yards further to the beach as we opened a nearby field to allow parking when the gates were closed.
Finally, as this “stand-off” was going on, several groups of campers were enjoying the peace and quiet and the conveniences of the new campsite at Lunan which we hope will accommodate the genuine tourist wishing to enjoy this outstanding area.
Hew Blair Imrie. Lunan Farm, Lunan Bay, Arbroath.
Unacceptable level of debate
Sir, – I was more than a little surprised to read (June 18) that SNP councillor Gregor Murray claims that his abusive tweets were just his way of standing up to my “bullying”.
Apparently Mr Murray thinks that critiquing the media charade around Caitlyn Jenner and Vanity Fair is bullying, whereas calling the whole Free Church of Scotland, “Wee Frees – an embarrassment to Scotland”, is reasonable and mature debate.
Mr Murray has form in this regard having previously tweeted attacks mocking Catholic Church doctrine.
As a Free Church minister I wish to speak in defence of the Catholic schools in Dundee.
It is concerning that the deputy head of education on Dundee City Council feels free to mock the doctrine of the Catholic schools he is supposed to be running.
It is also worrying that he has time to engage in this type of personal online abuse when he should be dealing with the Menzieshill school situation and the other crises facing our city education system.
As an SNP supporter I wrote to the party making a formal complaint and they have assured me that they will look into the matter. That assurance is somewhat undermined by SNP administration head, Ken Guild, stating that because Mr Murray is speaking in a personal capacity then no action will be taken.
I wonder if Mr Murray was making racist comments in a personal capacity whether the SNP would be so sanguine?
It seems as though Christians are being told that if any of us dare to speak out for what we believe, then it is open season on us.
Am I wrong to expect a little more maturity and fairness from our elected representatives?
Or is the phenomenon of the abusive cybernat now to be an accepted part of Scottish political life, even at senior level?
Rev David A.Robertson. St Peter’s Free Church, 4 St Peter Street, Dundee.
Poor subsidise Scots farmers
Sir, – Farmers are usually careful not to complain about other people’s welfare in case others complain of the much higher costs of subsidising our farming community.
But your correspondent Derek Farmer (June 19) is bolder than his farming colleagues.
The truth is that high tariffs on imported food have protected Scottish farmers for decades but at the cost of higher prices for everyone else.
Low-income people suffer disproportionately from those artificially high prices that farmers enjoy.
We have also paid taxes to cover direct subsidies to them for decades.
That cost has always been much greater than our support for the disabled, the sick and the unemployed.
Right now, one onerous burden on poor families is being dismantled. The European dairy market is being gradually opened to direct competition. Farmers complain that they cannot compete with cheap imports.
But low-income families need lower prices for dairy products. Perhaps those protections and subsidies for farmers were also the “poisonous welfare” that Derek Farmer complains about?
Andrew Dundas. 34 Ross Avenue, Perth.
Tories turn UK into sweatshop
Sir, – Mr Farmer’s defence of Tory greed and privilege was bizarre and nonsensical.
He doesn’t actually address any of the points I made. Instead he makes up some ludicrous claim about the rising price of fish. What I actually blamed the Tories for was raising the deficit by more than £300 billion. This is the exact opposite of what they claim to have done.
Mr Farmer claims the Tories are only doing what any business would do. I don’t know of any business that sells off its assets for a fraction of their worth.
The jobs Mr Farmer says the Tories have created are mostly low-paid and transitory.
The Tories are making the UK a giant sweatshop. They want no paid holidays, no maternity or sick pay, no unions and no health and safety.
Mr Farmer tries to pin the blame for the financial crisis squarely on Labour. While Gordon Brown shares a great deal of the blame for his deregulation, the roots of the crisis started with Mrs Thatcher.
The Big Bang in 1986 was the start of the deregulation which left taxpayers with a £1.5 trillion bill to bail out the banks.
Mr Farmer’s comments about welfare are cruel and contemptuous. The Tories love only money and war.
The system they have introduced is socialism for the very rich and free-market fundamentalism for everyone else.
Alan Hinnrichs. 2 Gillespie Terrace, Dundee.
Negative image of St Andrews
Sir, – I agree with Laurie Richards (June 20) who questioned why St Andrews traders were so alarmed by the presence of a police mobile CCTV unit in the town.
What was no laughing matter to any right-minded citizen was the perceived fear displayed by Lindsay Adam and other town centre traders.
They were concerned, that the presence of a police CCTV vehicle in the centre of St Andrews might frighten visitors to the extent that they may not return.
I found myself asking what calibre of visitors do these people think St Andrews attracts who would feel threatened by a police presence?
The comments also described the police vehicle as being “sinister” in appearance despite its police colours of white, yellow and blue.
In using this vehicle, the police were able to issue a number of fixed fines concerning littering offences in response to complaints about littering in the area.
Perhaps the local businesses should take more responsibility for clearing up littering within their local environs than complaining about a police presence.
I am certain that such a police presence, acting successfully on littering offences, would be welcomed in any other town in Fife.
The trivial issues raised display a sense of negativity about what is important to the town and, in turn, sends out a negative message to potential visitors.
John McVicar. 4 Cameron Crescent, Windygates.
Scotland needs trade with EU
Sir, – It was encouraging that farmers at the Royal Highland Show emphasised to Scottish Secretary David Mundell their support for the UK’s continuing membership of the EU.
Looking at the most recent figures, the growth in food and drink exports to EU member states is a success story for the Scottish economy.
France is the second-largest export market for Scottish food and drink, valued at £734 million in 2014. Spain is third at £247 million, while Germany is the fifth biggest at £208 million.
It is clear that withdrawing from the EU would be hugely damaging to Scottish farming and the wider food and drink industry. As NFU Scotland have pointed out, we would still have to comply with EU rules to be able to keep selling our produce but we would have no say in how those rules are decided.
Derek Hammersley. Chair,European Movement in Scotland, Cumberland Street Lane, Edinburgh.
Smart move by Angus Council
Sir, – From the figures published in The Courier last week, Angus Council should be congratulated in managing to offload the member services building at The Cross in Forfar.
The maintenance costs of almost £150,000 over the past five years and the projected future costs of almost £420,000 are surely indicative of a building no longer fit for purpose.
I have had wide experience of the ongoing and long-term maintenance of buildings similar to the two former Victorian banks which form the present building.
Angus Council’s decision to sell this property to JD Wetherspoon will see Forfar at least getting a pub/restaurant of the type which has proved very popular throughout Scotland.
It is to be hoped, since the estimated maintenance costs were leaked in a very public manner, that JD Wetherspoon will not now review their offer made before the building was unsuccessfully offered on the open market.
Stuart Fergusson. 20 Hillend Road, Arbroath.