Sir, As a former pupil of Perth Academy I have followed, with growing dismay, Perth and Kinross Council’s plans to destroy the beautiful, healthy and historic Scots pine tree that stands in the grounds of the school.
Unsurprisingly, this proposal has led to an outcry from the school community. The pupils have collected more than 500 signatures on a petition to save the tree and teachers bravely spoke out at a meeting of the planning committee when the issue was first considered.
Any talk of planting a new tree to “replace” the existing one fundamentally misunderstands the biodiversity value of ancient trees. A 250-year-old tree is effectively irreplaceable. There are very few places on earth which can play host to such a richcommunity of life.
I’d urge councillors to take a long-term view, rather than throwing away centuries of steady growth because it doesn’t fit today’s agenda.
I appreciate and support the council’s wish to provide Perth’s young people with first-class sports facilities and I understand that the parents and pupils have worked hard to raise the money for the new pitch.
However, I don’t think that anyone involved expected this to come at the sake of such a significant tree, which is a living memorial to two young people with close connections to the school community.
By refusing this application councillors can provide a chance for a compromise to be reached where the school can enjoy the best of both worlds.
The tree deserves a Tree Preservation Order in the same way that a notable and historic building would be listed for its protection. So, I hope that the strength of local feeling against its loss is now very clear to those councillors who will ultimately decide the fate of this Scots pine.
Baroness Young of Old Scone
Demand for investment in city airport
Sir, After reading the article published in the Business section of Thursday’s Courier, I feel obliged to agree with Dundee and Angus chamber chief Sandra Burke regarding Highlands and Islands Airports Ltd lack of acknowledgement as to the need for investment in Dundee Airport, following the recent Airports Commission review.
Since the Inverness-based company took over operations at Dundee, they have done nothing but oversee a gradual decline in services from the airport.
Scheduled services to Birmingham, Belfast and others have all disappeared from the airport and not one single service has been introduced under HIAL’s tenure. HIAL are quite clearly not up to the task of providing the level of service that the area requires and deserves. The airport needs serious investment and someone with the business acumen to take the airport forward.
If Dundee is to be a serious player in its goal to become City of Culture, then a good, functioning airport with a varied range of scheduled routes is an absolute necessity. The people of Tayside demand better.
Angus Fordyce. Hill Street, Broughty Ferry.
Red and black and the thin blue line
Sir, I have read press reports where police officers from Police Scotland (Strathclyde) have been seconded to the Tayside area.
I would be interested to know if the seconded staff are travelling daily to Tayside or if accommodation is being provided locally and, if so, at what cost?
Are the seconded officers eligible for disturbance allowances or overtime?
Are officers who remain in the Strathclyde area being paid overtime to cover the shortfall in their area?
Finally, is this the best use of public resources at a time when severe cuts are being in other areas of policing?
Helen Manini. 12 Dunkeld Place, Dundee.
What’s become of memorial benches?
Sir, What hashappened to the wooden seats in Greyfriars churchyard?
The seats were placed in memory to those who have passed on and gave a relaxing respite to those who sat, eager to catch the sun.
Is the council trying to discourage drinkers from gathering there?
If this is the case, surely the onus is on the council to police the graveyard, not take away the pleasures of local residents, especially the old, and visitors to the fair city of Perth.
Merle Adam. 78b Tay Street, Perth.
The Watford (knowledge) gap
Sir, It was interesting to hear on the London-based Radio 4 Today programme that the pregnant panda, Tian Tian, is located at a place called “Edinburgh Zoo in Scotland”.
Says it all, really.
Malcolm Parkin. 15 Gamekeepers Road, Kinnesswood.