Sir, – I was amazed and rather disturbed when I read the application by Dundee University Students’ Association for a late licence for Bonar Hall. (Decision to be made on student association’s late licence bid, Courier, February 11).
The venue is proposing to sell alcohol to students until 3am on Friday and Saturday and 2.30am Monday to Thursday.
It is beyond belief that students are to be encouraged to spend time and money in this central university campus building on alcohol.
What is equally disturbing about this application is that the objections to it are based on noise impact.
Where are the university medical people, Scottish government ministers and local councillors in this preposterous scenario?
Who is exercising a duty of care in this situation? Does the current university rector have a view on this?
Dundee has no shortage of other nightclub venues. I am not a total spoilsport.
However, I have sadly witnessed the distressing impact of lifelong misuse of alcohol.
If the officers of Dundee University Students’ Association want to go into the rave and entertainment business, they should relinquish their current roles and set up independently.
Perhaps new office-bearers will exercise better judgment and a little more common sense.
Ron J Scrimgeour.
Angus.
Heating bridge cables is easy fix
Sir, – The cure to the problems on the Queensferry Crossing is simple.
Each cable will need trace element , ie electric, cables wound round each cable, with a thermostat to switch on the current, when the temperature falls to near freezing.
This will, in turn, heat the cable stay wires, sufficiently high enough to halt ice forming and the prospect of ice falling off, damaging anything on the road deck below.
I have used this on water pipes to stop water in pipes freezing.
Bradley Borland.
Beechwood, Kinfauns,
Perth.
Is wind power the solution?
Sir, – The £1.35 billion Queensferry Crossing was closed by falling ice for lack of ice sensors or a method to stop build-up. Here is a solution.
This SNP government is continually boasting and gleefully telling us how we are exporting Scotland’s wind-produced green electricity to England.
We could link up a few turbines to heat the crossing cables to keep it ice free.
Wrong expensive wind electricity cannot be relied on since frequently the wind does not blow and, of course, we will need it all for rich owners’ electric vehicles and for cooking once gas is banned.
Clark Cross.
138 Springfield Road,
Linlithgow.
Enough of the grandstanding
Sir, – What an utter insult to “the people of Scotland” that Nicola Sturgeon wants total separation from Westminster and prefers to be ruled, controlled and dominated by Brussels.
She confirmed to Mr Barnier that an independent Scotland would use the pound initially then move to a new Scottish currency then the euro.
She also stated she would “mitigate” the effects of a Scotland/England border between us and our biggest trading partner. What does that mean?
Ms Sturgeon knows that Scotland’s financial position will preclude any simple admission to the EU but she strings her followers along, leading them up to the top of the hill and down again.
Her grandstanding in Brussels is an affront to the people of Scotland who value the strength of the United Kingdom.
Douglas Cowe.
Kingseat,
Newmachar.
The important things in life
Sir, – I see that Councillor Linda Holt has raised the subject of the increased cost of music lessons (Councillor accused of “scaremongering” over music fees hike, Courier, February 6).
This is from someone who supported the austerity measures, from a government that she once supported.
The monthly cost of the figure that she alleged was to be imposed, would amount to £28.20 per week. A relation of mine pays £28 plus VAT an hour, for singing lessons.
In the early 1970s we paid £10 an hour for our small daughter’s singing lessons. This equates to £132.82 today!
This from a below average income.
She became an extremely talented flautist, not to mention becoming a professor of 19th Century literature.
It depends what you think are the important things in life.
Bill Ledger.
43 Dreelside,
Anstruther.
HS2’s Scottish benefits unclear
Sir, – A government spokesperson on BBC Radio defended Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s HS2 rail plan, which stops at Leeds.
But the commentator said Scotland would still benefit despite HS2, not being extended to Glasgow or Edinburgh.
His logic was that because HS2 would stop in Leeds at least one-and-a-half hours ahead of the existing train times then people would arrive in Glasgow one-and-a-half hours ahead of time.
However, they would have to decant at Leeds then transfer to existing trains to link north.
HS2 will be more expensive than existing fares, so the commentator should back up his prognosis with estimated prices, so we the general public can make a reasonable judgment call.
The UK Government is going to spend at least £106 billion (at present estimates) to reduce the travel time between London and Leeds by 60 minutes using HS2.
Alistair Ballantyne.
10 Hillpark Drive,
Angus.
Ditch HS2 and UK foreign aid
Sir, – There is a fundamental reason why we should not spend at least £100 billion on HS2 and another £20bn on the mooted “Boris” bridge from Scotland to Northern Ireland.
Every single penny of that unnecessary expenditure will have to be borrowed and added to our colossal national debt of £2 trillion, the interest on which is already £1bn per week.
Instead of increasing expenditure, and no doubt increasing taxes too, the British Government should be looking to make savings.
The very first on the list should be to end the squandering of £14bn of taxpayers’ money on foreign aid each year.
For example, why have we spent money in the nuclear powers of China – the world’s second most powerful country and second largest economy – or India?
The foreign aid budget should at the very least be cut to no more than £1bn, including contingencies.
Otto Inglis.
6 Inveralmond Grove,
Edinburgh.
No jurisdiction at climate camp
Sir, – The UN is to take over part of Glasgow for two weeks during its climate jolly in November.
The Scottish Events Campus will be designated as an “international territory” with the result that our police will have no jurisdiction over the various rent-a-mobs which follow these gatherings.
Diplomatic immunity will apply so that no one committing an offence within the zone need fear prosecution in a Scottish court.
Rev Dr John Cameron.
10 Howard Place,
St Andrews.
