Sir, – I write on behalf of Dundee Civic Trust with reference to your article (May 2) about shopkeeper Mr Afzal’s call for more support for shops at the east end of the city centre and referring to the neglected state of the Seagate.
The trust regrets to have to say that the closure of shops in the Seagate was all too foreseeable given Dundee City Council’s long-term neglect of this street and the continued approval of out-of-centre retail development.
On January 13 2015 the trust wrote to The Courier about the need for action to improve the Seagate.
In our letter we pointed out that: “The Seagate is a major thoroughfare in the city connecting the Gallagher Retail Park, the Olympia swimming pool, the main eastern car park and the harbour with the city centre. For those arriving by bus or parking in the Gellatly Street car park or the new car park on Trades Lane, it is the first and the last thing they see in Dundee. There can be no doubt that the impression that it gives to citizens, and visitors alike, is an important matter.
“At the moment the Seagate has inadequate, badly drained, and poorly maintained pavements. It also suffers from badly-sited bus shelters and road signs, some of which are unnecessary, and a number of buildings in poor condition.”
We would add that Seagate also suffers from having one of the highest levels of air pollution in the city and measures need to be taken to improve this too.
We welcome Councillor Ken Lynn’s pledge to do all he can to improve matters.
We hope that he will join with Dundee Civic Trust in urging Dundee City Council to prepare and implement a comprehensive scheme for the environmental upgrade of the Seagate.
We understand that funds are tight but without a long-term plan for the improvement of this street, even routine expenditure will be wasted and the Seagate will continue to decline.
Nick Day.
Chairman,
Dundee Civic Trust,
13 Whinny Brae,
Broughty Ferry.
Parties offered limited choices
Sir, – In reply to Gordon Kennedy’s letter, Fine those that refuse to vote, (May 10) do we not live in a country that promotes freedom of speech and where free will is encouraged to be sought by everyone?
Surely fining people who do not vote goes against all these values that we treasure.
I personally did not vote in the recent election because none of the parties had anything to offer me in there manifestos.
So why should I vote for any party that appears to offer the lesser of two evils just to partake in the voting process?
That smacks of hypocrisy to me.
It was also clear that the SNP would be re-elected easily, so voting for any other party was a complete waste of energy and time.
I think you will find that is why the turnout was low, as the gentlemen’s letter stated.
I had no one from any party knock on my door to ask what my views were on their policies, just the odd glossy pamphlet thrust through my letter box stating various parts of their manifestos they would implement if elected.
So if any party wants my vote they need to interact with me and the rest of the public way before any election date to see what any potential voters want implemented in their policies.
Charlie Burton.
3 Fowler Street,
Cellardyke.
Road neglected for 40 years
Sir, – In the midst of a frenzy with cobbles relaid, shop fronts and town square buffed up and now pavements tarred in the Maryton, perhaps Angus Council, if it has any tar left over, could look at the state of the road at our Glamis Road addresses in Southmuir.
This was last repaired 40 years ago.
The condition of the said road is now extremely rough and, in some places, completely worn through its covering.
J.R. Smith.
44 Glamis Road,
Kirriemuir.
Cold call confusion
Sir, – My home phone rings and I answer with my forename and the words, can I help you?
Then the classic two-second delay which alerts me to the fact that this is a cold call.
A somewhat unintelligible voice asks: “Am I speaking to the man of the house?”
I answer: “I don’t know, what name are you looking for?”
The caller replies: “I don’t know, are you the man of the house?”
In response I say: “I am never quite sure, you must ask my wife that question. Why do you want to speak to the man of the house and why not the woman of the house?”
The caller responds: “My manager says that I should always ask for the man of the house.”
In turn I say: “In our house, the man of the house decides the big things, such as which football team to support; should we vote to stay in Europe, and so forth. Is your call about a big thing or a little thing?”
The caller’s final offering was: “Could I speak to the woman of the house.”
Andrew Lothian.
69 Dundee Road,
Dundee.
Perth lighting a waste of cash
Sir, – I am writing to express my disgust and disbelief over Perth and Kinross Council spending vast sums of money on the conversion and refurbishment of its offices in Perth.
Now, to crown it all, the council is planning to install “character lighting” for the exterior of the building at a cost of £100,000.
All this comes at a time of austerity cuts when a large proportion of people are finding it very difficult, and in some cases well-nigh impossible, to keep up with the cost of living.
I find it quite appalling that our council administration has the gall and brass neck to make such a decision in the face of such hardship being experienced by so many. Have the councillors no sense of priority?
I really believe that the time has come for the establishment of an ombudsman for every local council area whose job would be to consider an order of priority for large sums of money to be spent.
At least it may result in greater harmony among the general public who keep the councillors and officials in jobs.
Think again Perth and Kinross Council and try to redeem a reputation that will allow us to think more highly of you.
Forget about the fancy lighting for outside your offices and instead direct the cash to improve the lot of ordinary folk.
Ian J. Gordon.
Woodbank,
Riverside Road,
Blairgowrie.
Centralising Conservatives
Sir, – During the Scottish Parliament election campaign, Ruth Davidson and her Conservative candidates made great efforts to lambast the SNP and what they saw as a centralisation of services.
This struck me as strange, given that her colleagues at Westminster have just proposed to shut the Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) office in Sheffield and move 247 posts to Whitehall.
Such action is slightly hypocritical, and contradicts the so-called northern powerhouse.
London gets higher public spending per each resident than any other area of the UK including Scotland, other than Northern Ireland, because so many civil servants are based there.
This London-centricness of thinking is further exemplified by the further removal of jobs from Companies House in Cardiff to London.
Ruth Davidson and her Conservative colleagues should maybe reflect on their comments regarding centralisation and speak to colleagues south of the border to see what the Conservative Government there is doing.
Alex Orr.
77 Leamington Terrace,
Edinburgh.
Surprising claim over education
Sir, – In a newspaper article this week, Nicola Sturgeon claimed that since becoming First Minister her number one priority has been raising educational standards.
Really? Can she really say she has put education above the SNP dream of Scottish isolationism?
Has giving our children a solid start in an increasingly competitive world been more important to the SNP than building a border across these islands?
Charles Wilson.
King’s Road,
Rosyth.