Sir, – You reported the dispute around no cycling signs erected upon the Lade Braes, St Andrews.
Whether or not cycling is permitted there is a yes or no question solved by reference to the relevant legislation.
However, if there is a safety issue, it should be addressed.
Reports suggest that the signs were removed by the council without informing the landowner beforehand.
If this is the case, then it appears that due process has not been followed.
Signs erected in contravention of the access legislation are dealt with by Section 14 of the Land Reform (Scotland) Act 2003 which requires that the landowner is notified about any remedial steps required before the council takes action.
Failure to observe due process further erodes Fife Council’s reputation which has taken a battering recently.
The Scottish Public Services Ombudsman ruled against it recently in relation to a fly-tipping matter and criticised it over the handling of the West Port Hotel pergola in St Andrews.
The Court of Session struck down the council’s planning application for Pipeland Farm and the Standards Commission suspended Councillor Brian Thomson over his failing to declare his interests in that matter.
One can only hope that the next council administration will seek to improve upon this poor record.
JS Gamba.
35 Lamberton Place,
St Andrews.
We all need to pull together
Sir, – After the First World War, improvements to suffrage gave us universal suffrage allowing all men and women over 21 to take part in elections, without property restrictions.
Yet as we approach 100 years of what we would now recognise as democracy, some of the latest party manifestos show little evidence that we have been making progress in using these hard-fought-for rights.
Too often, politicians seem to take their starting point as who they can blame rather than what we can set out to achieve together.
In Scotland, this is further exacerbated by the SNP narrative of grievance and division, with a leadership intent on manipulating Scotland on the basis of identity.
Our democracy seems stuck in an immature politics of point scoring and personality when what the country needs is good government focused on achieving effective and demonstrable progress.
Keith Howell.
White Moss,
West Linton.
Tories let down disabled people
Sir, – Scottish Conservative leader Ruth Davidson has just launched her new campaign poster in Edinburgh: “We said no, we meant it.”
That is an excellent choice of slogan for the party that loves to say no, especially to Scotland.
Miss Davidson herself also likes to say no to answering questions on her support for the rape clause, for instance, and her robust support for benefit sanctions, including the removal of thousands of Motability vehicles.
My advice to Miss Davidson is: just sit down and take some time to consider those who are unable to stand up for themselves, many of whom are unable to stand at all.
James Stevenson.
Drummond Avenue,
Auchterarder.
When will they house refugees?
Sir, – Labour MP Yvette Cooper was cheered in the Commons by Labour and the SNP when she said no one could ever again believe a word Theresa May says.
This was because Theresa May performed an election u-turn and called a snap election.
Ms Cooper may recall that she promised in 2015 to take a refugee family into one of her two houses.
We are still waiting.
It will also be recalled that Nicola Sturgeon, attacking Westminster for not taking in more Syrian refugees, made a similar high-profile pledge to take a Syrian family into her home.
The Scottish public are still waiting.
Clark Cross.
138 Springfield Road,
Linlithgow.
Triple lock confusion
Sir, – It would be nice if the triple lock applied to the state pension as stated by Peter Swain (April 19). In fact, it applies to the basic state pension which is a very different animal.
Pension rules are too complex to go into in a small space but I suspect few pensioners will have benefited significantly from the triple lock which, if applied to state pensions, would have resulted in a 2.5% increase this year. My own increase was 1.8% (1.4% after tax) and for some, it could have been less.
I have no complaints about that in present circumstances but let us not pretend that the triple lock is anything other than a big con trick.
If replaced by a reasonable measure applied to the state pension instead of the basic state pension, we might even benefit.
S. Urquhart.
2 Lily Wynd,
Forfar.
Perth will lose two car parks
Sir, – Having read the news of yet more plans for the “Mill Quarter” in Perth, which I believe will have a detrimental effect on the Playhouse cinema and the Mercure Hotel, I have to ask firstly, what about car parking?
It is obvious that we shall lose two excellent car parks in Thimblerow.
Secondly, where are the hoped for 300,000 customers for the complex coming from?
Something else which caught my eye last week was the article about the state of Perth High School.
I have to correct the date of the school’s opening. It was not the 1950s but the 1970s.
I moved to Oakbank from Gowans Terrace for the 1971-72 session when on the music staff.
Less than 50 years old and a replacement is needed. Pathetic.
Alister Y. Allan.
18 Castle View,
Letham,
Perth.
Vote SNP to halt Conservatives
Sir, – On Monday, Jeremy Corbyn addressed the STUC and urged Scottish voters to oust the “vicious” Tories. He warned the election would be “the people versus the powerful”.
Meanwhile, the Scottish Tories under Ruth Davidson have forgotten politics and are attempting to mass all Scottish unionists under the Tory banner to fight the independence movement.
I believe that, for once, Mr Corbyn is correct and we must stop the Tories. In Scotland, the only way to do that is to vote for the SNP and independence.
Any other vote will strengthen the Tories’ hold.
Don’t be fooled into believing that Ruth Davidson is a nice wee lassie. She is nothing more that a scheming Tory leader in the same mould as all the others.
Harry Key.
20 Mid Street,
Largoward.