Sir, – I must say I’m surprised that Dundee FC’s owners are considering building a new stadium at Camperdown when there is a perfectly good stadium about 200 yards from their existing ground – namely Tannadice Park. Could they not look into the possibility of ground sharing with Dundee United?
I know for a fact that years ago plans existed for a new stand which would replace the “Shed” which would have increased the capacity to over 15,000 fans but, for whatever reason, this plan never materialised.
Surely this could be resurrected and, if Dundee United agreed to ground share, this could house all the facilities required to house Dundee FC’s administration requirements and so on, with the other facilities, such as hospitality, being shared.
The Kilmac Stadium at Dens Park could be purchased from the existing owner and turned into first class training facilities for both clubs as well as for others, when not required by the two clubs.
I assume that, initially, certain fans of both clubs may not be in agreement with this suggestion, but I have read that United are to be offered ground sharing at the proposed new stadium, so why go to the great expense when ground sharing at Tannadice could save both clubs a great deal of money, plus the upheaval?
After all, if ground sharing works for both Milan clubs and others, surely it could work for both Dundee clubs.
Raymond L Nicoll.
Hill Street,
Monifieth.
Health in all of our hands
Sir, – As you recently published in your newspaper, the public consultation on the future construct of health care in Fife will begin shortly.
I am a member of the Integrated Joint Board (IJB) for Health and Social Care, and was quoted as saying the consultation document was “not fit for purpose”.
Following intensive care, it’s a bit better, but not perfect. An enormous amount of clinical and organisational data has been squeezed and summarised in order to get it to fit into a size that people will read, but the consultation itself is not a sham. It’s a sincere effort to give the public a voice and my quoted comment referred to the quality of the draft document, not the IJB’s intent.
The key challenge is to balance increased demand versus GP/nurse shortage. The status quo is broken and unsafe.
There is also no clear consensus on what combination of urgent out of hours care is most effective and sustainable in the longer term.
The last point is particularly important. The public reaction to this consultation is predictable and can be summarised as a wish for “the best possible care as close to me as possible”.
The consultation document should have spelled out the available resources and the full range of safe, effective and sustainable options that these could support – in other words clear signposting to enable effective public response.
But we are where we are, so I urge people to read the document, attend the public meetings and make their views known.
The two options offered in the document are not the only possible outcomes. It isn’t that clear cut and as far as I am concerned, the only option that is off the table is the status quo.
Just bear in mind that the IJB cannot “magic” more GPs and nurses, and don’t trust anyone who says you can have it all.
Cllr Tony Miklinski.
Whitehill Farm,
Cupar.
Glenrothes must keep its care
Sir, – The North Glenrothes Community Council, with others, succeeded in 2013 in persuading NHS Fife to change its mind about closing the Glenrothes out-of-hours emergency care service.
Then, suddenly, and without prior communication, the Fife Health and Social Care Partnership announced the current three-month closure of the out-of-hours service at St Andrews, Dunfermline and Glenrothes hospitals, leaving the whole of Fife to be serviced at Kirkcaldy.
This “temporary” closure is about to end, and there has still been no communication or public announcement, leaving the people of Fife in a state of limbo.
The members of the community council are unanimous in their opinion that the Glenrothes emergency service must be continued.
If the partnership and the joint board are considering a new policy, using the apparent shortage of GPs as their reason, there should be consultation and cooperation throughout Fife. The members of the community council are now appealing to everyone in the Glenrothes area to support the continuation of the Glenrothes out-of-hours emergency service when the promised consultation becomes available to the public.
Ron Page, chairman.
Juniper Hill.
Glenrothes.
Hypocrisy in Heathrow vote
Sir, – I was amazed but not surprised to see the SNP abstaining from the vote on the Heathrow extension, due to no guarantees on climate change.
This on the same day Shell announced a major gas development in the North Sea.
Is there not a whiff of hypocrisy about all this grandstanding?
Bob Duncan.
Caesar Avenue,
Carnoustie.
Numbers add up for indy side
Sir, – I don’t know which World Economic Forum table Derek Farmer quoted (Letters, June 23) but the 2018 figures have the UK sitting in 21st place, with Norway and Iceland first and second.
His assertion that Scotland would suffer as an unknown factor runs contrary to the credit agency, Standard and Poor’s view, that an independent Scotland would attract a very high credit rating.
And his complaints of the Scottish Government’s poor fiscal management are just as spurious, with recent figures showing Scottish growth outpacing the rest of the UK and foreign investment in Scotland at unprecedented levels.
Mr Farmer’s plea, that a pledge of a windfall fund transfer should cause us to be grateful for London’s beneficence, rather neglects the many fund transfers which have headed south, with the recent sale by the Crown Estate, of Kinnaird Park in Edinburgh, taking £167 million out of Scotland.
We can add the £190 million farming convergence uplift payments that the EU granted Scottish farmers being purloined by Westminster and, unforgivably, the use of Scottish North Sea assets to feather bed the south east of England while Scottish investment was systematically strangled.
Underlining this mismanagement is the frustrating knowledge that Norway’s profit from its oil fund generated $131 billion in 2017, dwarfing the budget Scotland received from Westminster.
Mr Farmer believes it is “daft” to pursue independence. History shows it would be daft not to.
Ken Clark.
Thorter Way,
Dundee.
Stranger saves the day
Sir, – I’d like to express my thanks to the kind person who found my bank card, which I had inadvertently left in or around the ATM at Nationwide Bank on Reform St after depositing a cheque early on Tuesday morning.
I discovered my error a few minutes later and went back but no sign of the card. When the bank opened at 9am the staff checked their post box and the card was there.
If the person who found the card contacts me I would like to thank them personally.
Cllr Anne Rendall.
Dundee City Council,
Dundee.
If the Bard had broadband…
Sir, –Who is deemed eligible for fibre broadband and who is not yet seems to be random.
In the same village some seem to have it “bestowed” on them and others not. Even people who share a telegraph pole can have different outcomes and no account seems to be taken of who wants or needs it, or has intentions of upgrading.
Dealing with Open Reach and service providers (in my case, BT) has proved very frustrating.
If Robert Burns were around now, he might have come up with this:
Some hae speed they dinnae need.
Some hae nane that want it.
If you hae need and you hae speed,
May Open Reach be thankit.
Robert Ferguson.
New Gilston,
Leven.
