This morning our readers write about flooding in the Carse of Gowrie, the need for Scotland to work with China, cyclists flouting the law, sustainable waste and industrial action by members of Dundee University and College union.
New houses put Carse of Gowrie at flood risk Sir, Once again, hardly more than a year since the last time, the roads to the north of the level crossing at Carse Grange are flooded.
The result is that the inhabitants of the new housing estate are marooned and at least one house has been flooded.
This is something which had never happened previously in all my 20 years of residence here and it is clear that the building of the new houses is at least partially, and probably mainly, to blame.
Perth and Kinross Council were warned by Errol Community Council of the likely consequences of building houses on the flat lands of the Carse.
Instead of standing in the fields and soaking away gradually, the water runs quickly off the roofs and roadways of a development. In addition, it is more than likely that the building work has disrupted the old and intricate system of drainage.
Errol Community Council warned Perth and Kinross Council of this on more than one occasion and objected strongly to the building of a large number of houses.
As ever, Perth and Kinross Council ignored the community council’s advice and the residents of Grange are now suffering.
Michael J. B. Almond.The Retreat,Grange,Errol.
Scotland must work with China
Sir, About the deal with China to supply it with salmon, your columnist Stefan Morkis (January 14) wrote, “Are these trade deals really worth ignoring our consciences for? Or are a couple of pandas all it takes to abandon any principles we claim to possess?”
The USA, Germany, France and Australia trade with China but apparently his argument is that Scotland and the rest of the UK should not.
These countries export to a greater extent to China than the UK, though Scottish salmon producers should not trade with China? And Richard Lochhead is wrong to be pleased about the multi-million pound deal?
Would Mr Morkis support a ban on the export of Scotch whisky to China? Does he oppose the deal that secured the long-term future for Grangemouth, or BP’s deal for exploration in the South China Sea?
In total, all the recent deals are worth £2.6 billion.
Prime Minister David Cameron said that the trade deals “built on the momentum” of his visit to Beijing last year.
Mr Morkis does not criticise the UK Government but does attack the Scottish Government.
Lecturing and confrontation do not work with China. They are only prepared to listen to those who co-operate with them.
Thomas Murray.127 Cairns Crescent,Perth.
Cyclists should not ignore law
Sir, With reference to Len Martin (January 15), I can sympathise with his views on idiots who insist on cycling on the pavement.
The negative response he got from the police must immediately be challenged.
Many of the Highway Code’s regulations are advisory but some compulsory. The following are the law and are compulsory Regulation 69 makes it clear that the cyclist is subject to the same laws as a motorist.
Regulation 71 states that it is illegal to cross a stop line when the traffic light is at red, and now the regulation that Mr Martin can quote to the less-than-helpful, or ignorant, police officer Regulation 64 is short and to the point, stating you must not cycle on a pavement.
He can also quote that certain cycling offences can be punished with fines, at the discretion of a judge but up to a maximum limit.
A few maximum fines would solve the problem.
Clark Cross.138 Springfield Road,Linlithgow.
Sustainable waste option
Sir, I write with reference to your article (January 13) about the increase in the number of applications for incinerators and waste-management plants.
It is certainly a major issue as many landfill sites are nearing their full capacity. There was no comment on why we are producing so much waste and whether there are any other solutions.
Instead of looking for bigger holes in the ground to bury rubbish or looking for sites for incinerators, we should be trying to reduce the amount of rubbish we produce.
As raw materials become scarcer and countries such as India and China increase their demand, it just does not make common sense but also economic sense to recycle more of our waste.
Manufactured goods should be produced so that the raw materials can be recycled when the product is no longer usable.
Robert Potter.16R Brown Street,Dundee.
Different view of action vote
Sir, Dundee University and College Union would like to clarify information put out by university management (January 15) with regard to the results of the union strike ballot.
You reported that a spokesman for the university stated that “the number of votes cast equates to less than 10% of all academic and related staff at the university.”
This statement presumably was designed to give the appearance of a lack of support for industrial action by the staff.
In actual fact, the percentage of staff who voted was just under 40% of all staff who were entitled to vote in this ballot.
That is, those who are members of the above union.
Of those who voted for industrial action, 83% voted for industrial action short of a strike and 65% voted for strike action.
Quite a different slant on these figures put out by management.
Mona Clark.Honorary Secretary,Dundee University and College Union,Caird House,170 Nethergate,Dundee.
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