Today’s letters to The Courier.
Sir, – I read Stuart Gillespie’s article, Park and ride plans denounced (November 24), with great interest.
It is most heartening to read of Maggy Astin and Linda Hartley’s plan to lodge an objection to the installation of a 400-car facility at Dundee’s Riverside Nature Park.
With the amount of development springing up in and around our city, it is vital that we save as many patches of undeveloped land as we can to try to save some of our fast disappearing fauna and flora.
So often a likely site for a car park etc is built up before any necessary surveys are done at the appropriate times of the year for protected species of mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, invertebrates and plants that might be found there.
That a designated nature reserve, a site of special scientific interest, like Riverside Nature Park, could be abused in this way by such an unsympathetic development beggars belief.
We must stand together and fight the tremendous increase of official vandalising of our wildlife hot spots.
Frank D Bowles.37 Albany Terrace,Dundee.
Inadvertent help to raise money
Sir, – The article about Martha Payne in the magazine section of Saturday’s Courier (November 24) was a fine tribute to what that young lassie achieved and inspired through her blog “NeverSeconds”.
It was also a reminder that all too often the initial instinct of bureaucracies is to shoot the messenger, rather than first investigate to see if there is some substance to someone’s point of view or God forbid actually a requirement or opportunity to improve the ways they carry out their functions.
Martha’s initiative does her great credit, but the irony is that if her headmaster and Argyll and Bute Council had actually encouraged, rather than attempted to suppress, her endeavours the charity “Mary’s Meal’s” wouldn’t have received more than £100,000 in worldwide donations.
Well done them for being such effective fundraisers!
Jamie Gardner.Adventures In Golf(UK) Ltd,129a South Street,St Andrews.
Funds must be found for V&A
Sir, – I was about to write to The Courier regarding my thoughts on the revised V&A design compromise, when I read Jim Crumley’s article (November 20).
I would have written along the following lines.
Once more, Dundee has been faced with a compromise on cost grounds. The winning design was dynamic, spectacular and exciting, which is why so many of us chose it.
The V&A team assure us that it is still the same building as the one originally chosen and it undoubtedly is, but all the impact of its position over the water will be lost and, once more, Dundonians will be left with a building, fit for purpose, but not of the international status originally intended.
This building, together with the other works at the landfall, will give Dundee a much improved image, but funds should be found to ensure that the V&A project is built as originally intended.
Alfred Malocco.27 Craigie Hill,Drumoig, Fife.
Is this what awaits us?
Sir, – During my stay in Latvia and Lithuania last July, people I met there told me they had wanted their countries to have NATO membership simply to prevent Russia from ever taking over their countries again.
However, NATO has compelled them to send their soldiers to Afghanistan.
Soldiers from an earlier era of course had been conscripted into the Soviet army and sent to Afghanistan, so they know very well that the war in that country cannot be won.
I fear that if any future independent Scotland remains in NATO it will be compelled to take part in equally futile and pointless wars.
Robin Bell.27 Morgan Street,Dundee.
Poor markings add to danger
Sir, – Driving back in the dark from a concert in Perth last week, I was most disturbed to see how few “cat’s eyes” there were on long stretches of the road. Line markings were also worn and faint.
It struck me how even more dangerous it must be in foggy conditions. How do we go about having this recognised as a local priority before more lives are lost on this notorious road?
Dr Norma H Smith.7 Adelaide Terrace,Dundee.
Get involved: to have your say on these or any other topics, email your letter to letters@thecourier.co.uk or send to Letters Editor, The Courier, 80 Kingsway East, Dundee DD4 8SL. Letters should be accompanied by an address and a daytime telephone number.