Today’s letters to The Courier.
Sir, – Kengo Kuma’s design for the V&A in Dundee is going to be a stunning contemporary feature that will make a positive contribution to the regeneration of Dundee.
The plans also indicate how the new building will contribute to opening up the area surrounding the building for the access, use and enjoyment of people.
As a design student at Dundee College, I researched Kuma’s work for a college project. It was interesting to discover that this award-winning and innovative architect is also interested in conserving structures from the past and giving them new life and purpose.
Now that it appears that Perth City Hall has to be retained, why should it mean that it will remain as an apparently awkward ”lump of history”?
At the 2012 Duncan of Jordanstone Degree Show, I was very impressed by the work of the young and talented artists and designers who will graduate this year. Perhaps a competition for graduates from Scotland’s art and design colleges could be ”constructive”?
Maybe truly contemporary innovators will be able to see how best to conserve the existing building and develop the space.
Their new ideas may have the answers that will change the building into a valuable contribution to Perth now and for generations to come.
The competition should only be open to graduates who will have a chance of being around to attend the 50-year anniversary of the ”new” City Hall Square (that excludes me as I am a mature student) and the only judges would be Perth residents.
It really is an opportunity that I am certain young designers would love the chance to embrace.
Fiona McClymont.5 Camus Place,Craigton of Monikie.
Unicorn needs to be closer to V&A site
Sir, – Brian Lawrenson’s letter of last week concerning HMS Unicorn is timely. The development of Dundee’s waterfront with the V&A as the centrepiece gives an opportunity to consolidate the city’s maritime heritage as part of that development.
Unicorn’s current location seriously weakens the ship’s ability to attract tourists, in stark contrast to when she was sited next to Discovery and we had six times our current visitor numbers.
The Trustees of Unicorn earnestly hope that Dundee City Council will reconsider the current plan to leave the ship where she is and can find a location closer to Discovery and the V&A.
The Earl of Dalhousie.Chairman of the Unicorn Preservation Society.
A rather narrow thread of justice
Sir, – In your report ”Windfarms will net area £13m” (May 21) it is claimed in the Joseph Rowntree Foundation report that it is seeking ”justice” for communities disadvantaged by having wind turbines in their area by their being paid even higher amounts of money by developers.
Surely this is a very narrow element of the concept of ”justice”?
What about ”justice” for tourists whose appreciation and enjoyment of our renowned landscapes is despoiled by the presence of huge industrial turbines?
Also, what about ”justice” for the wider population of ever more impoverished electricity consumers who have to pay for these ”community benefits” through the subsidies paid to developers and added to their bills?
GM Lindsay.Whinfield Gardens,Kinross.
Defence cuts not SNP doing
Sir, – The attempt by Alistair MacLean (Letters, May 17) to blame the SNP for possible defence cuts is ridiculous.
Anyone with an interest in these matters knows that any defence cuts will actually be the result of UK government spending cuts. In fact the SNP, which has secured a Westminster debate on the future of Scottish recruited units, believes scrapping of the regimental names would be a ”disgraceful betrayal”.
On Wednesday Angus Robertson MP, who joined a cross-party campaign to protect Scotland’s regimental names, spoke out against such a possibility.
He said: ”The decimation of Scotland’s conventional defence capacity under successive Westminster governments cannot go unchallenged enough is enough.
”This latest threat underlines the disturbing decline of Scottish recruited units and starkly exposes the extent to which the UK government are running down Scotland’s defence capabilities.”
Furthermore, the SNP has been in the forefront against defence cuts, for example involving RAF Leuchars and the Royal Marines at Arbroath.
In addition they have pointed out that Scotland does not receive its fair share of defence spending.
Thomas Murray.127 Cairns Crescent,Perth.
A wake-up call
Sir, – As a status-quoptimist, I feel extremely let down by Lord Fraser’s pessimistic utterance regarding independence.
It will undoubtedly lend succour to those who wish to break up the Union.
On a brighter note, however, what has been said by the Honourable Lord may act as a wake-up call.
The Union has been with us now for 305 years and is internationally referred to as ”the most successful Union ever”.
GE Muir.70 Abbey Road,Scone.
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Sir, – In his perpetual praise of the eurozone, Alex Orr (Letters, May 21) asked me to hold up a mirror to Britain’s economic performance, which I did, but my view was obstructed by the massive flight of private and business capital from European bank accounts, headed for the safety of British and US banks.
Is this also part of the eurozone success?
Malcolm Parkin.15 Gamekeepers Road,Kinnesswood, Kinross.
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.