Sir, Shopping in the centre of Perth is now at a crossroads and its future hangs in the balance.
Perth Council have published their plans for the future development of Perth and this hinges on a new bridge over the River Tay from Inver-almond to New Scone.
It includes a massive housing development in the same areas. By the time this takes place, Perth’s shopping will be one or two shopping malls between the Crieff and Dunkeld roads. The major stores are already there Asda, Marks & Spencer, Tesco, with Sainsbury coming soon.
Restaurants will follow.
The existing centre of Perth will become a derelict wasteland similar to most towns and cities in America.
Tourists will wander around during the day looking at any old buildings left standing and there will be a few gift shops. Young people will hit the bars and clubs in theevenings and the takeaways will remain open for them.
Perth needs shoppers to survive. Why have we not copied Dundee where shoppers can park for up to two hours free of charge inGallagher Retail Park? The same system could operate in the South Inch and Thimblerow car parks.
The council must make up their mind which is more important. Shoppers coming to Perth and shops paying rates, or fees from half-empty car parks.
Local people are no longer making use of the expensive car parks. A one-hour ticket costing £1 allows just enough time to visit the bank or one shop.
Perhaps the council might like to publish the amount of money collected from parking meters, the cost of trafficwardens and their back office staff employed in accounting to support the system, and finally the sum that they have failed to collect from parking fines each year. Does itprovide a better return than streets filled with shops?
If nothing happens to bring shoppers back to Perth, the city centre will wither and die!
Robin Valentine. 3 Burnbank, Bridge of Earn.
Customers just being fleeced
Sir, British Gas wails that profits are down due to low demand in the warm weather. It also refuses to pass on savings from weak world energy prices.
It is worrying that providers of essential services are making £billions for shareholders, when they should be providing these at cost, plus only enough margin for investment in new processes, and to maintain and improve their infrastructures.
Since all these privatisations electricity, gas, water, postal services, and telecoms prices have risen out of all proportion to the reality of supply and demand, and profits are more important than customers.
They are really no more than robber barons, sitting on the life-blood of the nation, and making us pay the highest price they can get away with.
Malcolm Parkin. 15 Gamekeepers Road, Kinnesswood, Kinross.
Patronising attitude
Sir, News about an Amazonian Indian Tribe described by some of the media as being a “lost” tribe had me shaking my head in disbelief. What proof is there that they were “lost”? I’m sure they knew exactly where they were.
This patronising attitude adopted by the so called civilised world in assuming because we didn’t know about them means they were “lost” is nothing new.
Sadly I fear now that they have made contact with the outside world this could be the start of their demise, mainly through health issues probably unknown in their forest world up until this point.
Robert T Smith. 30 Braeside Terrace, Aberdeen.
Time to stop this silly myth
Sir, There is so much talk about the Bank of England saying that Scotland cannot use the pound in the event of achieving independence. This is a load of rubbish.
There is nothing the Bank of England can do to stop any country in the world from using the pound as their official in currency.
There are nine countries around the world using the US Dollar as their official currency. The US doesn’t like it, but there is nothing they can do about it.
So please end this scaremongering by the Bank of England.
Bob Bruce. 5 St Cuthbert’s View, Oxton.
Why is Alex in this debate?
Sir, Andrew Collins says he finds it “irritating” that Alex Salmond and the SNP are mentioned together with Yes Scotland as though they are the same thing (letters July 31).
If Mr Salmond is not Yes Scotland why will he be debating on TV with Alistair Darling, the leader of Better Together campaign, when surely the debate should be with the leader of the Yes campaign, whoever that may be?
Alan Provan. 19 Park Place, Elie.
State of our defence . . .
Sir, Bob Harper’s letter, One of the reasons why we should vote ‘yes’ (July 30), reminded me of a series of events back in April.
The then Defence Secretary, Philip Hammond, visited Scotland to tell us that Scotland could not defend itself. An admiral also came up from down south to deliver the same message.
Coincidentally, a Russian warship was reported to be near the Cromarty Firth. Two days later a British warship arrived from down south to find that the Russian warship had already moved on.
This is the kind of defence we have now.
David Black. 20 Seymour Street, Dundee.