Sir, Some three years ago, foreign visitors of ours commented on the boarded-up former Waverley Hotel in Perth and assumed that it had been recently damaged and was awaiting imminent renovation as would befit a building at the entrance to our city.
I have a problem with councillors nitpicking over building designs which may not be the most cutting edge when the alternative is another how many years of an offensive-looking buildings such as St Paul’s Church, the tollhouse on the Dundee Road and dilapidated and empty properties at Bridgend.
I know of people who hesitated to buy property at Gannochy because the Bridgend area looked so down-at-heel that they thought it would affect property values.
This must surely apply in York Place. How unattractive can the redevelopment plans be when compared with the buildings diagonally opposite the Waverley Hotel?
Valerie MacLean Lansdowne. 25 Victoria Road, Scone.
Planning anomaly
Sir, I am writing in connection with the recent correspondence regarding the external cladding of stone-built tenements by Dundee Council.
I am concerned that this proposal seems to be contrary to the important role of the local authority in maintaining Dundee’s building heritage, which, ironically, was created by the city authorities.
I am also puzzled by some apparent inconsistencies in the council’s approach to the requirement for planning permission.
Apparently, council officials decided that a planning application was not required for the external cladding of some hundreds of stone-built tenements on the basis that this would not make any significant or material difference to the appearance of the buildings.
At the same time and despite this, it is understood that the council was required to obtain separate and necessary building warrants for the actual work involved.
This is a surprising situation since a check of typical planning submissions discloses the need to obtain formal approval for a range of minor operations such as the repainting of a shop-front, or the replacement of a red wooden door with an identical door, the installation of an extractor duct for a kitchen or even the installation of a wood-burning stove.
It would be helpful if the city planning department could clarify its policy on this matter and explain what criteria has been applied here on this major issue as well as its policy concerning “minor” submissions.
In the meantime, I might consider the benefits of applying external insulation to my late-Victorian stone-walled cottage, possibly without the need for planning approval of course.
James Buist. 104 Camphill Road, Brought Ferry.
Why Dundee walking ban?
Sir, Recently I was walking round Broughty Ferry and arrived at Stannergate.
I spotted a cyclist cycling along what I thought was a new cycle track and I thought it would be nice to walk along it to the city centre.
However, when I got to the gate, there was a pedestrian sign with a large cross on it saying pedestrians were not authorised.
There was a security intercom and I pressed it and a security employee asked if he could help me and I asked if there was pedestrian access.
He replied, no.
My point is, when, as far as I know, there are many dual cycle and pedestrian pathways throughout Dundee, why is this one different?
If it is a security issue, it does not make sense.
What is the difference between a would-be terrorist or smuggler walking or cycling?
I would have thought a cyclist could escape the authorities much more quickly than a walker.
Perhaps someone authorised can explain.
Brian Millar. Blackness Avenue, Dundee.
Scotland being dumbed down
Sir, If I thought that the SNP was genuine about getting the best out of the BBC for Scotland I would support them, but the show trial at Holyrood last week had as much more to do with imposing a nationalist agenda on our media and wrenching us away culturally and politically from the UK than an attempt to flatten the cringeworthy BBC Alba and start again, or to take the atrocious, mawkish “McEastenders” River City round the back of the studio and quietly put it out of its misery.
It shocks and frightens me to see how far my country is being split and dumbed down under the SNP.
Allan Sutherland. 1 Willow Row, Stonehaven.
We should not give up on poor
Sir, The Left should be angry at how welfare imprisons the poor. Instead they are furious at Iain Duncan Smith for addressing the problem or at any commentator who dares discuss it.
The fact that Leftist politicians and more than 100 charities were apoplectic with Benefits Street should have alerted us to the likelihood that the documentary was on to something.
What it showed was that Gordon Brown’s welfarism had effectively destroyed the family unit while his tax system had robbed regular work of any economic function for the poor.
It made clear that most of those on benefits do some sort of work but outside a system which puts them on a marginal tax rate which can soar as high as an absurd 91%.
Mr Duncan Smith is aiming to abolish the tangled web of benefits and put in its place a universal credit which would lower the effective top tax rate to 65%.
This is still outrageously high, but it can be lowered when the system is up and running. The alternative is to give up on the poor and leave them to rot in their economic exile.
Rev Dr John Cameron. 10 Howard Place, St Andrews.
Victims are never at fault
Sir, Angela Merkel’s bid to deport refugees if they are convicted of criminal acts is long overdue and comes in the wake of the sex assaults in Cologne at New Year.
But we then heard the mayor of Cologne telling women to dress appropriately when out in crowds.
There is no excuse or justification for sexual violence against women. It is never the fault of victims.
The reason these women have been attacked is because the suspected perpetrators, Arab and North African men, have no respect for white western European women and think such vile behaviour is acceptable.
Women should be able to wear what they want without the fear of being attacked.
Gordon Kennedy. 117 Simpson Square, Perth.
SNP make case for staying in UK
Sir, As the SNP explains its position on Europe, it is intriguing to reflect on what this rationale would imply if applied to the UK.
The SNP has a short policy statement on the EU on its website. Taking that and replacing each reference to the EU with the UK , plus a couple of wording changes to retain the meaning of the original and you get this fascinating result:
“The SNP believes that membership of the UK is in Scotland’s best interests.
“There are a huge number of benefits for Scotland from being part of the UK including that the UK is the main destination for Scotland’s goods and services and as citizens of the UK we are able to travel freely throughout the UK and Europe for work, study or travel without the
need for visas.
“…the SNP wants Scotland to have a louder voice in the UK, an increased contribution to UK policy….”
Interesting.
Keith Howell. White Moss, West Linton.
Wake up to oil jobs crisis
Sir, So another 600 North Sea jobs are lost, this time from BP, and sadly, employers in the industry believe even more job losses are to come.
Brent Crude drops below $30 a barrel, the lowest price since 2004 and 73% lower than the SNP’s referendum projections.
Still, Scotland’s First Minister Nicola Sturgeon seeks to separate Scotland from the rest of the UK.
Few ever believed her “oil is just a bonus” claims, so how about she explains how she would have delivered on her austerity rhetoric in a post-oil independent Scotland?
It is time for a reality check, First Minister.
Ms Sturgeon should reflect on the numbers.
After that she should place Scotland, her people and the economy before SNP separatist dogma.
Martin Redfern. 4 Royal Circus, Edinburgh.