Sir, I am astonished that Dundee City Council’s planning department is recommending refusal of the Next superstore on the Kingsway in Dundee.
As I understand it, this will be a flagship store in Scotland.
Everything I know about Next retail, including the online aspects, indicate that this will be a major draw to visitors from Aberdeen to Perth and Fife.
The concern expressed by planners about impact on the city centre only serves to underline that the they too believe it will be a major draw!
I actually have a some sympathy with the notion that it could negatively impact the city centre trade. I don’t have the data the planners have access to, but I am willing to accept that it might have a marginal short-term impact.
However, only as it may possibly apply to “today’s” Dundee.
The vision of the waterfront and the V&A, which I wholeheartedly support and applaud, is about “building it and they will come”.
So let us have the confidence that will be the case. Then this Next superstore, of that soon-to-be future, vibrant, growing Dundee, will be no competition for the centre.
On the contrary, such a superstore will only add to the draw of more visitors to the city as a whole.
Denis Taylor. Dundee.
Followed the script well
Sir, Full marks to government minister Owen Paterson, for again following the autocue script written by GM industry associates in their current PR campaign: “wicked” . . . “disgusting”. . . “allowing little children to go blind and die” . . . all for lack of GM rice (Courier, Tuesday).
Matched against reality, it shows him to be one of the least-fitted persons to hold office as Secretary for the Environment.
The simplistic reduction of vitamin A deficiency, caused by acute poverty and malnutrition, to something to be remedied by a problem-riddled GM rice strain is absurd.
The actual function of GM “golden” rice is as a trojan horse to promote acceptability for GM crop technology by suggesting the possibility of a tangible benefit for consumers.
Global initiatives to counter vitamin A deficiency have reduced incidence of the disease considerably during the 20 years of GM “golden” rice development.
Ongoing programmes of vital years six-monthly supplementation and localised horticultural and dietary education show, as always, that it is political will to alleviate acute poverty that is the key, not so-called techno-fixes and demonising those who question them.
Owen Paterson demonstrates a political will that serves corporate interests.
Arthur Jarrett. 45 Naughton Road, Wormit.
No Dundee University then
Sir, It was with more than a little pleasure to read of John Suchet’s visit to Dundee yesterday to present his Classic FM programme from the Caird Hall.
Your short report, however, stated that John “went to Dundee University”. No such institution existed at that time. Like myself, although I was there two years before John and in a different faculty, he attended Queen’s College Dundee, a constituent part of St Andrews University, which obtained its own charter in 1967.
It is one of several peculiarities of my own university career that although not a single lecture or tutorial or any other aspect of it took place in St Andrews itself the degree which I somehow contrived to obtain in 1965 is one bestowed by The University of St Andrews and I presume the same applies to John.
Tony Belford. 22 Craigmount Road, Dundee.
The kindness of strangers
Sir, May I offer my thanks and gratitude to the kind folk of Dundee?
On our way from Glasgow to Arbroath, the car my wife and I were travelling in developed problems, “stranding” us on the outskirts of the city.
Top of the range (expensive) membership of a well-known motoring organisation ensured we would not be stranded for too long.
However, while we waited to be “recovered” approaching midnight on an inclement evening two citizens of your fair city, a young man on a motorcycle and an older gentleman in a car, stopped and asked if we needed help.
It was the kindest of gestures and suggests Glasgow has a worthy rival in the friendly city stakes.
My compliments.
Jim McBeth. Glasgow.
Fortunate indeed!
Sir, We recently had the Secretary of State for Scotland Alastair Carmichael telling First Minister Alex Salmond not to bring “grievances” like youth unemployment and welfare reform to the Joint Ministerial Council of the UK. Scotland is very fortunate that non-issues like these are the responsibility of Westminster.
Iain Anderson. 41 West End, St Monans.