Sir, I am the individual Chris Ferguson refers to in his article (Courier, July 31).
I was granted planning consent from the Scottish Office despite Angus Council, and one Arbroath councillor in particular, doing their damnedest to refuse to have affordable housing built on a site known as the railway cutting in Montrose, which I purchased from Angus Council for that purpose.
The site was deemed so good for social housing that the Scottish Office reporter recommended that the site should be developed for more affordable housing than the original outline planning consent for two houses when he overruled Angus council planners, after my appeal to the Scottish Office.
Angus Council wasdetermined that despitehaving a huge hole in the centre of Montrose which was a cause for constant complaint to environmental health rather than having it filled in and affordable houses being built, they would rather stymie this unique opportunity.
This saga has cost myself and the Angus council tax payers a lot of money but I consider it money well spent. I proved that, despite the widespread belief of people in Angus and Scotland as a whole, planning consent is not in the gift of the planner or even the councillors but is an inalienable right enshrined in Scottish law.
Robert Alexander, Bothy Starforth, Carnoustie.
Legend already but one running on empty
Sir, Jessica Ennis is one of our greatest track and field athletes, having won the London Olympics before an hysterical crowd, as well as European and worldheptathlon titles.
Among her many astonishing career achievements, she has cleared 6ft 5in in the high jump and given that she is only 5ft 5in, this is one of the greatest differentials in sports history.
But there is the rub she is tiny compared with her 6ft-plus rivals and her body is showing the wear of years of extreme training and only disappointment lies ahead.
Jessica recently married and is about the same age as the Mexican golfer Lorena Ochoa was when she called it a day and went home to start her family.
As Don Schlitz wrote in his classic song, The Gambler: “You got to know when to hold them, know when to fold them; know when to walk away and know when to run.”
Dr John Cameron. 10 Howard Place, St Andrews.
A problem that is going to grow
Sir, I feel so sorry for may in the 50-60 age group who are still working and may have elderly parents who need help.
Problems with their parents may come at the same time as concerns with their own children leaving university and looking for a job, not to mention setting up their homes or even with grandchildren.
This is becoming a new scenario now that some of us are living longer and must be very stressful to those concerned.
Mary Smith. Blairadam, By Kelty.
Proliferation of jellyfish some 50 years ago
Sir, I read the letter in The Courier on Tuesday regarding the jellyfish increase that has been detected around Tayside and Fife and offering a reason for this happening (man-made climate change and over-fishing).
As youngsters living inCellardyke, we spent our summers at the Cardinal Steps Bathing Pool (50-plus years ago) and during some summers the pool and beaches would be inches thick with jellyfish being washed ashore.
We had great fun throwing these poor creatures at each other and trying to avoid them as we swam in the sea. My husband comes from Pittenweem and he also remembers this.
Rona M. Robertson. 46 James Street, Cellardyke.
A diet of pie in sky and whisky
Sir, How ironic that Mr Ken Clark should denigrate Simon Pia’s article as a desperate attempt to convince “the rest of us” (yesterday’s Letters) and then go on to use the same self-justifying rhetoric!
Perhaps one day hemay come to realise that no political party can be trusted with the truth. His recent missive assuring us that we can prosper in an economy based on whisky, life sciences and a greatly reducedmanufacturing industry is pure cod-economics. No facts or figures, just the same old propaganda as issued daily by our wily First Minister, Alex Salmond.
Every day we live the No campaign. The Yes campaign is pie in the sky. More power to Simon Pia’s pen.
Jas Davie. 33 Aberdour Place, Barnhill, Dundee.