Sir, – I was saddened to learn that full pedestrianisation of Union Street was recently rejected. This appears another significant blow to the attempted modernisation of Aberdeen City Centre.
Along with Sir Ian Wood’s vision for UTG, these projects would have indicated an ambitious council, delivering a long-term legacy for its constituents. Instead, alternative capital projects are often underwhelming and delivered greatly exceeding budget and deadline.
For context, I am a 30- year-old male from Aberdeen, currently studying in Liverpool. This is a vibrant city that should be looked towards for inspiration in how to manage the restoration of an underwhelming city centre. Take its large shopping area, it was previously a thoroughfare for traffic before it began full pedestrianisation in 1974.
Adjacent is the very popular Liverpool One outdoor shopping area, which leads to the fantastic Albert Dock, formerly part of a series of docks housing cargo imports, now the destination for a range of culture and hospitality venues for all the family.
I have little doubt that these projects would have also courted controversy among residents. However, elected council officials are employed to make these difficult decisions for the long-term prosperity of its constituents.
The previous administration appear to have left with good intentions, procuring the former BHS store, with the plan of converting it into a modern marketplace.
It is this perceived level of ambition that is required, to attract people back into the city centre and propel the city of Aberdeen forward, while in the process diversifying its economy from one that is exclusively reliant on oil and gas (yawn).
Without making difficult decisions, I fear future generations will continue to be disadvantaged by the failed choices of our elected council members.
Michael Simpson, Aberdeen.
Beware genetic engineering
Sir, – I note with interest Allan Sutherland’s letter extolling the virtues of genetic engineering, including an amusing statement about Dolly the Spud, no doubt referencing Dolly the Sheep.
The zealous Mr Sutherland accuses our government of ignorance and “virtue-signalling”, whatever that means.
Dolly the Sheep was a clone. Cloning spuds is what growers do every year when they select seed potatoes from the previous year’s crop. There is no danger to the environment from such a practice.
Genetic engineering, on the other hand, involves artificially introducing foreign genetic material into an organism’s DNA, creating something which cannot occur naturally.
The example cited – a potato which doesn’t taste like a potato – may appear benign. The problem is that it is not possible to define and legislate for “benign” genetic engineering. We do not have the means to model how such artificial genetic material will interact with the wider environment.
And sooner or later, in the interests of alleviating world hunger (while inadvertently enriching themselves), someone will develop a crop which is, for instance, resistant to herbicides, allowing the unscrupulous to drench the countryside with a favourite weedkiller while leaving the preferred plant untouched.
Don’t you think our ignorance has done enough damage to the planet?
G Davidson, Birse, Aboyne.
Bocelli concert was amazing
Sir, – Myself and a friend travelled from Ballater to the Andrea Bocelli concert on Friday. I cannot believe the vitriol that was imposed on the organisers. My friend had the foresight for us to arrive early to look for a parking space as there were lots, all free.
Around 5.30pm we parked the car and walked to the stadium with lots of happy people. On arrival we found our seats, which had been changed at short notice.
We had a wander and found stewards polite and helpful. The whole concert was amazing. The man has a voice made in heaven.
Why the blame game by people who mostly turned up late? A fantastic evening with memories to last.
Rosalie Turrell, Pannanich Road, Ballater.
Johnson must be shown No 10 door
Sir, – Finally this stubborn, arrogant, selfish buffoon has come to a decision, that should have been made weeks ago! He should and must go – immediately!
Issy Currie, Castletown, Caithness.
Fracking won’t provide security
Sir, – Your correspondent Clark Cross doubles down on the idea that fracking for shale gas might provide energy security for our country.
Among the assertions he makes, Mr Cross talks about “1,300 trillion cubic feet of shale gas reserves” in the UK. This is a very big number.
He has taken this figure from a 2013 report by UK Onshore Oil and Gas (UKOOG), the industry lobby group.
What Mr Cross does not say is that this is only an estimate; exploration has hardly begun. So, unlike in the North Sea, the oil and gas industry has “booked” no reserves of shale gas at all.
The oil and gas industry has not shown it can exploit shale gas safely and economically and it has no idea how much gas there is anyway. Is this a business we should rely on for energy security?
Jeff Rogers, Waters of Feugh, Banchory.
City’s priorities completely wrong
Sir, – The city council’s Greenferns Landward proposal shows the council still has all its priorities completely wrong.
Aside from the irreversible environmental damage it will do during its construction, claiming it will enhance the area is misguided when the green spaces of the city and its suburbs have done that just fine for decades.
It ably proves the planning department has its wires crossed with its mixed messaging and that the council are intent on the idiotic plans made from oil obsession in filling in every “blank space” on the map.
As long as there’s a developer with Identikit housing to be sold at exorbitant prices, who cares is the attitude. And let’s also ignore the communities affected too.
All the urban sprawl of the last 50 years is the result of council decisions and the unelected cabal of cluelessness emanating from the influence of oil.
Just wait till the fat lady sings on that ship of fools – and where will all their plans be then?
Ian Beattie, Baker Street, Aberdeen.
Tories should hang heads in shame
Sir, – I am so very sorry to see that Boris Johnson is now leaving his job as prime minister. We all make mistakes in life’s journey but sadly Boris made a few.
But this week we have seen many more resignations from many Conservative MPs and I am shocked at seeing this.
They should hang their heads in shame.
It was like the ship’s crew abandoning their station and leaving the captain to be the last person off.
I will now watch with great interest where those former MPs will go but I for one would not trust them.
In my own opinion there are very few Conservative candidates that could be a prime minister and that goes for the crew who jumped ship.
And for all the other UK political parties saying Boris was not fit to be a PM they should also start to get the United Kingdom back on its feet and keep Vladimir Putin away from our island.
Gavin Elder, Prunier Drive, Peterhead
Sturgeon loses her top recruiter
Sir, – So at last Boris Johnson has resigned as Tory leader but he says he wants to stay on as prime minister until autumn when a new leader will be elected.
This can’t be permitted, he should be gone immediately.
Also, I can’t understand why Nicola Sturgeon should be so happy about his demise as he was the SNP’s greatest recruiting sergeant with regards the matter of possible independence.
Alan McPherson, Grant Street, Cullen.
Last lie was biggest yet
Sir-, Of all the lies that Boris Johnson has told over his time in office, he told the biggest one on Wednesday when he said: “I will not resign.” Then, 24 hours later, he said he will resign. He is a compulsive liar and always has been.
D McKay, Torry, Aberdeen
Dirty politics
Sir-, OMG! Who has Boris Johnson upset so much?
His ministers were falling like the Trojans as the knives were being plunged into his back like a scene from Julius Caesar! I’ve never before seen so much dirty politics in my voting life. Boris should walk away with his head held high for how he achieved Brexit, dealt with coronavirus and being an ally to Ukraine.
T Shirron, Aberdeen.
Disappointing blame-pin bid
Sir-, It’s disappointing that your columnist Rebecca Buchan tries to pin the blame on councillors and the residents of Aberdeen for the failure to install the pedestrianisation scheme for Union Street.
She makes the point that almost 140 senior business figures have made the case for the scheme. But wasn’t it only six months ago that we were told that 900 companies were in favour of the scheme?
As far as her claim that escalators and lifts would be installed from the Green to Union Street, wasn’t it over 15 years ago when Union Square was built that we were told exactly the same thing? As usual, empty promises, nothing more, nothing less. Senior council officers were told by councillors to proceed with the scheme but, as usual, apathy set in and nothing happened.
Lastly, may I suggest the city belongs to its residents, not architects and not the hospitality industry? We are all waiting for someone to consult us on these proposals – we really deserve more than obscure online polls.
James Noel, Leggart Terrace, Aberdeen.
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