Sir, – £1 to pee at an Episcopalian cathedral?
Try the wee frees!
Ken Gill. Camasinas, Ardnamurchan.
Left standing by dial-and-go bus
Sir, – The regular service bus to and from Insch has been replaced with a dial-and-go service. It sounds great in theory but in reality it has left Insch with an unreliable and scaled down link to Inverurie and Aberdeen.
It has a number of flaws rendering it useless for people who need to arrive at work or for an appointment on time. The bus detours to pick up other passengers so no arrival time is guaranteed. You can only book one day at a time, no block booking allowed.
This has left travellers to take taxis or the train from a station with long-standing access problems for disabled users.
A recent online survey is unlikely to reach the majority of the elderly users of the service and there is no scope there to register failed efforts to make a journey – in some cases, the bus arrives late or not at all.
This service has left residents who depend on public transport with a poorer service and in many cases having to opt for more expensive options to guarantee making appointments or reaching work on time.
Please bring back our service bus.
Shona Stewart. Sunside of Rayne, Durno.
Ferries failing the battleship test
Sir, – I watched All Creatures Great And Small last Thursday.
The housekeeper’s son was posted to HMS Repulse. I knew that this ship was sunk by the Japanese together with HMS Prince of Wales. But I googled HMS Repulse out of interest.
This 27,600-ton monster was laid down on January 25 1915, launched January 8 1916 and commissioned August 18 1916 ready for battle. The cost in today’s money was £169 million. Compare this to the fiasco that is the two CalMac ferries.
What has gone so badly wrong with our shipbuilding industry in 100 years?
Derek Johnson. Broadhaven Road, Portlethen Village.
Gold Standard gives cold comfort
Sir, – I have read multiple stories recently, about the new Gold Standard council homes being built by Aberdeen City Council.
They certainly sound impressive. However, before ACC run out of puff blowing their own trumpet about these developments, may I be allowed the opportunity, as one of their long-standing disabled tenants to remind them some of us are still living in the Brown Standard Aberdeen City Council home!
In my case it means windows that are 40 to 50 years old, crumbling pointing and cracked exterior brickwork, significant damp and mould issues, and close to zero insulation in a home already classed as hard to heat. All of which means a home well below the (apparent) legal standards required by a social landlord.
It also means an oppressively cold home with very little heat retention for a tenant with disabilities made considerably worse by the cold.
How did this happen with so many landlord rules, regulations and significant government funding in place?
Multiple official requests for explanations and supporting paperwork have been brazenly and steadfastly ignored by both the council housing team and subsequently their complaints department. Is this how they help their “most vulnerable tenants in fuel poverty” as pledged on their website?
Complaints to the Scottish Public Service Ombudsman are currently taking 11 months to be allocated to a case worker. Is this really a service fit for purpose?
K Martin. Peterculter, Aberdeen.
Turbines too high for Hill of Fare
Sir, – I am writing regarding the Hill of Fare wind farm proposal launched by Renewable Energy Systems Ltd (RES) in partnership with Dunecht Estates.
The proposal is to construct 17 turbines with a tip height of 250m (820ft) on the top of the Hill of Fare.
There is no precedent for onshore turbines of this height in Scotland, and to put the size of these proposed structures in context, each one will exceed the height of the Canary Wharf skyscraper (235m) in London’s Docklands. Turbines of this magnitude have only been installed in offshore locations to date, and in my view this is where they belong.
Certainly not on the Hill of Fare, which due to its location and geography, will make them highly visible to many thousands of Aberdeenshire people for tens of kilometres around in every direction.
While rural, the Hill of Fare is by no means a remote location. Add the associated noise, visual interference, additional power grid infrastructure, and effects on local amenity and wildlife including migrating birds and nesting red kites, and there is potential for this project to significantly diminish the quality of life for huge numbers of local folk all around the hill.
While I understand that in order to reach Scotland’s net-zero targets there is a need for more onshore wind farms as part of the renewable energy generating mix, it cannot be right or beneficial to achieve this at the expense of Scotland’s natural heritage and reduced quality of life and amenity for large numbers of her people. There is a balance to be struck here, and 250m onshore turbines cannot be part of it, except in the remotest of locations with low population density.
If this proposal is allowed to go ahead in its current form, a precedent will be set that will mean no hill, glen, moor, skyline or inspiring view will be safe from the installation of these monster wind farms by multinational companies and landowners eager to capitalise on these wild places that make this country such a wonderful place to live.
Linda Dunk. Torphins, Banchory.
SNP are the failing party
Sir, – It’s not nice that Nicola Sturgeon as our first minister “detests” all Tories. Does this include all the Scots born in Scotland who voted Tory in the last election and could vote if persuaded, for her dream, independence?
She even gave us the “spin” about Liz Truss not taking the time to speak with her. She said, “I don’t know whether that is arrogance, lack of respect or insecurity…” (EE, October 8) – is this not the kettle calling the pot black?
But when SNP MSP Angus Robertson was pressed, he admitted they had met in London. Is there no end to her attention-seeking ways in a failing party?
T Shirron, Davidson Drive, Aberdeen.
Act now to save the Granite Mile
Sir, – Aberdeen Inspired chief executive Adrian Watson and the Aberdeen city councillors need to take a good look in the mirror.
Union Street has always been the hub of our city, the main thoroughfare for business, holidaymakers and our own citizens’ enjoyment over the years.
Councillors past and present have misled the public and themselves by ignoring how serious it is in letting it decline from what it was before to what it is now.
All this money ploughed into Union Terrace Gardens will have been for nothing unless they act now on regenerating the city centre.
Rent and rates need to be dropped dramatically to let businesses open again in town.
The council wants to stop looking for ways to make quick money and think of ways of maintaining it long term.
It needs to build up a good relationship with traders and find a way to get Union Street back to the way it was once upon a time.
Joseph Durno, Cummings Park Circle, Aberdeen.
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