SIR, – The possibility that our generation could miss the opportunity to transform Aberdeen’s city centre in a way which will enhance it for decades to come is heartbreaking for anyone committed to the cultural and economic future of the city.
Aberdeen City and Shire Economic Future (Acsef) selected the option of raising Union Terrace Gardens and covering the Denburn Valley because it is the only one which can meet the key challenges facing our city now and in the future. Sir Ian Wood's donation of £50million makes it a viable option.
Instead of treating the current consultation process like a moaner's charter, let's exhibit one of our other north-east traits and have a bit of vision.
Why settle for a £5million arts facility when we could have a £140million investment in the space, including an arts facility of equal size or bigger and green park space of equal or greater size to the existing (underused) gardens?
As someone committed to living and working in our city, I would love the ability to enjoy an outdoor cafe (if they can do it in Stavanger and Stockholm, we can do it here) in a scenic central park; to celebrate Hogmanay or other civic events in a central performance area, or just to walk through the space with friends to enjoy the public art and surrounding architecture.
All that is possible, but only if people vote “Yes”.
Martin Ewan,
46 Whitehall Road,
Aberdeen.
SIR, – As someone whose company spent £544 on a British Airways “economy" fare day trip to London last week (including a £101 fee to change my return flight), I agree with Stewart Milne (the Press and Journal, February 8) that the north-east needs to improve its air, rail and road infrastructure considerably.
I also agree that the city square project is a fantastic opportunity to kick-start the revitalisation and create a bold, beautiful heart in the city.
I don't think anybody disagrees that something needs to be done. But standing at either end of the gardens, the obvious solution is to build Peacock, keep the gardens and deck over the railway and road.
This is one of the Peacock “compromise" suggestions. Why isn't Aberdeen City and Shire Economic Future (Acsef) agreeing? Is there a clue in section 4, page 71, of the final report, in which it says that the 495-space car park proposed for the gardens development “enable the demolition and redevelopment of the Denburn car park"?
You could get a lot of money for that, Aberdeen City Council, and many flats into that space, Mr Milne.
Allan Sutherland,
1 Willow Row,
Stonehaven.
SIR, – Perhaps Highland Council would have more road salt in stock if it was to cease doing preventive salting of roads when it was raining.
My understanding is that gritter crews have no discretion once they are told to spread salt. This despite reporting back to their control that it is raining heavily and tons of salt spread on that shift are being washed down the drains.
If every lorry-load of salt I have seen being wasted over the last few years was still in store in the Longman dump, then Caley Thistle's ground would be buried.
Now that Highland Council has virtually run out of salt, and we are being warned in really severe spells of weather that salting might not happen, then surely the same can be done when there is a small chance of frost interspersed with rain.
I trust that where public companies have won the contracts for road maintenance they are not using the excuse of being without salt. If they tender for a service and improve their returns to shareholders and their profits by being parsimonious and are not complying with the terms of their contract they must be made to comply or lose their contracts.
The state of the main ferry route to Ullapool (the A835) is the worst I have seen it in nearly 50 years of driving this route.
A. Armitstead,
Morven,
Achiltibuie.
SIR, – You featured (February 6) a new interactive website aimed at reducing the number of deaths on north and north-east country roads. It stresses the need to adjust speed to the potential hazards posed by country roads and their particular mix of traffic.
Contrast this approach with that revealed in another story in the same issue – “Anger over Banff road speed traps” – in which the Association of British Drivers condemned the use of multiple mobile speed cameras on the A947.
This body claims on its website that it “believes that drivers have a responsibility to travel at a speed that is safe for the prevailing conditions at all times" and that “the misuse of speed, resulting from inexperience or poor hazard perception, is a contributory factor in many accidents".
A spokesman was quoted as claiming that as speed cameras haven't reduced fatalities, they must simply be a way of raising funds.
This illustrates one of the reasons road-safety campaigns are up against it. As long as bodies like this encourage such a view, they are simply encouraging the many arrogant, ignorant drivers who don’t take account of prevailing conditions and obviously believe it is acceptable to flout the law. Speeding, using mobile phones, not wearing seatbelts, risky overtaking – these surely all reflect the same mindset which simply demonstrates a lack of respect for others.
Bob Peden,
18 Causewayend Crescent,
Aberchirder.
SIR, – I refer to your story (February 3) headed “Anger after Pope attacks UK equality laws”.
I do not belong to the Roman Catholic part of the Church, but I, for one, welcome the Pope's principled criticism of so-called “equalities legislation” which seems to be designed to make some groups considerably more equal than others.
Let's have a level playing field, and let there be rational and consistent arguments addressed to the controversial issues around marriage and sexual relationships generally.
Let policy genuinely be based on unbiased evidence – such as Focus on Families, from the Office of National Statistics.
It might then be found that traditional Christian teaching on these matters is true (corresponds with the facts) and life-enhancing.
It might also be found helpful to ask ourselves the practical reasons why Christianity flourished against all the pagan alternatives in the first place.
See, for instance, Rodney Stark’s books The Rise of Christianity and The Victory of Reason”.
Then, just maybe, we can stop sawing off the branch our “western” societies are sitting on, and have been sitting on for the last 1,000 years or so.
Nigel Feilden,
Highmuir Croft,
Meikle Wartle.