Letters: We must be told who is responsible for the Dargavel scandal

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There is nothing in this article or this debate, like so many others of the same nature, about responsibility. To understand that there must be transparency in investigating the root causes of how this “blunder” happened. We have a situation where the taxpayer, local or national, is liable for 160 million, a local authority is looking to win an additional 4,000 homes generating municipal tax revenue (about 5-6 million per year) and a developer is looking to and succeeds in minimize its development costs and a landowner maximizes the value of its asset. Taxpayer voters want to know why this happened?

Planning decisions, by their very nature, affect to a very large extent the economic case for development and land values. Wherever I see the word ‘blunder’ used as part of a planning decision, it often means that the developer or owner is receiving increased value at the expense of the community. I never see blame for the mistake and rarely see a serious and transparent investigation into the root causes.

Blunders happen; when they do, the tax-paying public has an expectation, but unfortunately no right, to ensure that they are properly, transparently and thoroughly investigated, that accountability is assigned, that the results are published openly and, if necessary, that disciplinary action is taken.

Politicians, those who represent voters, just want to “move on”, the voting public wants answers and improvements, not evasions and vague excuses followed by business as usual. I guess what will happen: the rug will be raised again and the mess swept away, a metaphor for our body politic.

Gavin Findlay, Boghead.

A long time mistake

AS one of the few people involved in the development of ROF Bishopton/Dargavel since the early 2000s, I feel compelled to comment on the current deplorable situation you are highlighting today. While it is indisputable that there has been a monumental miscalculation on the part of Renfrewshire Council, I believe that the real responsibility for the situation lies with the former incumbents of the council’s planning and education departments.

The development, to allow the continuous weakening of the commitments made by the promoter to the detriment of the inhabitants, new and old. Education for ignoring feedback from residents and the community board on the size of the school.

Sadly, those I believe responsible for bad decisions have all moved on and will escape retribution for their incompetence, while current officers must clean up the mess left to them and the people of Bishopton suffer.

John Mackintosh, Bishopton.

The sums still do not add up

In school, I passed O-level arithmetic, math and statistics passes, so I don’t lay much claim to computer proficiency. So when I read in your lead article today that Renfrewshire Council is facing a big bill to correct a previous mistake of building a primary school for 430 instead of 1,100 pupils I thought oh my God . Then I read that she was now counting on 1,500 pupils and therefore the solution was obvious: to build more classrooms with a capacity of 800, for a total of 1,230 places for the 1,500 pupils planned.

Did I miss something? Or are they counting on the absence of students and “hot desking” to deal with the shortfall? Or maybe it’s just my arithmetic.

Alastair Clark, Stranraer.

Read more:Council left with £69m bill after too-small academic error

Don’t mind today’s work

ALTHOUGH LibDem leader Sir Ed Davey is playing his cards close to his chest, Stephen Flynn has apparently indicated there might be a possibility of backing Labor without the promise of an immediate referendum (“Stephen Flynn hints to back Labor without an Indyref2 deal”, heraldscotland, 19 May). This of course assumes that the SNP returns in significant numbers.

Mr Flynn may not remember the difficulties the late great Paddy Ashdown faced when he tried to negotiate with that Tony Blair ghoul who continues to appear on our screens. In the end, Labor did not need a coalition. But the current Labor Party is not even worthy of the name, refusing as it does to overturn protest legislation, deal with Brexit disaster, tone down rhetoric and tackle reality of those seeking refuge here and to reverse the disastrous rail privatizations. , water and other public services, including the unacknowledged creeping privatization of the health service.

It seems Westminster politicians of all parties, sheltered from the realities of their constituents’ daily lives, are happy to spout excrement while their people swim in it.

Marjorie Ellis Thompson, Edinburgh.

Concern over tax figures

I was shocked to read James Quinn (Letters, May 17) stating that 40% of working-age Scots pay no income tax.

However, I suppose that would depend precisely on how he defines “adults” and “working age”.

If the age of 18 is taken as the starting point for both terms, it should be remembered that there will be a good proportion of the age group of (say) 18-23 who will be studying full time.

Then there will be another proportion of those adults working on a “cash” basis in the so-called underground economy. These people should be investigated and made to pay the tax due by HMRC.

Alternatively, and perhaps more worryingly, it means that some are in jobs so poorly paid that the worker earns less than the roughly £12,700 that makes up the current tax-free allowance.

Christopher W Ide, Waterfoot.

Read more:EU would never treat Scotland as badly as the UK

Crossrail would boost Prestwick

JANE Ann Liston’s letter (May 18) prompted by your report on John Mason calling for the implementation of Glasgow Crossrail (MP calls for new station and rail line in Glasgow, The Herald, May 16), pleads, once again , in favor of creating this link. She explains the benefits and they have always been clear to anyone with an interest in improving public transport.

Perhaps Mrs Liston and Mr Mason could add the benefits that would accrue to Prestwick Airport. A station was established at this airport a few years ago, so if it was connected to the rest of Scotland via the freight line as described by Ms Liston and Mr Mason, would these additional arguments add to the reasons for the opening of this connection?

Holiday airlines may add to the deal, as many destinations from Scotland have flown into Manchester Airport, which has a direct train service from Glasgow Central. I guess that’s still the case, but would Prestwick be more attractive for this sector?

Ian Gray, Croftamie.

Would Prestwick Airport be boosted by the Glasgow Crossrail project? (Picture: PA)

I WELL remember the proposals put forward by the late AK Sutherland and Railfuture Scotland in and around 2011 and indeed the following years. I myself made a comment in your pages of letters at the time.

Something could indeed be done if ever a will were to materialize to consider this from a practical and feasibility point of view.

The route line is that of the City of Glasgow Union Railway from Shields Junction to Bellgrove crossing the Clyde in the 1870s where a passenger service operated, the actual details somewhat sketchy, with an intermediate station at Gallowgate. Additionally, direct carriages are known to have been carried from Ayrshire stations to Edinburgh and apparently Leith, accordingly detached/attached to Bellgrove to be routed via Bathgate.

Later, when the Glasgow & South Western Railway was in charge, they did not look favorably on this work, concentrating their sphere of interest on services to and from St Enoch station.

The Shields Junction-Bellgrove service (now extended to Springburn) was withdrawn and Gallowgate station closed in October 1902. Old-time carriages through Edinburgh succumbed earlier in 1899.

The grouping of 1923 and the emergence of the London, Midland & Scottish Railway did not make them consider restoration and it would seem that it did not cross the minds of British railways after 1948. In the years that followed , it remained a link, and nothing more, for anything other than scheduled passenger service.

Could the latest proposal bring about the revival of this viable path?

John Macnab, Falkirk.

The DRS has cost the SNP dearly

I NOTE Lorna Slater now says deposit system could be scrapped (“Slater warns bottle system could be discontinued by Westminster at end of month”, The Herald, May 19), something the drinks industry has warned for months.

It makes no sense to force this scheme for Scotland only when the UK one is launched next year and the distribution of bottled drinks is a UK-wide logistics operation.

This awkward coalition with the Green Party cost the SNP dearly and this fiasco, mishandled by Lorna Slater, undermined support for the SNP at Holyrood and at the base.

Dennis Forbes Grattan, Aberdeen.

First class rail service

There’s not much to smile about in the news these days, but Tom Gordon’s take on Jenny Gilruth’s decision to delay an eight-day repair stoppage between Christmas and New Years was a cracker (“Ross steamed off as PM defends paragon Gilruth in trainset rammy”, The Herald, May 19).

Sitting at table 26 in my favorite cafe, I was smiling after the first paragraph. At the end of the second paragraph, I was laughing out loud, much to the delight of the staff. The last sentence, “And besides, it was his oar.”, was the icing on the cake. Thanks Tom.

Maureen McGarry-O’Hanlon, Balloch.

A clear enigma

IF our police officers have to shave their beards, will that make them even younger than I think today?

Keith Swinley, Ayr.

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