City’s tram heritage is under threat - your view

Intro

Former cable tram power station and workshops at Shrubhill

City’s tram heritage is under threat

On October 23 last year you performed a public service by drawing attention to 12 historic buildings that are at risk from neglect and decay.

I have a particular interest in one of those, the former cable tram power station and workshops at Shrubhill, which are planned to be "transformed for residential use" said your report. However, these plans “are on hold”.

What does that mean? I have recently taken the chance to have a look at these buildings and am shocked at their condition.

While around them the developer is spending millions on new flats and houses, the roof of the power station has been allowed to fall in and the brickwork and stonework is riddled with invasive plants. The workshops appear not be receiving any maintenance.

Is this another example of a developer making grand promises only to say later that the work is uneconomic and the buildings are “beyond repair” and have to be demolished?

In the late 19th century Edinburgh had the only cable tramway in Scotland and the power station may now be the only one left in the world, barring San Francisco where cable cars still run.

I believe these buildings are listed. Does Historic Scotland not have powers to prevent the destruction of listed buildings and even better, to enforce their maintenance and repair?

Presumably the devel-oper was given planning consent to the whole development on assurances given about these buildings; the council should have enforcement powers attached to such permission, I would have thought.

Commenting as a micro-biologist, the government's decision to relax restrictions at Xmas and New Year, I believe is the biggest factor behind the surge in infections and this applies especially to those members of the public who continue to flout and ignore the rules.

In the run up to Xmas the announcement that the vaccines would soon become available probably also led to a degree of relaxation by the public in general.

The allegation by the political leaders that the new variant of Covid 19 is entirely responsible for this upsurge is misleading. I believe the variant's contribution to increased transmission is minimal.

If all of the population had continued to abide by the regulations for prevention of transmission of the virus (social distancing; wearing of masks; avoidance of people mixing indoors and hand sanitation) then we would have continued to suppress the transmission of the virus.

The much touted 70% increase in transmission rates is claimed to relate to the virus's ability to enter and reproduce more effectively in a human cell without specifically increasing transmission from one person to another if both parties are applying the correct preventative measures.

The upsurge has been primarily in London and the South-East, which was operating under Tier 2 restrictions, while there is little evidence an upsurge of the variant in Tier 3 areas in the north of the country, where restrictions were more severe.

Intriguingly, it should also be noted that since the variant does not vote then it avoids both Boris and Nicola criticising those members of the public who abuse the rules but who could potentially vote for them in the next election.

A total lockdown will overcome the problems of transmission of the virus but at huge expense to children's education, other health and welfare issues and a further major setback to the economy.

Dr Jim Hay, Menstrie, Clackmannanshire.