Letters: Memorial isn’t best way to mark Sean’s bond with city

Do you think Edinburgh should do more to recognise her most famous son?

Perhaps a picture of 10,000 milk bottles would be best, to mark the supposed number of families who swear that the actor was their own milkman in the 1940s, in a latter-day version of the feeding of the 5,000.

But seriously, should the memorial be yet another fawning exhibition? Or would the real statement be a meaningful transformation of the former brewery site?

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The existing development at Springside is dismal – bland blocks of flats sitting largely unoccupied as a symbol of failure of the prevailing model of development.

Meanwhile, a group of local people has been getting together to discuss an alternative vision for other parts of the site – community-led and combining a mix of housing types and prices, space for small businesses and workshops, creative use of open space and the canal.

It may not be the Caribbean, but I know what kind of development I’d like to be remembered for.

Gavin Corbett, Briarbank Terrace, Edinburgh

Statutory notice system must end

PROPERTY owners must take their share of the blame for the problems now afflicting the Statutory Notice system in Edinburgh.

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Edinburgh’s middle classes have invested in property, without a thought given to carrying out repairs and maintenance, secure in the knowledge that Edinburgh City Council will step in to look after their private property portfolios.

It has become routine for property owners to request a Statutory Notice, rather than bother to obtain quotes, meet with builders, agree works to be carried out and pay the contractors upon completion of the works.

This absurd situation cannot be allowed to continue.

Ian Hain, Firrhill Loan, Edinburgh

Prove promise is not hot air, Alex

I’D like to thank the hundreds of people on Princes Street who signed our petition last week condemning the power companies for a 19 per cent rise in gas and electricity prices.

The petition has now been sent to First Minister Alex Salmond demanding he acts to cap the bills and keep the promise he made in 2007 to eradicate fuel poverty in Scotland by 2015.

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With almost one million families now living in fuel poverty in Scotland, and the Government having cut both the winter fuel allowance to pensioners and programmes to replace old boilers and assist household insulation, the issue becomes more and more critical as winter approaches.

Colin Fox, Scottish Socialist Party, Alloway Loan, Edinburgh

This gold plating looks a little thin

REGARDING Roy McIntosh’s letter (News, September 26).

I work in local government, and pay a considerable monthly sum into my “gold plated” pension. When I retire my pension will be in the region of £7000 per year. What is “gold plated” about that?

It gets a bit wearing hearing about our so-called over the top pensions. People should get the facts before making statements like Mr McIntosh’s.

William Whyte, Piersfield Grove, Edinburgh

Turbines cannot work without aid

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THE claims that a proposed wind farm at Mount Lothian on the Penicuik Estate would power 14,000 homes are farcical (Firm tests the water over wind farm proposals, News, September 20).

It is more like 3000 when one truly understands that wind farms work at no more than 20 per cent efficiency.

It is also pretty cynical to offer “Community Initiative Funding” of £48,000 per annum over the course of 25 years.

In Scotland renewables should be concentrated on sea tidal projects and hydro electricity.

Wind turbines can never produce stand alone electricity without other permanent supply.

Charlie Stott, Woodhouselee, Penicuik, Midlothian