Readers' letters: Wind farms should pay compensation

" The Scottish government has had time enough to address this problem. Why haven’t they?”

Wind farms should pay compensation

In her letter to your paper, Celia Hobbs asks why there is no compensation for those adversely affected by the erection of wind turbines close to their homes (News, 20 May).

As she concludes, an obvious reason is that the wind industry finds that bribes to the wider community is very much cheaper.

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I spoke to Alex Salmond at the SNP conference at Aviemore some 14 years ago, where incidentally the wind industry was strongly represented. I asked him to consider the terrible distress being caused by wind turbines to many near neighbours.

He responded that the difficulties faced by these people were no different to those experienced by close neighbours of other necessary infrastructure, such as new roads or airfields.

I replied that the situation was very different because no compensation was available to those affected by wind turbines, unlike those affected by other necessary infrastructure.

He seemed surprised and said that perhaps this was something that would have to be considered.

As far as I know, nothing has changed. Why?

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I agree with Celia Hobbs. Compensation should be readily available to those whose properties are devalued and are otherwise affected.

The Scottish government has had time enough to address this problem. Why haven’t they?

Fiona Ainslie, Ardovie, Brechin.

New road layouts hamper disabled

I see in the Evening News (June 17), a two-page article featuring Guide Dogs Scotland and the RNIB saying how dangerous the new road layouts are for many disabled people.

It's about time these concerns were listened to and the bollards, floating bus stops and road widening schemes were dismantled and the roads and pavements put back to what they were previously.

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I am fortunate not to bedisabled but, with two newknees I find the arrange-ments very off-putting.

I also see from the article that our Transport and Environment Convener Cllr Lesley Macinnes is once again seen on her bike without a crash helmet.

Sylvia Wilson, Maxwell Street, Edinburgh.

ME sufferers deserve Covid-style care

I would like to applaud Mrs Judi Martin for her recent letter to your newspapers, “ME sufferers deserve long Covid-style care.”

I feel that there is often a general lack of empathy within the medical profession towards those suffering from ME. The general public appear to have, at best, very limited knowledge or at worst a total misunderstanding of the causes and effects of this debilitating illness.

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No-one would disagree that sufferers of long Covid should be given as much help as possible with their illness and that continuous efforts are made to hasten their recovery.

So shouldn’t similar efforts also be directed towards helping ME sufferers, many of whom may have spent months or even years living an exhausted existence with no support whatsoever?

Lydia Beveridge, Fife.

Dalyell was right

It seems that Michael Gove has suggested scrapping EVEL, to appease the SNP. Yet it is perfectly logical for only English MPs to vote on matters affecting England. English MPs have no input into matters affecting only Scotland. Indeed, Scottish MPs have no input into matter affecting only Scotland. This is the paradoxical state to which devolution has brought us. Tam Dalyell was right.

Jill Stephenson, Edinburgh.

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