Letters: Capital tram project has been allowed to go off the rails

Published on Thursday 11 February 2010 08:43

AFTER initial scepticism, I became a supporter of the tram project.

The three main arguments that convinced me were the need for an efficient modern transport system to support the 17,000 houses that were to be built at the docks; assurances that the engineering contractors would be closely monitored and the temporary disruptions during the utility diversion works would be well managed; and that the project funding would be raised only from developer contributions, surplus council land sales and Scottish Government grant funding.

It looks as if I will be disappointed on all three counts. Developer contributions are being reduced by the council planning department despite the fact that these will have been absorbed in the land sales price.

Project monitoring by the council's tram sub-committee (News, 9 February) and the two dedicated council staff has clearly been inadequate and the joined-up management of the utility work has been abysmal, with a pock-marked Leith Walk more reminiscent of Beirut than Edinburgh's second street.

And, with Forth Ports floating the idea of a 60m heat and power plant in the centre of the dock's proposed residential area, we seem to be in danger of losing the raison d'etre for the project.

Harald Tobermann, Pilrig Street, Edinburgh

Chance to learn about road changes

I WRITE regarding Andrew Anderson's concerns about the planned permanent changes to the road network (Interactive, 8 February) from 8 March for the tram project.

We are about to enter into a public consultation period that will invite comments on the alterations to streets along the route, which will allow the tram to run in accordance with its business case.

Some of the changes will be more difficult than others but are necessary to prevent the city's road network from future congestion. Full details of the proposed changes, and how to make comments, will be available online at www.edinburghtrams.com when the consultation begins on 22 February. A manned public exhibition will also be held throughout the 28-day consultation period, Mondays to Saturdays, at the City Chambers.

Cllr Gordon Mackenzie, Transport Convener

Drab building is no reflection of reality

THERE are several problems with a proposed airport hotel (News, 9 February).

It is an ugly eyesore with nothing at all to reflect Edinburgh or Scotland. Why would we want something that is reminiscent of the 60s and the ugly, flat, modern structures of that time that were purely functional and drab? An airport hotel should say something about the culture of the country. Scotland is not boring, drab or ugly.

And why are our building projects handed to non-Scots while we struggle with unemployment in this country? An English company to build what may be visitors' first image of Scotland. Why don't we take the initiative and ask for proposals from Scottish companies?

Thank goodness we have the Evening News willing to expose these plans and bring them to our attention.

Ms Dee Hilleson, Sciennes

Experimentation with the vulnerable

COUNCILLOR Tim Wheeler seeks to blame council officers for the disastrous handling of the care and support tender (News, 6 February).

However, it was he and his fellow councillors on the finance and resources committee who last Thursday tried to waive through a direct payment rate of 15.04, a figure officials plucked from the ashes of this discredited tender and about which they admitted they had consulted no-one.

Rather than take the opportunity for any genuine scrutiny of whether this could ever meet people's varied needs, Councillor Wheeler and colleagues appeared to be bored with the whole debate: in his summing up Mr Wheeler proposed proceeding to impose a 15 rate and allowing officials to come back with further suggestions "if it doesn't work".

This is unacceptable experimentation with the lives of vulnerable people and the livelihoods of their dedicated staff.

Simon Haydon, Edinburgh Support Workers' Action Network

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