Courting trouble

LABOUR MSP Iain Gray makes a good case against court closure (Perspective, 23 May) and highlights some of the points which we made in our original letter following publication of the Scottish Court Service report in December of last year.

My organisation, Haddington and District Amenity Society, has taken the lead in promoting the Town Centre Vision project with the objective of re-energising the town centre and we now have an elected community development trust. This would not have happened without the support of East Lothian Council which has backed, financially and in kind, this community based initiative.

We have taken strength from the government’s own initiative in setting up a taskforce to address the problems affecting town centres throughout the country.

It seems curious that the Scottish Government appears to be acting constructively in recognising and supporting the difficulties being experienced by town centres, while closing down the courts which are historically, socially and economically so important in the life and status of the town at the heart of the county.

We are disappointed that the consultation process seems to have been conducted in such a shallow and partial manner. We wonder if the original report was really the announcement of a decision to close the courts, rather than the beginning of a meaningful dialogue with affected communities.

Andrew Robinson

Haddington and District Amenity Society

Haddington, East Lothian