It's public money, so grow up and sort this mess out

If all measures to deal with the problem have been visited I am surprised that the obvious one has not been agreed, namely an immediate payment of 250,000 followed by three subsequent payments in the near future.

It would save a lot of hassle and would dispense with the costs which would inevitably apply if legal action were involved.

It is, in the final analysis, public money we are talking about here, so why don't they simply grow up?

Roydon Keenan, Carlowrie Avenue, Dalmeny, South Queensferry

Leader reduced to name-calling

I WAS genuinely saddened by Councillor Aitken's letter (Interactive, 17 May). A person in elected office reduced to nothing but name-calling. What must his constituents think of him?

He states that the Liberal Democrats have abandoned policies in order to enter coalition. This is to misunderstand the nature of politics. Lib Dem policies remains the same as they were before the election. It is just that a partnership has been entered into where some Liberal Democrat policies are now to be implemented and where there is disagreement with the Tories, it will not cause the collapse of the government.

Cllr Aitken mentions PR. It will be interesting to see whether Labour remains faithful to its death-bed conversion to electoral reform. I would like to also reassure him that if the Liberal Democrats had the majority, Trident would indeed be part of the programme of cuts made necessary by Labour's catastrophic economic management.

There is indeed no more money. It is even more shameful that the outgoing Labour minister, Liam Byrne, found this situation to be funny because Labour's joke is literally at all our expense.

Martin Veart, Windrush Drive, Leith

Little commitment in stopping stench

LIKE Councillor Aldridge (Interactive, 18 May) I wish to set the record straight on the council's commitment to tackling the odour problem at Seafield.

First of all, the odours coming from Seafield can only be defined as a "smell nuisance" by the nostrils of council officers. However, for more than 50 years these "official" nostrils refused to do so in spite of the hundreds of complaints received from Leithers. Why? Well as long as the smell was simply defined as an "odour" and not an "odour nuisance" the council was under no obligation to spend any money on fixing the problem.

It was only when the Leith Links Residents Association piped and marched a giant turd to parliament that our "committed" council was embarrassed into serving an odour abatement notice on Scottish Water.

Secondly, this present council administration was presented with five odour abatement plans. The most expensive option (about 40 million) would, if implemented, practically eliminate all of the offensive odours coming from the plant and allow Leithers to breathe in fresh air for the first time in many years. But this "committed" council chose the cheapest option which will only cover small sections of the tanks and reduce the smell by 70 per cent.

I'm convinced that there would have been real council commitment to eliminating the odours from Seafield if the nostrils breathing in the noxious gases lived in Stockbridge.

R Kirkwood, spokesman for the Leith Links Residents Association

No right to give away our cash

IS THE News aware of the council's scheme to give five council taxpayers one year free simply because they sign up to pay by direct debit? On the council's website you will find details of this "competition". What a cheek!

Who gave them the right to give away thousands of pounds of other council taxpayers' cash? After all, paying the council tax is an obligation, not a choice.

Anne Lyttle, Edinburgh