Lack of planning

IT was a coincidence that the letter from Professor Ian Campbell about the destruction of the beauty of Edinburgh's vistas appeared on the same day as your supplement on old Edinburgh (6 March). It is a timely reminder, however, of the damage that can be done by planning departments.

The beautiful buildings in Princes Street were replaced by the glass monstrosities we see today by the council in the 1960s. The planning department of today is happy to pass more shopping malls, hotels and countless office space with little regard for their place in a unique city. We cannot live in the past, but we can preserve what we still have for future generations.

DORIS MH DUFF

Belmont Gardens

Edinburgh