Letters: Council in a deep hole over disastrous trams project

I hope the city council and TIE are getting sound construction and engineering advice to back their case. If they are relying entirely on TIE, I fear they may be digging a deeper hole for themselves.

From the current state of the trams project, it seems that TIE got it wrong at the pre-contract stage and probably made poor decisions without proper forethought.

Also, during the post-contract period, seemingly bad management decisions have resulted in the current mess.

One thing that is correct is that it will cost more to cancel the project than to complete it. This is because they will have to do it outwith the terms of the contract and will be left open to all sorts of financial claims, even some not directly connected with the project itself.

The city would be left with tracks with nothing running on them, half-finished holes in the ground and empty tram depots. Costs would also be incurred to make safe what is left of the construction.

The council has been backed into a corner.

David J Mackenzie, Parkgrove Terrace, Edinburgh

Give Capital's old buildings a check

IN the wake of the unseasonably high winds that the city has recently experienced, perhaps now would be an ideal time in which to make sure that the safety of buildings, other structures and trees has not in any way been compromised.

Since erratic and unusual weather events may now be on the increase, it surely would be inexcusable and unacceptable if falling debris, an unsafe tree or whatever were to be responsible for the cause of an accident.

Edinburgh certainly has plenty of old buildings which, though from a distance and ground-level look as safe as they have ever done, may actually be at risk when potentially damaging weather conditions are prevalent.

Angus McGregor, Albion Road Edinburgh

Poster ban would be mean-spirited

IF my local Tory councillor, Gordon Buchan, is right that the time is up for lamppost placards at election time (News, May 30), then the Tories are perfectly at liberty to stop putting them up. After all, if they have no effect then his party won't lose out.

The truth, of course, is that lamppost placards won't win the day for any one party but they are part of the occasion of an election at a time when turn-out continues to fall.

The Tories, who long since sold out to politics as an elite game, can no longer energise activists on the ground and so want to ban the activity of everyone else who might still be able to do so.How profoundly mean-spirited and anti-democratic!

Gavin Corbett, Briarbank Terrace, Edinburgh

Make a stand on Trident missiles

THE UK Government continues to squander billions of pounds on nuclear weapons when care homes and other issues need to be addressed.

If the Liberal Democrats want to salvage any respect they should make scrapping Trident an issue for the Westminster coalition.

Andrew JT Kerr, Castlegate, Jedburgh

Sad tale behind the greyhounds

AS an international greyhound protection organisation, we were very interested to read Helen Martin writing on a book about dogs and their intelligence (News, May 30).

I'm certain that they are more intelligent than many of us think.

The rest of the article will have probably amused many of us with rescued greyhounds. Very often they have never seen other types of animals, never received any affection or had a sense of belonging.

They do learn fast, because they want to please, and to give and receive love.

In addition they are gentle and wonderful with small children.

Sadly, the latest research indicates that more than 10,000 greyhounds, bred for the British dog racing industry, disappear, presumed killed, every year.

Eva Hopkins, actionforgreyhounds