Letters: Don’t deprive generations to come of valuable asset

It is not a question of having to decide between either a park or a new school. We can have both, as the school could be rebuilt on its current site.

This was the council’s intention in 2003, as per the Atkins feasibility study, and the current school site was the council’s second choice following the educational consultation of 2006.

Rebuilding the school on the exisiting site would provide the new educational facilities needed, whilst retaining an important public open space which is well used for a variety of purposes by children and adults alike.

Free access to green space has proven health benefits, so let’s not deprive future generations of this valuable asset.

Diana Cairns, West Brighton Crescent, Edinburgh

Health should not be weekday issue

I REFER to Annamarie Causer’s letter (News, October 4) which said it has been decided that Western General Hospital Breast Clinic Ward 6 is to turn into a five days a week ward to save money come December.

I think it is despicable this decision has been taken, even more so having learned that so much money has been donated by people trying to help ease the stress of those suffering from breast cancer. Exactly how much money will be saved by doing this?

This is Breast Cancer Awareness Week and no doubt many people will be checking that part of their body to be on the safe side.

Cancer is not 9 to 5, Monday to Friday. What will all those people be thinking now that they have given their time to do something to raise funds for a particular goal and then had it flung back at them?

A hospital can never be part- time – there is an argument that the empty space will be costing money because it is not in use.

Some things just have to be paid for. There is always enough in the budget for wars, bailing out other countries, or because of a natural disaster – which I am not against in principle.

But we need to look after our own needs, and if we are not getting the service and care we deserve then we need to stop and think again.

Y A Bruce, Balfour Street, Edinburgh

Hotels ought to pay into the pot

DEPENDING on the size of their profits, perhaps it would actually make economic sense for hotels and indeed other businesses that do a roaring trade over Festival time to put something back into the pot.

After all, if the various festivals that are held in Edinburgh suddenly lost their popularity due to lack of funding, the hotels and businesses that once prospered would become victims of a classic example of killing the goose that laid the golden egg.

Angus McGregor, Albion Road, Edinburgh

Euro would lead us up the Greek

ALEX Orr sings the praises of the euro and advises that European countries would “abandon it at their peril” (Interactive, October 4).

Yesterday you reported that Italy’s credit rating has been slashed by the credit ratings’ agency, Moody’s.

Greek default is inevitable. The exposed banks will then be bailed out at truly massive expense by EU states including Britain.

Also, with Greece remaining for now in the euro, its very severe economic contraction will almost certainly lead to further blood on the streets of Athens.

Against this background, a downgrading of Italy’s much larger sovereign debt is very worrying.

Because one country’s debt is owned by banks in other countries, and those banks then have to be bailed out by an international effort including Britain, we too will suffer from this disaster.

If Mr Orr continues to write such nonsense completely at variance with economic reality, let’s hope that his views are not shared by other SNP members and activists.

Otto Inglis, Inveralmond Grove, Edinburgh