Letters: It's a bear necessity to keep zoo's members in the loop

As a current life member of the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland, a former Member of Parliament for the area of Edinburgh that contains the zoo, a former city councillor for Corstorphine and, finally, a former zoo council (board) member many years ago, I have a genuine interest in the future wellbeing of the zoo.

However, I believe those responsible for the current problems, the board and management, have a lot to answer for.

In recent years there have been many questionable decisions made in relation to development proposals, possible land sales and acquisitions, staff redundancies and suspensions, movement of popular parts of the collection away from Edinburgh, bad press over a range of current issues and much more.

For much of the time the members have been left in the dark and have only been made aware of a range of issues when they hit the media.

This is no way to run any organisation, especially one of the top tourist attractions in Scotland.

I will be at the meeting and if given the opportunity will ask the chairman and board members present tough questions.

Many members want to know exactly what is going on. Have they (the board) been acting responsibly and did they make the correct decisions to ensure that the zoo had quality management, including the right chief executive, and people in place at all times?

Why are so many senior staff suspended or under investigation? Why does such a major tourist attraction constantly get such bad publicity?

Why are members often the last people to find out what is going on? I found out the fact of the meeting from the media.

No communication from the zoo about the meeting has yet been sent to me and no doubt thousands of other members are in the same position.

John Barrett, Dovecot Road, Edinburgh

Kick pavement work to the kerb

Further to J MacPherson's (Interactive, April 27) criticism of the council, we have at Moredunvale Way had workmen descend on us and tear up the pedestrian frontage to our homes without any advanced notification or information.

This was an area that had been paved throughout and had a few sections planted with trees and shrubs.

Due to there being no traffic, the younger children were able to play in relative safety being in sight of their respective parents.

However, over the years the council tended to the cultivated sections less and less to the extent that many of the trees and shrubs are long gone.

The new plan apparently is to remove the existing paving, make a straight path along the centre and the area left to be, wait for it, cultivated.

I would add that on completion of the proposed alterations there will be a considerable extra area to be cultivated.I feel that with a little consultation with the residents, a less expensive and more suitable solution could have been reached.

I would add that two excavators (one wheeled and one tracked) and two trucks have been working on this for nearly two weeks now and the end is nowhere in sight.

I would be very interested to know who authorised this.

J Black, Moredunvale Way, Edinburgh

Make parents pay for yob children

Regarding your story 'Kids, 9, trash charity bus' (Evening News, April 25), I have drawn up some solutions.

Fine the parents of these brats. If the parents are unemployed, then deduct the cost of the damage from their benefits.

Do it often enough and they will soon learn.

Name and address supplied

Time to throw out city leaders

FOR how long is the council going to allow problems with refuse collections to continue?

The ongoing dispute has lasted two years and the council leaders seem incapable of doing anything about it.

David Black, Kenmure Avenue, Edinburgh

Do you agree that zoo members have a right to know what is going on at the troubled attraction?