Letters: It’s in the interest of all of us to have say over school

While many might be fed-up of the debate over where to build a new Portobello High School and puzzled about why the city council wants to put a new law through the Scottish Parliament to allow the school to be built on Portobello Park, please read the consultation document on the council website.

And then, please fill out the questionnaire, which really does only take five minutes.

If you are a parent, like me, of high school children, I hope you will agree that this is the best site for the school, and that this outweighs the current use of the park, which in any case will be compensated for with new green space.

If you are a local resident, I hope you will agree that a new school in the park will benefit the whole community. If you are an Edinburgh council tax payer, I hope you will agree that it is the quickest and cheapest option.

Charles Marriott, James Street, Portobello, Edinburgh

Let us sample the benefits of trams

Now that the trams are finally being allowed out on to the tracks between the depot and Edinburgh Airport for driver training, isn’t it time that the people of Edinburgh – not to mention the rest of Scotland who have helped us to pay for them – should get a chance to sample their benefits?

It would do much to reduce diesel pollution if, in future, the number 100 airport bus service terminated at Maybury, thus allowing passengers to decamp and continue by clean electric traction to the airport.

John Eoin Douglas, Spey Terrace, Edinburgh

Euro scare story has no substance

It has been intriguing to read the acres of newsprint devoted to the supposed contents of a draft letter apparently sent by the European Commission to the House of Lords economic affairs committee saying that an independent Scotland would have to re-apply for EU membership.

Making contact with some of my links in the European Commission it quickly became patently clear that no letter has been sent to the committee.

This whole story has therefore been based on a letter which has not even been sent, the contents of which are still unknown. An explanation of why such coverage has been given to this is clearly required.

When Scotland votes in the referendum in 2014, and assuming there is a ‘Yes’ vote as a result of that referendum, Scotland will still be at that stage a part of the United Kingdom.

There has to be a negotiation about the detail and the terms of Scotland’s membership of the European Union, but crucially that will be taking place at a time when we are still part of the United Kingdom, still part of the European Union, of which we have been members for 40 years.

As a consequence of that we will be negotiating our arrangements and our membership of the European Union from within the European Union, which is the key point of distinction.

Alex Orr, Leamington Terrace, Edinburgh