Letters: Let's hope Murray's plans are shown green for no-go

Another grand vision for Edinburgh. This time it's David Murray's turn – a stadium built on green-belt land that Hearts and Edinburgh Rugby should supposedly see as their promised land.

Neither team seem to be getting that excited about it, yet Murray's mob seem unperturbed by this and still have plans to develop at this site.

Don't imagine, though, that David Murray has had a romantic vision like Kevin Costner's character in Field of Dreams – you know, "If you build it, they will come".

For a start, Murray is no romantic; he is a successful businessman. Furthermore, with his Rangers ties he will be in no rush to help the men in maroon for the sake of it.

No, I believe the stadium idea is a bit of a Trojan horse, and the main intention is for Mr Murray, whose firm has mentioned thousands of houses for the area, to get his hands on some prime green-belt land that he has probably coveted for years.

I hope I am proved wrong and the green belt stays.

Gerald Wales, Duddingston Park, Edinburgh

Of the beautiful and the baleful

DR Ian McKee MSP is quite right ('Vandal' university under fire from MSP, News, November 5).

The early 1960s and the mid-1970s, saw Edinburgh University vandalising George Square and Potterrow to put up ugly so-called "breeze block" buildings.

As we know also from school buildings put up in the 1960s, most of them have aged badly, look hideous and are now being replaced, rebuilt or tolerated only until more funds are forthcoming from government. Edinburgh is in the process of allowing its skyline to be desecrated in a way that we have not tholed since the Georgian period.

Edinburgh City Council should take a hard look at its planning consents for major buildings and the university should not be allowed to scar the city with any more banishing of the beautiful or building of the baleful!

Angus Logan, York Road, North Berwick

Blame handling, not the project

EDINBURGH trams chairman David Mackay has caused a real stooshie by walking out on the project he has labelled "Hell on wheels" (News, November 3).

I know at this point some people would question my sanity, but I can't wait to see the trams up and running in Edinburgh. It goes without saying that the handling of the project has been pretty awful, but let's concentrate on the reasons for going ahead with it.

Edinburgh is a growing city, and the population is projected to top half a million in a matter of years.

The Capital occupies a small "footprint" and with many narrow streets laid out in previous centuries, it was not designed for the motor vehicles that are clogging it up at the moment.

Efficient public transport is what is needed, then, and with the Scottish Government setting very high emissions targets to be met in the years ahead, the tram fits the bill.

One day we will be glad this system is up and running.

By all means, demand answers and actions over the people who have, supposedly, been at the helm of this project, but please do not vilify the tram, which I am sure will come to be highly regarded in the future.

Roger Howden, Dalry Road, Edinburgh

Engage public in political process

IN the UK the Conservative-Lib Dem coalition agreement gives residents the power to instigate local referendums on any local issue, and a petition with 100,000 signatures will be eligible for formal debate in Parliament, with the petition with the most signatures enabling members of the public to table a bill.

While much of this is relevant at a UK level, we should be looking at similar powers to be introduced as a minimum for the Scottish Parliament, engaging the public more effectively in the political process.

Alex Orr, SNP candidate for Lothian, Leamington Terrace, Edinburgh