Letters: No beauty in ‘warehouse’ cinema destined for park

It’s no surprise your Take 5 “Does Edinburgh need another multiplex cinema?” resulted in a resounding No. (Evening News, March 11).

Edinburgh isn’t getting another cinema. It’s getting another warehouse with a fast-food concession.

In your earlier article “Cinema Wars” (News, March 8), Graham Birse rightly pointed out most cinemas are national chains but bizarrely seemed to think this would help.

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Odeon, for example, is owned by global private equity firm Terra Firma. Its goal is to make as much money as possible, so we can expect inflated ticket prices, extortionate buckets of popcorn and a small number of poorly-paid jobs.

It would appear the Edinburgh councillors gave no consideration to how this out-of-town development might impact on neighbouring Musselburgh, where there is great potential to develop a cinema that genuinely benefits the community.

Jean-Luc Godard once said: “Cinema is the most beautiful fraud in the world.” I don’t know what multiplexes are but they’re not beautiful.

Jason Rose, High Street, Musselburgh

Greed at root of cutbacks we face

State pensions, free university education, prescriptions, bus passes, public sector jobs and welfare benefits cut.

To cap it all, crippling electricity bills because of renewable energy. All this if Scotland wins independence according to Clark Cross (Letters, March 9). Funny, I thought these progressive societal advances are being cut as I write.

As for crippling electricity bills, need I go on?

These cuts are a direct result of a greed-driven global economic collapse and the resulting austerity cuts imposed by Westminster. Because Holyrood doesn’t have full fiscal autonomy, the SNP government had been pressured into making cuts. I don’t know about you, but I’m getting fed up with unfounded rumours of impending disaster propounded by the Unionists if Scottish democrats win the right to be governed by an administration they elect, not an unrepresentative Con/Dem coalition.

There is a feeling, a feeling I share, that the level of debate from the negative “No” campaign is so poor that people are turning off from our democratic process.

Jack Fraser, Clayknowes Drive, Musselburgh

Shows come at a cost to Gardens

Following on from the recent discussion on the condition of the Meadows and the question of allowing the Lady Boys to stage their Festival show there, I would like to raise again the state of East Princes Street Gardens after the winter holiday festivities.

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Each year it seems to be taking longer to return the Gardens to some kind of order.

Surely it’s now time to disperse the attractions – the Highland Village, for example, could go to Castle Street while the ice rink could be held every other year, or just junked 
completely.

Providing entertainment for visitors is all very well, but not at the cost of systematically trashing one of the city’s most precious treasures.

John Bowles, Nicolson Street, Edinburgh

Homes needed to end housing crisis

News that the Confederation of British Industry and British Chambers of Commerce have called on the Westminster 
Government to build up to 100,000 new affordable homes is very welcome.

They cite the same reasons for a major house-building programme that Scotland’s housing sector has presented to the Scottish Government – that investment in housing brings social and economic benefits.

It brings hope of a home to those frozen out of the housing system and much-needed jobs to the construction industry.

So, isn’t it now time the Scottish Government finally sat up and took notice?

Instead of picking apart the housing safety net – with UK welfare cuts compounded by the Scottish Government’s 40 per cent cut to the house building budget – we need a major housing investment programme and a vibrant construction industry to deliver all types of homes.

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The Scottish Government has made a commitment to build at least 6000 affordable homes per year. It is nowhere near enough. We need at least 10,000 new social homes per year to end Scotland’s housing crisis for good.

Gordon MacRae, Shelter Scotland, Edinburgh