Letters: Planning chief should be ashamed over nursery bid

I WAS very annoyed to read the article about the plans to build a house next to a nursery, which will deprive young children of what little sunlight we get in Scotland.

The head of planning, John Bury, should be ashamed of himself for saying that this is a "minor infringement" and that it is considered justified.

This is in spite of many objections from parents of children at the nursery.

I wish I had more faith in the planning department.

J MacPherson, Carfrae Park, Edinburgh

Building homes to aid economy

SCOTLAND has a great need to build houses and improve its infrastructure. This is a key area where jobs can be created - real jobs and real homes for people who are without.

This requires investment, and Scottish politicians of every party must call for greater funding from the billions generated by Scottish oil.

At the very least Scotland should get enough to build up the economy.

Trevor Swistchew, Victor Park Terrace, Edinburgh

Event missed due to an earlier date

IN response to Robert Wright's letter (April 25), I'd like to point out that I was attending another hustings event for NUS Scotland which was scheduled for exactly the same time in Glasgow.

This was an event I had been asked to do and had agreed to do several weeks earlier and several weeks prior to receiving the invite to attend the event in Muirhouse.

On receiving the second invite we immediately contacted the Muirhouse and Salvesen Community Council to alert them to the clash and to ask whether or not an alternative date could be arranged.

We were told that posters advertising the event had already been circulated with my name on it even though we hadn't accepted the invitation and they hadn't heard back from us.

I made strenuous attempts to firstly find an alternative for the national NUS Scotland event I was speaking at in Glasgow and when I was unsuccessful I attempted to find a replacement for the Muirhouse hustings.

Having tried a number of other Lib Dem candidates, who all had other hustings events on the same evening I asked Cllr Edie who has responsibility for Health, Housing and Social Care issues in Edinburgh to attend the Muirhouse event, which he did.

In 16 years of representing areas of West Edinburgh as a councillor and as an MSP, this is the first local hustings I have ever missed. I have previously attended all hustings events in Muirhouse so I can reassure Mr Wright that there is no question about my committment to the people of the area.Margaret Smith, candidate for Edinburgh Western

Double standards in Libyan crisis

LET us be thankful that the US, the UK and Italy do not speak for NATO when they irresponsibly demand the removal of Colonel Muammar Gaddafi as a condition of any ceasefire agreement in Libya.

Now we have Senator John McCain taking sides in the civil war by visiting the rebel stronghold of Benghazi, giving moral support to the insurgents.

Already, 30 to 40 per cent of Libya's ground forces have been destroyed by NATO air strikes.

If a minority of insurgents in Britain tried to remove Prime Minister Cameron by military force, would NATO or the UN bombard Britain's military capability in support of the rebels? Of course not, so why the double standards in Libya?

If NATO was truly sincere about protecting civilians, measures would be taken to discourage rebels from attempting to overthrow the legitimate Libyan Government.

Libya's rebel leadership in Benghazi has rejected a proposal put forward by an African Union delegation to end the eight-week conflict.

The AU said Col Muammar Gaddafi had accepted the plan. The rebels said they were rejecting the truce because it did not include plans for Col Gaddafi to step down.

Are the rebels not interested in saving lives? Who is pulling their strings?

William Burns, Pennywell Road, Edinburgh