Letters: Shops hit by tram work should not dig deep for the taxman

The upheaval of laying tram cables has left a trail of boarded-up shops and small businesses in its wake along the tram route, some of which successfully traded in the city for decades and became much loved local institutions.

Those shops that have survived should be given support, they certainly do not deserve to be harried by bureaucratic taxmen.

Sophie L Anderson, Marchmont Road, Edinburgh

Intelligence poor for group's protest

GIVEN the organisation before the Scottish Defence League protest in Edinburgh at the weekend, and the necessary intelligence, why was the city centre left in disarray?

The Mound, for instance, was, according to bus stop notices, to be closed from midday. It was closed at 11:20am. Why?

Thus several people were left wondering what to do and where to go.

Private hire vans were conveying policemen throughout the city – at whose expense? Again given the potential threat and possible civic disturbances, one must question the authorities' intelligence reports, as indeed so very few SDL persons were gathered at the foot of the Royal Mile.

Yes I know the reply; if the authorities had not been so well prepared then the consequences would have been most serious.

Who indeed was in overall charge?

And why was such a march allowed to take place ?

The question, however, still remains. Why did the authorities so greatly overestimate the potential for severe disturbances?

Tom Reilly, Esslemont Road, Edinburgh

Bikes ruin peace in glen of tranquility

I WAS dismayed as I was walking in Roslin Glen to find motorbikes (several) racing through the pathway on the section between Bilston Viaduct and Rosslyn Chapel.

The noise was bad enough, but the damage to the glen was clear after only a few "runs".

The disturbance was awful and many visitors were very upset at this new development.

I would plead that measures are taken as a matter of urgency to stop this practice before it becomes a trend.

This is one of the most beautiful river walks in the whole of Scotland and steps must be taken to ensure it stays this way.

Patrick Jackson, Station Road, Roslin

Erect stones show respect for dead

I WAS interested to read about the council's plan to upgrade underused city centre cemeteries "with benches, garden areas, flower boxes, shrubs or bird boxes to try to make them more attractive to residents" (News, 19 February).

It's very thoughtful of the council to consider the needs of the residents of our cemeteries, but I suspect that if there were any way of canvassing their opinions, the said residents would settle for their gravestones being left upstanding rather than being toppled onto their fronts, making it possible for them to be identified and to enjoy the occasional visit.

Harry D Watson, Braehead Grove, Edinburgh

Hard to trust Rust over centre funds

I WAS astounded to hear Jason Rust (News, 17 February) complain about the impending closure of Colinton Mains Community Centre. His hypocrisy knows no bounds, as he appears to have conveniently overlooked the fact that the Conservative Group on the council took even more money out of community centres in their budget proposals than the ruling Lib-Dem/SNP coalition did.

How can you trust someone who says that Colinton Mains Community Centre, "is a much valued local facility. This has come as a bolt from the blue and will be strongly resisted by local people," when the Conservative budget he voted for would have resulted in an even bigger reduction to community centre funding than the Lib-Dem/SNP budget?

Julie Marshall, Calder Court, Calder Gardens, Edinburgh

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