THE planned additional concert and conference centre for the Clydeside, to supplement the other massively successful concert halls, is clearly both necessary and will be a great long-term asset for the city of Glasgow, who mainly own these venues. However, because the city is in dire straights financially, it seems they cannot find the money to back this.
To try to boost its income the city council has, like the Scottish and UK Governments, decided to yet again hammer the motorists, as an easy source if income. The Low Emission Zone in the city centre and the doubling of parking charges across the city – made even more costly to the motorists by extending the days and hours covered by the new extortionate charges – has also made the cost for already poorly paid workers of going to work in our hospitality industry yet another reason for families to be driven towards poverty.
READ MORE: Concerns over Fringe by the Sea impact on local residents
Whoever thought up these parking increases needs to go back to the drawing board, and study the unforeseen consequences that will almost certainly mean that the city council has shot itself in the foot, because this parking rise will mean that fewer motorists will pay them. I know of many motorists who have decided not to bother paying for parking at all, based on the calculation that their chances of getting a £30 penalty notice is very low.
This is especially true after 6pm, because the rumour that very few of the parking wardens are willing to work late or at the weekend seems to be true, so getting the occasionally fine is many times cheaper than paying £7.40 for two hours’ parking several times a week. One friend got a penalty fine of £30 in June 2023 and has not paid any parking since then, when normally they park somewhere in the city every day.
I and most people do agree that policies that will reduce car pollution and help to save our planet should be supported, but not by ripping of motorists. I am glad the council has agreed to scrap the city centre night-time parking charge as it potentially could have killed dead our night time businesses.
I am convinced that the city council are going to find themselves in the embarrassing situation where so many people are refusing to pay the extortionate parking costs that their income from parking charges will bomb.
Max Cruickshank
Glasgow
KELLY Given writes a good article on the subject of legalising assisted dying (I wish I could back assisted dying – but we’re not ready, Apr 11). It’s a difficult and serious question and raises many valid questions, mainly around the rights of individuals.
If someone wants to end their life – for whatever reason – then who has the right to deny them?
Equally, who has the right to demand that any other individual should be coerced by law to assist in suicide? A legal right to assisted dying means that somebody else has a legal obligation to assist the act.
Some statute would have to be devised to make it all work, and since most politicians (of all stripes) have proved over the years unwilling or incapable of achieving the aims set out in their manifestos, involving these careerists and opportunists in legislating on such a serious matter doesn’t bear thinking about.
Jim Butchart
via email
JOHN Jamieson from South Queensferry (Letters, April 11) claims “there are options other
than a wood burner such as solar, wind or water for power outages lasting weeks for a house that cannot get exemption from the new regulations.”
As someone who may, in the future, find themselves in this very situation, possibly several times every winter, I am fascinated to know how I would heat my new home for potentially weeks with
any of the following:
Solar – how massive a solar array would I need to generate, say, 3KW of heat?
READ MORE: Are wood burning stoves banned in Scotland? All the key new rules explained
Wind – should I obtain my own wind turbine? If so, what size? Will it need planning permission? Might the neighbours object?
Water – with a water wheel or turbine perhaps? However there is no river, stream or even a wee burn nearby. I as far as I am aware we have not yet mastered small-scale water-based nuclear fusion.
Perhaps the laws of physics are different in South Queensferry.
Green MSP Alison Johnstone, and some other very well-known MSPs, recently visited New York for Tartan Day. The return flight for just one of them from Edinburgh produces more than 1600kg of Carbon Dioxide.
A wood-burning stove would take decades to do the same.
Dr Iain Evans
Edinburgh
HOW can we expect a party that calls itself the party of law and order but continually threatens or does breach international agreements to act ethically over arms sales to Israel?
It’s time workers working for UK companies making arms or components for Israel refused to do so, in the same manner as their compatriots who in Scotland back in the seventies made a stand against Pinochet’s Chile.
Steve Cunningham
Aberdeen
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