Letters to the Editor – August 29, 2012

Candidate questions PO public meeting

I SEE that our Labour MP organised a public meeting on August 28, in Campsie Memorial Hall, to save our post office, a cause that I do support.

However, I do believe we need to look at this a little more closely.

It is my understanding that the sub post masters in Lennoxtown and Milton of Campsie do not believe they are under any immediate threat.

The post offices are not on any current list from Post Office Ltd for consultation for closure.

At the moment, the National Federation of Sub Postmasters is conducting a national campaign to put pressure on the Government to award the DVLA contract to Post Office Ltd.

This is a 10 year contract and will further secure post offices throughout Britain. This is on top of some £1.34billion, which the Government has pledged to invest in post offices over the next three years.

I realise that the campaign has been very successful in raising awareness and has resulted in over 500 items of correspondence being sent to the MP, asking him to bring pressure on the Government to award the contract to the post office, however, I can’t see why at this moment we need to have a public meeting.

If you check the MP’s web page and various facebook pages (I have), you will find no mention of this campaign or this meeting. If it is really as urgent, as we are led to believe, surely his staff would have been posting about this.

Could this be a simple publicity vehicle for the Labour Party candidate, in our by-election? Surely not, they would not be that cynical would they?

Brian Reid,

Independent candidate,

Campsie and Kirkintilloch North.

What’s the point of 20’s plenty?

TWENTY’S plenty – will Briggs be the pilot (Herald, August 15). As a walker in the area I would like to contest the need for this speed limit.

I frequently have to step aside for cyclists who cycle on the pavement instead of the road. This includes adults and whole families.

So what is the point. It is also very rare when I am driving that I manage to get to 30mph, because of the large number of traffic lights and roadworks.

Catherine O’Neil

(via e-mail)

Support for superstore

It was very refreshing to hear the very positive views about the Bishopbriggs Town Centre Plan from K Burns and David Martyn in the Bishopbriggs Herald.

Like them, I too am delighted and looking forward to the new, bigger, better Morrisons and the bigger car park.

A bigger supermarket means more choice and I welcome that, as I’m sure a lot of other residents of East Dunbartonshire do too.

If we want more people to shop in Bishopbriggs then we need to have a better Morrisons and a bigger car park.

Bishopbriggs is the only town in East Dunmbartonshire that does not have a car park for the train station.

A bigger car park will mean fewer people will park in the streets around the train station and nearby area.

I am truly fed-up with the negative views of the community council and the other groups regarding the development of the derelict site of the old Bishopbriggs High School.

These same people were against the development of the Strathkelvin Retail Park.

That once desolate place is now buzzing with people and has helped to create jobs for the people of East Dunbartonshire.

I say to these groups, stop whining and let the plans go ahead.

You have wasted enough time by your negative attitude and delayed the building of the new supermarket and car park.

Your views do not represent the views of ALL the people of Bishopbriggs.

Morrisons supporter,

Name and address supplied

Anger at Woodhead Park mess

OVER the years I have, like many of your readers, been in turn disappointed, displeased, annoyed and incredulous regarding some of the actions and decisions of East Dunbartonshire Council and wondered “What did we ever do to deserve them? Can other councils really be like them? Why us?”

As someone who regularly visits Woodhead Park with grandchildren and enjoys the facilities, I am angered at what has been done to a wonderful asset by the council’s decision to allow such inappropriate use.

The Somme-like appearance of the park is horrific.

The expression “sunk to new depths,” - pun intended - is sadly appropriate regarding the damage to the grass areas and pathways following the recent visit of the circus.

Very large lorries pulling double-axled trailers across the grass, all heavily laden, caravans under tow, cars, vans and other vehicles coming and going for the duration, all ploughing the ground as they arrived, settled, sank, and later dragged away - did it not dawn on those remaining in Tom Johnston House, as they surveyed the scene across the road unfolding, that the park surface, wet or not, was not appropriate for this event and was never going to survive such a vehicular onslaught?

How naive and inexperienced or just not interested these decision-makers must be.

Of course, councillors are normally only too pleased to comment on matters or be photographed at happy non-controversial events and appear in the Kirkintilloch Herald, week after week, have given this situation the body swerve and are conspicuous by their absence.

Bob Stobie,

Millersneuk Avenue, Lenzie.

Speed limit concerns

ANOTHER non-thought out plan (‘Plenty of support?’ – 20mph limit for Bishopbriggs).

Consider people trying to make a living and being held up by scheme.

What is the point of this limit when kids are in school or later in the evening and during the night?

It would add to congestion and an increase in fines for speeding when drivers cannot get out of second gear, which in turn increases polution. Money would be better spent educating kids to be more aware of traffic dangers.

If you must do something to satisfy the campaigners extend slightly the 20mph areas around schools and have it applicable an hour before school going in and an hour after school finishes. This can be indicated by the flashing orange lights that some councils use.

Bob Leckie

(via e-mail)

Surprised

I WAS very surprised to see the article on the threatened closure of local Post Office services (Herald, August 22) had Labour MP Gregg McClymont and the Labour candidate for the forthcoming By-Election in Campsie & Kirkintilloch North proclaiming their support.

If memory serves me correctly, the previous Labour Government in Westminster oversaw the closure of both Waterside and Hillhead Post Offices, along with over 6,500 others across the UK.

We must also never forget that the Labour Party only dropped their manifesto commitment to privatise Royal Mail due to public and trade union pressure.

It seems easy when in opposition to now proclaim yourself to be the saviours for these integral parts of the community.

Indeed, both the Conservatives and the Lib Dems cried foul at these closures and promised that the future of local Post Offices would be secure under their watch.

These hollow words show that these three parties cannot be trusted when it comes to our local services and that they have all ultimately got their way with privatisation of what was our Royal Mail now well under way.

Have any of them had a thought for the many elderly and disabled people that will have no access to a local Post Office as a result of yet another Westminster Public Service fire sale?

Yvonne Johnston,

Kirkintilloch.

Council by-election

FOLLOWING the sad death of Councillor Charles Kennedy we are now presented with six candidates who are vying to replace him on East Dunbartonshire Council.

Out of the six only three are locals, which is a genuine surprise for the community we belong to.

I want a councillor who lives in the area and knows where and what I am talking about when I raise an issue with them, which requires local knowledge, empathy and an element of life experience.

Of the leaflets I have received The Liberal Democrat is hiding behind the banner of ‘Local Champion’ rather than declaring the political party she’s a member of.

The Labour candidate is proudly claiming to support a list of things either already being done by East Dunbartonshire Council or by the Scottish Government, including the new Lairdsland Primary School which is being built in another ward!

I have to ask myself what either of these people would really do for me, a mother with an eye to what’s best for my sons’ pre and primary school education.

I want someone who will implement the SNP Scottish Governments pledge on increasing nursery care to 600 hours per year for all three to four-year-olds, and maintain the council tax freeze which has benefited my family and friends.

I want a candidate who will fight to save Craighead Primary School if it comes up for closure in any plans brought forward by the Lab/Con/Lib administration.

I want someone who will fight our corner and not accept the administration ‘official line’.

Councillor Kennedy’s are large boots to fill, but they won’t be filled by someone with one eye on the next rung of a political career.

Gillian Clark,

Campsie Road,

Milton of Campsie.

Thanks

CAN I say a big ‘thank you’ to the lads at Bishopbriggs Fire Station for their excellent service.

They had a promotion at Asda offering help with fire protection, which my husband and I took up. We were contacted by a lady officer who arranged an appoinment for that evening

The officers arrived exactly on time and fitted free smoke alarms, as well as giving advice on fire protection. They were a credit to the fire service and we are delighted with the result.

Details supplied

Good news on Triangle

I have just heard the news about ownership of the Triangle area of Bishopbriggs town centre. It seems that Morrisons has purchased the property from Derwent Properties.

I see this as a positive move for our town in that Morrisons will now have an interest in ensuring that many smaller shops in Bishopbriggs remain in business as they are now their tenants.

This acquisition also allows Morrisons to take on board the wishes expressed by the majority of people in the community for more than just a large supermarket.

For example, the development of the civic area adjacent to St Matthew’s, the inclusion of a community hub and

imaginative development of the 10-acre former high school site.

There is now one main stakeholder in the town centre – Morrisons.

They now have the responsibility, along with the planning department, to produce a result that all will be proud of and take Bishopbriggs into the next century.

The imagination and influence of architects Page and Park, commissioned by the Town Team, would seem to be money well spent.

Derek Wood,

Bishopbriggs Town Team.

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