Readers’ letters

A valuable role

Dear Ed, – I was somewhat surprised to read, in last week’s Carluke Gazette, BD Sharma’s comments regarding Carluke Community Council, particularly as in the past six years he has been either Chair or a Community Councillor.

Certainly his views do not reflect my own or our other members.

We feel that Carluke and Law Community Council provides a valuable service to the community and it might be useful to your readers to find out what we do.

Community Councils are statutory bodies which are consultees on planning and licensing matters. However its main purpose is to relay to South Lanarkshire Council, and to other organisations, the views of local residents, to pursue relevant issues brought to the attention of the Community Council, or to forward them to Elected Members for their attention.

Similarly, South Lanarkshire Council and other agencies do consult with us and inform us of developments in the area.

Our meetings are advertised and open to the public. In addition to Community Councillors, local elected members and the Community Police are in attendance.

On most occasions our meetings begin with a presentation by some local group wishing to air views. Thereafter there will be a full agenda when we discuss planning, licensing proposals and any business relevant to Carluke and Law.

Recently we have been involved in discussions regarding parking in Clyde Street and we are pleased to advise that notices will soon be in force.

Following the recent election, we will be welcoming four new Community Councillors at our November meeting. I would not like them to be disheartened by last week’s article.

Let me assure them that they will enjoy their period in office. There are no restrictions on what can be accomplished. They only need a desire to represent their fellow citizens and a little imagination. – Yours etc.,

ALISTAIR MACKIE,

Chair, Carluke and Law Community Council

Clyde Street

Carluke.

Heed the past

Dear Ed, – A planning application is currently before South Lanarkshire Council. The applicant seeks to commence sand and gravel quarrying at Overburn Farm close to the River Clyde.

Permission should be denied; the Clyde is an unpolluted stream at the proposed development location and well downstream into Glasgow itself and must remain so.

The river is supportive of life in its waters and on its banks on either side; with quarrying this would cease to be.

The area is very scenic, possibly one of the most outstanding in all Lanarkshire.

It is valued by anglers, ramblers, equestrians, ornithologists, entomologists, and tourists who all appreciate its environment, ambience, serenity and tranquility.

The proposed development is wholly inappropriate.

It would seem that prior to 1970 there was a quarry in the area closed and filled in thereafter in response to strong public opinion. Pollution, then as now, a major issue. The lessons of the past must remain heeded! – Yours etc.,

J E ALLEN,

Franklin Place,

Westwood,

East Kilbride,

Share and care

Dear Ed, – I suggested to a council official that apple trees should be planted on spare bits of ground around Lanark – back came the reply “we don’t like people eating wild food”.

Well, people are so short of money at the moment they are stealing apples off trees in the dark to survive.

I understand Lanark is looking for land to have allotments on and can’t find anything suitable.

When my daughter Lucy lived in London, she had a very long, narrow garden and so did the old couple next door; they were in their 90s and couldn’t garden so they came to an agreement.

The Brown’s fed Lucy’s kids with biscuits and watched television together and they grew vegetables in both gardens and shared the produce between the two households. Mr Brown died of old age and Mrs Brown could barely cope.

So they changed her sheets etc and Isobelle the three-year-old daughter squeezed through the hole in the fence with a little bit of supper in a dish and some baking. Lucy had to move and Mrs Brown was moved to be near her own daughter.

When she died in hospital, all the nurses thought the bedside photos were Mrs Brown’s own grandchildren but they were Lucy’s children and to Lucy’s surprise the Brown’s left a little money in their wills to Lucy’s children.

So please, try sharing your empty garden. I can obtain dwarf apple trees for £6.50 each. Any takers? - Yours etc.,

SUZANNAH RIDDELL,

Lawhead Croft,

Tarbrax,

Too little, too late

Dear Ed, – I read in the Gazette about the opposition to an extension of the Clyde Windfarm.

I know neighbours and representatives will not be pleased at me saying this but now that the scenery and views have been ruined then another 50 or 500 turbines will not make any real difference.

I do complain that, after all the promises by the developers the so called “community”, Clyde Windfarm fund has been set up by South Lanarkshire Council, the developers and the Scottish Government in a way that makes it unavailable for the communities actually affected by the windfarm.

The promise had been that an independent trust would be set up controlled by the disadvantaged communities.

The steering party formed to set up this trust was obstructed by the developer, presumably so it could be used to bargain with council and government.

The whole principle of the renewable energy movement is to involve and support those communities which will be disadvantaged. Principles do not seem to apply here.

Quite unbelievably the council has set up a public meeting to promote the windfarm community fund... in Biggar! A town that will not be able to see the windfarm, will not suffer any and has already had major council led investment. – Yours etc.,

RALPH BARKER,

Carlisle Road,

Crawford.

Still time to vote

Dear Ed, – Local government elections are scheduled to take place in all councils across Scotland on May 3 2012.

By making sure they have returned their annual registration form your readers can make sure they are registered to vote.

I encourage all households in Scotland to ensure they have filled in and returned the annual canvass form they will have received through the post.

If anyone has lost their form they should get in touch with their local electoral registration office. Visist www.aboutmyvote.co.uk for more details. – Yours etc.,

ANDY O’NEILL,

Head of Electoral Commission.