Readers’ letters

All just a wind up?

Dear Ed, – The resident of Auchenheath (Gazette, March 3) who contacted you with environmental concerns about the proposed wind turbine towers is fully justified. The only thing that makes wind turbines profitable is subsidy.

An average turbine of 2.3 MW receives income of about £500,000 a year, half of which is subsidy in the form of Renewables Obligation drawn from consumer bills. The Renewable Obligation subsidy currently costs UK consumers £1.4bn a year in total.

Electricity from windfarms is uncontrollable, unreliable and needs continuous back up from conventional power stations ie. coal, gas and nuclear. Claims of C02 reductions are therefore unsubstantiated, and the damage to the environment that they cause is unjustifiable.

“The Wind Farm Scam” by Dr John Etherington describes the effects of Wind Turbine Syndrome, ie vertigo, migraines and sleep deprivation.

Proximity to wind turbines may also adversely affect property values. The Davies family of Spaldings, Lincolnshire were forced to abandon their home. Their estate agent said, “I am not able to place a current market value on the property as I do not believe any prospective purchaser would want to inhabit the property...”.

The Clyde Wind Farm currently being built between Abington and Moffat exemplifies the environmental destruction caused by wind farms: 18 square miles of development with an associated 50 miles of concrete roads and 41 quarries for rock extraction.

There is nothing environmentally friendly about wind farms. – Yours etc.,

MR A R NELSON,

Scarletmuir.

Nitty gritty Smyllum

Dear Ed. – I have personally witnessed the changes relating to Smyllum.

Although change is happening, the council refuses to take notice of the main nitty gritty problems in Smyllum and it is totally ignored.

Yes, we had a problem with anti-social behavior and kids hanging around but there is far, far more going on than meets the eye.

Living in Smyllum for the past three years has been a nightmare – breaking of windows, people at your door at all hours of the morning, being threatened by other residents and the list goes on.

Calling the police and complaining to the coundil doesn’t help. Moving is not an option as the council refuses to accommodate the idea, so I’m stuck in a constant battle and fear for my safety and my home.

It’s ridiculous that I was placed in this situation by the council without being told about the area’s reputation.

The council should carefully consider the residents it places in the houses and flats here to help improve life around Smyllum. The area I feel is being used as a scapegoat to rid Lanark of its problem and it is being tucked away and ignored. We deserve a better and safer quality of life,

The ground flats are proving to be a particular problem as there is just no form of security at all. The council won’t even address the problem.

I’ve asked countless times for stronger and safer doors and complained about the disturbances and I just get blown off.

People may think I shouldn’t have accepted the flat in the first place but you only have one offer of housing and risk being homeless if you don’t accept it. – Yours etc.,

NAME AND ADDRESS SUPPLIED

Forgotten regiment

Dear Ed, – I read with interest your recent piece on The Lanarkshire Yeomanry.

The sentence about disbandment after WW2 gives a misleading impression: The Lanarkshire Yeomanry continued as a TA Regiment equipped with armoured vehicles until in 1956 it amalgamated with The Lothians and Border Horse and The Queen’s Own Royal Glasgow Yeomanry to form The Queen’s Own Lowland Yeomanry (RAC/TA).

A (Lanarkshire Yeomanry) Squadron QOLY soldiered on until 1967 split between Carluke and Dumfries when The Queen’s Own Lowland Yeomanry was reduced to an AVR3 unit and subsequently, a cadre and an AVR2 Royal Corps of Transport Squadron based in Edinburgh (defunct 1992).

In 1992 I was TA Colonel Lowlands and was proud to assist the formation of The Scottish Yeomanry with a Squadron based in East Kilbride that incorporated both Lanarkshire Yeomanry and Queen’s Own Royal Glasgow Yeomanry links: sadly this Regiment and Squadron did not survive the 1999 cuts.

Compared with the Cameronians, who maintained a uniformed Territorial Company until the 1990s, the Lanarkshire Yeomanry’s lack of continuity contributes to its forgotten status.

So too did the tendency for reunions to based on specific groupings who had served together eg the C Squadron Gallipoli Club which was still active 50 years after!

Maybe somewhere on the road between Lanark and Carluke would be a good spot for the memorial, linking Lanark the Regimental base with Carluke, home of Sgt Caldwell VC and its 1956 Squadron headquarters.

It would overlook Lee, the home of its founder and the family that commanded it for so much of its existence. – Yours etc.,

DAVID CRANSTOUN,

A (Lanarkshire Yeomanry) Squadron QOLY (TA) 1965-67