Greenbelt is issue not tennis legacy

Dear Editor The Reporter appointed by the Scottish Government submitted his report [on Park of Keir] last December.

Since then there has been a campaign led by Judy Murray to capitalise on the huge success of her two sons, Andy and Jamie.

She quite rightly wants to have a Murray legacy, which I and many others would endorse if it did not entail building houses and sports facilities on greenbelt land.

The decision facing ministers is whether they are prepared to sacrifice the principle of the green belt in order to satisfy the Murray family.

Make no mistake, the Park of Keir plan is a housing development with tennis attached and not the other way around.

Public attention has focused on Judy Murray’s passionate commitment to Dunblane and rather less to the housing element of the scheme.

However it is likely that if permission is given for nineteen luxury homes this time around there will be further applications in the future.

The developers have offered to make a substantial contribution to the capital costs of the sports facilities but this is conditional on the housing being approved.

Without their input the whole project would fold.

As a former director of sports development at Stirling University I raised the funds for the Gannochy National Tennis Centre that was opened in 1992.

I provided tennis scholarships for talented young players as an alternative to enrolling at American universities. I have always supported the governing body for tennis.

However, the issue here is not about the development of tennis. It is about whether ministers are ready to jettison an important principle in the form of the greenbelt.

Tennis Scotland have secured funding for a network of five regional centres to be built over the next five years at a cost of £15 million.

Tennis across Scotland will benefit without having to breach the greenbelt in any of the chosen locations.

Surely this would be a better kind of Murray legacy project.

Dr Ian Thomson Bridge of Allan

aircraft regularly flying over the Stirling city area from the likes of Gatwick and Paris to Canada and the USA adding, I would presume, to engine exhaust particulates fallout on us.

Have a look at Flightradar24.com and you can track aircraft of all types flying over Scotland and Stirling in particular.

Chris Campbell Stirling