Council needs to protect its natural assets

Sir, – I am really cross that Perth and Kinross Council has failed to tidy up the Meikleour Beech Hedge, as reported in The Courier.

I first wrote to the then provost who represented Blairgowrie about the state of the hedge in June 2016 and was told, as you report now, that there was a problem with the landowner.

Failing to maintain such a valuable asset to the local community and the nation is the sort of behaviour that puts people who inherit vast estates in the spotlight and will no doubt lead to socialist land ownership reform.

However, this is also yet another aspect of our elected representatives’ collective failure to act to preserve or exploit an important local asset. They seem able to spend tens of millions of pounds on projects in order to bask in their glory, yet are unable to use those powers to maintain or promote others.

There are statutory powers available to them to maintain roadside verges and trees. The cost, recoverable from the tree owners or not, is negligible alongside the cost of refurbishment of the City Chambers, Perth Theatre or Mill Street.

This neglect, like that of the City Hall, St Paul’s Church and the numerous buildings in Perth city centre with vegetation growing all over, transcends the watch of councils of different political colours, so is it the fault of the paid officials?

Our council needs to tidy up the hedge, erect signs advising motorists they are not just entering a dark old wood, tidy up the layby, re-erect signs telling the history of the hedge and promote this world-renowned feature as a tourist attraction.

Maybe one day we will also see promotion of Dunsinane Hill. I show it off to everyone who visits me from far and wide, but its location appears to be a closely guarded secret in Pullar House and 3-5 High Street. Alastair H Anderson. Bellwood Park, Perth.

Picture: Steve MacDougall. One correspondent is ‘cross’ that the council has failed to tidy up the Meikleour Beech Hedge.