Is road closure really necessary?

SIR, – Could someone please explain to me why it has been necessary to close the whole of Aberdeen’s St Swithin Street (approx 800m in length) to all traffic from the Queens Cross roundabout to allow pavement resurfacing to be carried out to a 20m section of pavement at its junction with Union Grove and Ashley Road, denying access from Queens Cross not only to St Swithin Street itself but roads leading off it, namely Gladstone Place, Stanley Street, Hartington Road and Devonshire Road?

This road has been closed since March 6 and will be so until March 31. This is akin to closing Union Street between Holburn Junction and Union Terrace because they are carrying out minor works at the junction of Union Street and Bridge Street.

This unnecessary closure is adversely affecting local residents and, more importantly, businesses in the area at a time when businesses are already struggling.

To make matters worse, on some days last week no work was being carried out at all.

I have racked my brain to see why this total closure of a main thoroughfare was thought necessary, and perhaps the powers that be could look into this matter and find a satisfactory solution very quickly. Grant S. Smith, Countesswells Crescent, Aberdeen 8% or 9% share of them?" So there is uncertainty about Moray being left with even a 14 fighter plane asset share.

There must have been an unwelcome wake-up when they realised that with the planes comes pilot training, fuel costs, munitions and maintenance ... like a deluge of ice cold water. Then the additional horror in realising that they need to have scramble ready planes to respond to Russian incursions on a regular basis after radar warnings.

Also, the surface warships promised to replace the departed nuclear subs from Faslane probably added up to a nightmare expenditure which has to be found with a 15% fiscal deficit.

Nato membership means 2% of GDP goes on defence hardware and personnel, providing even more incentive to send the Scottish government's 2014 White Paper on defence for recycling. All very good reason to believe they are making it up as they go along. Sam Coull, Lendrum, Boddam, Peterhead