Hydro charge an extra tax burden

SIR, – Miss Nancy Nicholson’s article (Farming, November 11) indicates that rural businesses may now pay (previously exempt) for monitoring the small-scale hydro schemes while larger hydro producers will have their charges for monitoring reduced. Sepa are to have a consultation.

It can seem that it is reasonable to pay for a service. However I fail to see how an extra “tax” burden for rural businesses including farming, many of whom are the nation’s primary food and drink producers, can make any sense.

By definition, the rural businesses are not in the urban areas and as such some services may be more difficult to provide, but penalising their production costs by Sepa will no doubt be

claimed as sanctioned by an apparently fashionable “unprovable, mythical” majority.

It seems any way to raise money will do and not once do we think that we must cut our cloth to what we can afford or sustain. I wonder if consultations are more expensive than the monies collected. The assault by Edinburgh or its agencies on the better off or hard workers continues.

Jack Slupinski, Huntly Place, Aboyne

– Craigellachie!” The alternative theory is that Craigellachie in Scotland was approximately halfway between their birth places. Either way, this proved their love for their home country.

Ross Baird, Balmoral Place,

Aberdeen