School patrol cuts need to be reversed
Dear Editor,
I was astonished to see Labour claim that our school crossing patrol officers are not being made redundant.
The budget papers we have clearly shows £70,000 has been set aside to pay for redundancies. If that’s not about making people redundant, I don’t know what is. But let’s look at the decision taken by the Labour and Tory coalition, using money intended for other road safety schemes.
Officers of the council put forward a range of options for councillors to consider. With this one came a clear warning - “it increases the risks to unaccompanied children crossing unmanned crossing points”.
Despite that warning, Labour/tory went ahead without even consulting the schools, far less the parents and guardians.
It doesn’t stop there. They are also removing the patrols where there are already zebra crossings. Take Drip Road in my ward for example. Residents fought hard to get a crossing, the patrol officer was kept for good reason, quite simply because of poor driver behaviour.
This hasn’t been thought through. The decision needs to be reversed.
Susan Mcgill
SNP Councillor Stirling North Ward
Dear Editor,
I am astounded at the recent announcements by UK Government and opposition spokespersons for housing looking at the private rented sector and social housing problems.
One Government spokesperson says that landlords will not be allowed to evict with ‘no reason’ in the private sector. This is not enough to protect tenants from rogue landlords who view any reason to evict is good cause.
Labour says they will allow new building for local authorities on green belt land, within reason, and will support the developer to relieve the housing problem.
Both UK and Scottish Governments miss the point of the housing problems within the rented sector. The total cost of renting within the private rented sector is almost unrealistic because of high interest mortgages, and with major authorities experiencing high building costs for new housing; this can cause high rents within the private sector.
One major cause of this, is the cost of land.
Consecutive Ministers, UK and Scottish, are failing to address the amounts of money that developers are being charged to buy land for development and in so doing that increases the cost of buying and artificially increases the cost of renting.
Similarly, subsidy elements to building social housing are totally inadequate at an average of £60k per house.
These two announcements will do nothing to eradicate homelessness or to alleviate demand for housing.
More needs to be done by investigating the real costs of Housing instead of shillyshallying around, and buoying up exorbitant charges either for owning or renting.
Hugh Mcclung MBE
Thankyou Dear Editor,
I would like to express my very grateful thanks to the kind gentleman who stopped his car in Clifford Rd on Coronation Day afternoon and offered to take me dripping with blood to the local A&E after an accident.
I was in too much shock to think of asking his name or car number, but I would like him to know that I am very grateful.
The kindness of compete strangers in times of emergency never fails to restore one’s faith in human nature.
Name and address supplied
Last week we told how 18 properties were evacuated and a main road in St Ninians closed to traffic after a building was found to be in a dangerous condition.
The property, located on St
Ninians Main Street near the Lidl supermarket, was visited by a private contractor and concerns were raised over the condition of several chimney stacks on the roof prompting an inspection by Stirling Council building safety officers and engineers.
A‘safety exclusion zone’was set up around the building in question, with images showing extensive fencing and several workers on site assessing the property.
Brian Mcnair posted:“they need to look at the condition of the buildings in Bruce Street Stirling , they’re an accident waiting to happen through lack of maintenance.”
Val Brand said:“this will also make it very difficult for people to access Stirling Community Hospital and the Bellfield Centre by bus.”
And Tammy Carter stated:“you can’t even walk past? No signs in place to let you know that!”
We also reported how more than 1000 people have expressed an interest in the so-called Stirling Supervillage.
Springfield Properties has confirmed that over 1000 people have joined a mailing list for its Durieshill Village development, between Plean and Pirnhall/ Bannockburn, as it approaches a milestone planning decision on June 29. Durieshill secured planning consent in 2019, when Stirling Council approved what is believed to be the largest detailed planning application for housing in Scotland.
Liz Evans commented:“if Stirling people have any sense they will reject it it means more cars on the roads and taking Stirling’s identity of them more people means cramped schools it will take more green areas away to the fact that there will just be buildings everywhere less places to walk for those who love going out walking.”
Craig Ritchie said:“that’s 1000 people until they find out the price and then it reduces to 100 that can afford the mortgage lol.”
Garry Evans posted:“oh I see so if anything goes by the present prices of new homes getting built in Stirling we are talking at least £350,000 plus.”