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East Fife Mail Letters - June 18, 2008

Political ploy

Sir, – Re the golf course/bowling club rammy.
We can first discount the contributions from Cllr Andrew Rodger and Joyce Smith. Both have no love for the new administration of Fife Council and both were playing politics for all they were worth. The reasons for that will become apparent soon.
Most other contributions were genuine, but a review is only a review. All functions of Fife Council are under review. That's what a new administration does.
It doesn't mean the worst case scenario will happen but it would be unprofessional not to do the review.
I would urge those who think they are in the firing line to relax but, at the same time, do their homework.
We had a review of parking charges in Fife. Are there parking charges in Leven? No.
The golf club/bowling club report has still to to come to the Levenmouth area committee. Levenmouth's case will be put there.
Let's move on to the attack on the state of Leven as a tourist resort. We have had three anonymous letters in the East Fife Mail in as many weeks - they could all have been written by the same person; maybe they were.
Either way, the intention was clear - undermine. I smell politics, Again, the reason may become clear soon.
The realities are, over the last 12 months, Leven beach has just won the Blue Flag, Silverburn has had £150,000 spent on it, Letham Glen has had £40,000 investment, the skatepark has had £80,000 investment, the Festival Gardens are looking at a £40,000 spend, another £40,000 is in place for the Prom playpark and there are more projects with funding in place, organised by non-Fife Council groups.
That's just Leven - and it's just 12 months.
On top of that, we have broken the capital spend logjam and Leven's primary schools are going to benefit by millions, at least nine.
The under-investment of the last decade by previous administrations, which was admitted by Joyce Smith, will not be sorted in one year, but a huge start has been made. There will be more new and imaginative projects announced soon.
I can predict Leven, and Levenmouth, will see more ludicrous attacks over the next few weeks and they really should be ignored.
Levenmouth is a priority for the new administration of Fife Council. No-one should doubt that. Actions will speak louder than words. – Yours, etc.,
Cllr DAVID ALEXANDER
Chair,
Levenmouth area committee.

Club review

Sir, – As a member of Scoonie Bowling Club, I was most annoyed not to receive any information from Fife Council concerning the review which could threaten the club.
This is a well run club over 80 years old.
I will tell you this. Fife officials will have a real fight on with the members of Scoonie Bowling Club. – Yours, etc.,
LEVEN BOWLER
(Name and address supplied).

Cruel delay

Sir, – I totally agree with the letter from Joe Cochrane (EFM 28/05/08) about the elderly and disabled people of our community being put at risk from penny-pinching of the social services of Fife Council.
My mother was 69 years old when she was admitted to hospital last May with a stroke. She got home in the August but couldn't walk and was in a wheelchair.
We had an appointment with social services. It was agreed she would need a ramp for the front door, stair lift and also a wet floor shower.
Social services waited long enough that my mother died on December 11, 2007 and didn't receive anything from them.
I think it is terrible how the elderly get treated after what they have already done for our community throughout their lives.
I was also a home carer and witnessed personally how they get treated. – Yours, etc.,
ANGRY DAUGHTER
Colinsburgh
(Name and address supplied).

Way of life

Sir, – The review of our green at Scoonie has come as a shock to all of us.
I would ask Fife Council to give the issue serious consideration before making its decision.
Councillors may think it is only a piece of land for which a better use may be found – something they can turn into profit – but at whose expense? Ours!
If the council thinks of closing doors or putting a padlock on it, then the local authority can think again.
Scoonie Bowling Club has a history our councillors may not be aware of.
It was established in 1923 as the Burgh of Leven Club. A ladies' section was established in 1959 and in November 1966 it became Scoonie Bowling Club.
In December 1969 it became a member of Scottish Bowling Association
Let's fast forward to the present.
We have 70 members of whom at least 95 per cent are senior citizens who pay concession fees of £21 to the council.
We have a man of 95 years and a lady who is 88, who play in most competitions. There are a few others in the 80s group.
The category with the most members is 70 to 80 years.
We also have four men in their 60s and two ladies in their 50s.
Some of our members have been members for 30 years and many over 20 years.
We have one of the best greens in Fife, as many clubs who visit compliment us as to how it played. It is used regularly by our members for competitions and bounce games. The ladies play on Tuesday and Thursday afternoons. Some of the men play in the evenings.
We host Scottish and Fife ties in the early part of the season. Both codes play on Wednesday senior league game.
Weekends are spent playing domestic games or a friendly match with other clubs.
They are games we enjoy as, over the years, we have built up a lot of friendships.
Scoonie Bowling Club plays host during Leven Civic Week, when the ladies invite a rink from other clubs to join them. After the games are played and everyone has enjoyed tea, the Rose Queen and her attendants come from school to the green to present the trophy to the winners.
I think it has shown Scoonie Bowling Club has more going for it than merely throwing a bowl. It has become a way of life for most of us.
In the summer it becomes somewhere to go, play or just enjoy being part of it, watching your friends play.
We have people who are no longer able to play but love to come to see their friends and then have tea after games.
During the winter, the club still gets used by some members on Monday and Thursday evenings when funds are raised by playing bingo, carpet bowls and dominoes. The funds we make have helped maintain our club fees at a reasonable level.
Should the worst thing happen and we are forced to close, just think of the consequences. Some will be able to join another club but will probably have further to travel and pay twice as much.
There is no doubt most of our members would be lost to bowls forever. Their lives would be turned upside down because bowls had become a way of life for them.
We hope this gives the council something to chew over. It has a choice as to what is more important, money or people? – Yours, etc.,
DUNCAN DARGE
President,
Scoonie Bowling Club
Alison Hart
Ladies' Section President.

Neuklear fallout

Sir, – As a Leven dweller, born and bred, I've been kept amused for a number of years by the pretentiousness and confusion of Lundin Links/Largo folk who (I'm afraid a couple of fancy roadside signs and endless earnest self-proclamations at meetings, on petitions and in the press can't overturn a geographic impossibility).
However, recently the smile was wiped from my face by an alarming development.
It seems this virus, which can severely afflict the mental faculties and cause much foaming at the mouth - Eastern Neukitis - is something of a creeping lurgy and has apparently spread to my home town.
More specifically, there's been an outbreak on Windygates Road.
The latest phase of the new houses being constructed opposite Diageo is being trumpeted by the builders – again on roadside signs – as being part of 'The Gateway To The East Neuk'.
So Leven is now The Gateway To The East Neuk? What an honour for us, even if we can't quite have full membership of that hallowed bit of coast, like Lundin Links and Largo have – or think they have.
Of course, I may have missed the news of a referendum in the actual East Neuk which voted overwhelmingly that they should be invited to join the club. Initiation ceremony – three gentle slaps in the face from a raw haddock.
But, anyway, I guess we lesser mortals in Leven should be more than satisfied, in fact proud, of our more minor, but still important status as The Keepers Of 'The Gateway' - The Sentries At The Door; The Bouncers At The Entrance; nay The Tenders Of The Door Step; or perhaps The Scrubbers Of The Door Mat.
And really, I suppose, we'd better be thankful for small mercies and grab the title while we can, before Kirkcaldy or Glenrothes muscle in and adopt it themselves. After all, seeing Leven's new role, they'll surely be doing all they can to promote themselves from being mere satellite towns of The Gateway.
However, just to clarify things and not to put any noses out of joint elsewhere in Fife, we'd better amend the signs slightly.
It would be safer and more precise if, from now on, we refer to Leven as 'The Southern Gateway To The East Neuk'.
That will leave St Andrews to be the Northern Gateway, and Cupar to be The Western, not to mention North Berwick having a role to play as the Eastern, to service any trans-Firth swimmers, row-boat users and submariners who may be about to go into transit.
Of course, there will have to be some variations to the signage on the outskirts of Leven, depending on which approach road they are on.
For instance, people driving from Lundin Links into Leven could be greeted by a sign reading something like, 'Welcome To Leven - The Exit To The East Neuk'.
Oh, and just another couple of points for our fellow Largo Bay residents. The early transformation of Lundin Links and the Largos into little zones of affluence owed everything to the once-booming economy of Levenmouth and its overspill, and nothing to the East Neuk.
And even now, I would imagine few of the villagers do their shopping or buy their petrol in Anstruther or Elie. Nine out of 10 will fill their bellies with grub bought at Leven stores and buy their fuel from Leven filling stations.
Finally, just for the sake of argument, if the game of golf had never existed, I'm positive that, a century ago, houses would have been constructed in an unbroken line, right along the beach between Levenmouth and Lundin Links, etc, and both communities would have been one town, indivisible under God. – Yours, etc.,
PW
Leven.
(Name and address supplied)

Clear the air

Sir, – Cellardyke readers may have been either puzzled, alarmed or incredulous at last week's attack (EFM Letters 11/06/08) by Martin Dibley on Cellardyke Residents Association (CRA), headed `Work Together'.
This heading is ironic, for had the Community Council he represents followed its own suggestion of "working together", there would have been no controversy.
In short, Mr Dibley accused us bizarrely of planning a meeting, announcing in the Mail that the Community Council were to be invited to it, then deliberately not inviting them, thereby having denied locals the chance to participate.
An odd but interesting conspiracy theory but, sadly, untrue.
No meeting took place. One is in the process of planning by Fife Council transportation officials and it is intended to involve CRA, Councillors and Community Council to discuss solutions to Cellardyke's traffic problems.
CRA had been asked to suggest a suitable date and June 5 was accepted. This was announced in our recent press report.
Not being the organiser of the meeting, we thought others were being similarly invited.
Unfortunately, time passed, and publication of the report lagged behind events. Arrangements for the meeting were not complete, but we did not know this.
The meeting on June 5 was reduced to an informal discussion between officials and CRA to discuss points we had raised, then cancelled because of illness.
By the time this process became clear, our report, now out of date, was published later than expected and Mr Dibley had become alarmed at his apparent exclusion.
Unfortunately, the Community Council appear to have jumped to the conclusion that we were in some way trying to wrong foot them, for whatever reason, and wrote to the East Fife Mail to denounce our conduct.
Had they explained their concerns to us first, and asked for our comments, they would have understood we had acted in good faith andthe whole issue was a misunderstanding. Not a very exciting story, but true.
As for other issues, these are best discussed and resolved face to face. I am pleased to report the Community Council has agreed to our suggestion of a meeting to clear the air, and the controversies of Cellardyke will now be resolved where they should be: round a table. – Yours, etc.,
GLENN JONES
Secretary,
Cellardyke Residents' Association.

Guild protest

Sir, – Further to recent articles in the East Fife Mail regarding £500,000 insurance pay-out from the fire at Mountfleurie Centre in November 2005, we, the committee of the Leven Co-operative Guild, strongly object to the money being spent on Savoy Park.
The Co-operative Women's Guild supplies an important service to Leven.
We have a membership of over 100 ladies and, on average, over 60 attend each week during 10 months of the year. For many, this is the only social outing they have. This is the largest Guild in Scotland.
Since the fire, we have had great difficultly finding premises to suit our requirements. At present, we are hiring a hall in a local club but this is too small and the steep stair means some of our older or infirm members are unable to attend.
A large number of new houses for young families are being built in the Windygates Road area of the town and we feel a community centre will become a necessity to the area.
The Balmaise Centre is close to Mountfleurie but we understand every evening is booked, confirming the need for a new hall.
We were in contact with Fife Council after the fire but they were unable to assist us in our search for premises, nor did they keep us informed of the outcome. – Yours, etc.,
CHRYSTAL BEAVERS
Secretary,
64 Robertson Avenue,
Leven.

Review is set

Sir, – I refer to your recent coverage of the Council's decision to review its provision of both golf courses and bowling greens.
In response to some of the comments made in relation to the closure and disposal of facilities, I would stress the review is just about to start - it hasn't just concluded.
We'll be consulting with a range of stakeholders, not least the clubs who operate from these facilities and our wider customer base.
I must stress the review is not financially driven and there are no savings targets that have to be met.
It comes in response to a rapidly changing environment for golf and bowls, which is putting increasing pressure on the long term sustainability of many of these facilities.
Contributory factors include a growing imbalance in the supply and demand equation, a declining and ageing membership, changing patterns of play and, in the current economic climate, increasing maintenance costs.
Critically, there is also a need for major capital investment in all our golf courses and bowling greens, if they're to reach the standard we expect to provide to residents of and visitors to Fife.
It is absolutely right, therefore, that we undertake these reviews and use this opportunity to map out a sustainable way forward. – Yours, etc.,
Cllr BRIAN GOODALL
Chair,
Housing and Communities Committee.

Options open

Sir, – Re the article `Teed Off' (EFM 04/06/08), the clubs concerned may benefit from contacting the local sports council, who are there to help sports clubs develop, but also lobby the local authority, helping to highlight the needs of sport clubs and sport facilities.
A recent campaign `Give us a sporting chance' was launched and supported by the Fife Free Press.
The Kirkcaldy Area Sports Council represents and supports clubs in the Levenmouth area too.
The website can be viewed at www.kirkcaldyasc.co.uk – Yours, etc.,
(Name and address supplied).

Town forgotten

Sir, – Regarding the letter by Les Donaldson (EFM 11/06/08), I only hope the local powers that be read this letter and take it as a true fact regarding our town, as you only have to look around it to see how it is neglected.
The only place I can see which is now getting some attention is the local beach area, but don't understand the wire fences being erected on the piece of ground outside the caravan park. How long do they think such fences are going to last?
While on about fences and Leven – in the Mountfleurie area, where we lost our Neighbourhood Centre, we at last just got the ground sorted out and have also had a payout for the loss of the centre of £500,000.
Is the Mountfleurie area not going to get anything back for the loss of our hall from this payout?
We have a children's play park which has no fence round it and is used by motor bike riders etc., as it is open ground, and the swings etc., in it, I am sure, must have been used by the children's grandparents – they are as old as the town and look as neglected as it.
The footpaths in the Mountfleurie Crescent area are badly needing renewed, the grass in the park is left until it is too long before it gets cut, so piles of cut grass are left lying and blowing around.
Surely they can now afford a much-needed fence around the children's play area and give some of the £500,000 they got for the loss of the Centre back to the area which lost it, and get Leven looking as good as the other surrounding towns.
There are around five or six young football teams in the Leven area who can't use the King George V park for training as there are no lights in the park.
Go out to some of the small town's parks and they all have lights so training can go on during the dark nights.
Yes, Leven is the forgotten town. – Yours, etc.,
A. HERD
9 Mountfleurie Crescent,
Leven.

Going too far?

Sir, – Les Donaldson (EFM Letters 11/06/08) was right when he said Leven seemed to manage to maintain all our assets in the past.
The start of our downfall, as I have written before, was the amalgamation of our local councils and too much interference from outsiders who don't live in our individual towns and villages.
Nobody should be surprised that the insurance money paid out for the vandalism caused to the Neighbourhood Centre was directed to another cause that had nothing to do with Leven.
But what about all the other money obtained from the sell-off of property and land that was gifted to the people of Leven? Where did it all go and by what right had any council to sell it?
Also, when everything has been finally sold off and there is nothing left to sell, what then? Does Leven go bankrupt?
Some people think the sell-off of the golf links and bowling green has already taken place.
Surely no council would sink this low but, in the event of this possible transaction, and building works being allowed to take place, I would like to know just what safeguards will be put in place to respect and protect the boundary wall at Scoonie cemetery.
Will they be permitted to build right up against it? And if so, in the likelihood of it being dislodged, are we then going to witness a mass exodus of bones being scooped up on to a bulldozer?
For many years, people like myself have been writing to newspapers and attending meetings to speak out, not just for Leven, but where we feel there is an injustice being done because we care about people and places.
Our biggest obstacle has been public apathy, but selling of our golf links and bowling green? This council has finally gone a step too far. They have lost public confidence and it's time they slung their hook. – Yours, etc.,
M. M. THOMAS
4 Wilkie Cottages,
Rose Terrace,
Leven.


East Fife Mail Letters - June 11, 2008

Neglected town

Sir, – In the past, Leven had quite a lot going for it but successive local authorities seemed to have wiped Leven off the tourist map.
In the past few years, they have eliminated the putting greens in Letham Glen and on the Promenade.
They are now considering some solution which will deprive the populace of the town the right of a game of golf or bowls on the municipal golf course and bowling green.
Gone are the two cinemas and Beach Pavilion, which were always very popular venues with the summer visitors.
The High Street in Leven is a disgrace and is badly in need of some upgrade. The only places that seem to have substantial monies spent on any development are Kirkcaldy and Glenrothes.
Does Leven not qualify for the same level of investment or will we always remain the poor relation?
We can only put our trust in our local councillors to see that Leven can once again become a town of which we will be proud and which will attract the summer visitors in the numbers that it did in the past. – Yours, etc.,
LES DONALDSON
3 Mountfleurie Crescent,
Leven.

Answers needed

Sir, – Golfers and non-golfers are totally opposed to any proposed sell-out of Scoonie golf course and the bowling green.
According to your front page article (EFM 04/06/08), it looks like a case of a behind-doors "done deal".
This raises a number of pertinent questions that demand honest answers from those involved.
Who is involved in the decision to sell? What are their positions? Who is the buyer? What is the relationship between the sellers and the buyer?
What is the agreed price and how is it being paid? When the land was gifted to the community, were there any conditions related to a possible future sale? If so, what are those conditions?
If the sell-out of land gifted to the community goes ahead, the greenkeeping staff of four and both starters will lose their livelihoods.
This drop in the ocean won't solve the fiscal problems created by those who govern. But you can bet your life those involved in the sell-out won't take a reduction in wages.
Additionally, young kids will have to find somewhere else to play – that is, if they can afford to do so.
The local community needs to send a message to those who make sneaky decisions: You can't get away with it.
The purpose of the Council is to administer local assets for the benefit of the people. The people do not exist to enrich the Council. Come clean. – Yours, etc.,
WILL BROOKS
(address supplied).

Valuable asset

Sir, – It is very disappointing to read of possible changes to the municipal golf courses.
In a day when policies should be directed towards encouraging exercise and activity, we seem in danger of destroying a very valuable asset.
Golf should be made more accessible for all. The Council seems to be considering selling the courses to developers and thereby destroying the facility, or selling off to a private owner who will offer rounds at prices unaffordable to many people, especially the young.
Indeed, as the Scottish Government enters discussions with Mr Trump and others, should it not be insisting that the granting of any land for golf is accompanied by a promise that affordable golf will be made available, and that such developments are not aimed at corporate membership or the rich minority?
I enjoy playing Scoonie from time to time and would feel it a sad loss if it were no longer available. – Yours, etc.,
ALISTAIR MACLEOD
39 Lodge Walk,
Elie.

Too little to do

Sir, – It was with disbelief I read your front page article (EFM 04/06/08) regarding the threat to golf links and bowling green.
Fife Council spent £8000 on a consultant's report to see why visitors had stopped visiting Leven; the above is another example of the reason why. There is little for them to do or visit.
First they decimate Letham Glen and Silverburn, now a threat to another activity.
I know I was a member of the administration that took all animals from the Glen and Silverburn but believe you me, I did argue against that policy. I was a voice on the wilderness.
We hear a lot about the need for outdoor education, so why can't Council subsidise or even give free tuition in both sports to encourage young people to participate, rather than hang around street corners making a general nuisance of themselves, not to mention making elderly afraid to go out in the dark?
This is again like the refusal to employ a piping tutor in education in Levenmouth, as they do in west Fife. They would rather spend money repairing acts of vandalism than help responsible parents who encourage their offspring to participate in worthwhile activities.
I appeal to all councillors to break their vow of silence and oppose vigorously any other threat to tourism and young people's activities in Levenmouth.
I now realise perhaps I was too quiet after the advent of Fife Council. We should have protected more vigorously the facilities provided by Fife Region and Kirkcaldy District Councils. The present head of community services knows the cost of everything and value of nothing.
Also by breaking their vow of silence, I have not read one word of condemnation on the latest fiasco of inviting by postcard all tenants to drop in to Caledonian Hotel to a function that took place more than a week previously. I shudder to think of the cost of that and if it came out of council tax or rent accounts! – Yours, etc.,
JOYCE SMITH
4 Lime Grove, Methil.

Stop tampering

Sir, – Thanks to the article by Maggie Millar (EFM 04/06/08) for providing another example of Fife authorities' inner circle activity regarding the investigation of whether to maintain Fife municipal golf courses and bowling clubs, or otherwise.
Obviously, it is important for Council officials to monitor expenditure on various facilities. But, all as per the norm, it is always done in a manner to alienate the public by not previously advising or discussing with the general public, in this case with respective golf and bowling club committees.
In addition, as always, expediency of producing a report of an assessment will be a prolonged activity with the resultant costs to the ratepayers.
How is it that many years ago in the '50s, '60s and '70s, local councils were able to maintain these facilities without having to close them down?
Of course, these were the days prior to central bureaucratic government.
Why is it in this present 'economic' age there is never any money to provide for proper sport facilities, but money is always found to pay for not exactly proficient public services, financial waste on an assorted amount of debatable projects, unjustified handouts, highly paid Fife House management and, of course, maintaining financial expenditure to pay for overstaffed employment to satisfy UNISON and COSLA?
There has been a lack of proper investment on sports facilities over the past 10 years and it is time the Council takes action to rectify the present situation.
Surely one item of the Council officials' responsibilities is to maintain public sport facilities for communities – in particular, to provide encouragement for youngsters to have a valid sport such as golf which provides a game of sportsmanship, etiquette and considerable talent they can enjoy throughout the years.
It is suggested the Council stops tampering with these existing municipal facilities unless they are going to be improved for the community. – Yours, etc.,
HARRY LAWRIE
35 Abbots Mill,
Kirkcaldy.

Changing rooms

Sir, – I have known Kerry and Stephen (EFM 04/06/08) for a very long time. I can tell you they are getting very depressed because of the situation they are in.
I have visited them on many occasions and can tell you that, although Kerry keeps a very clean house, she cannot keep it tidy. The kids' clothes and toys are stored wherever she can find a space, which is not a lot.
It's a crying shame that in this day and age, a family as big as this have to stay in a house far too small for their needs.
Kerry and Stephen are a very nice couple and live for their kids but, sometimes when they smile, it's out of politeness, as deep down they are fed up of living in the condition they are in.
The Council should be ashamed of themselves. Would they live like this? I think not. I remember Kerry telling me about the five-bedroom house in Scoonie, she was so excited about applying for it. How on earth the council could say it had been let when the keys had not even been handed in?
I was under the impression the people who were offered houses got the keys and had a look at the house before they accepted it. Also, the council would have to go and check if it needed repairs done. How did they do this with no keys? Kerry and Stephen were very bewildered and annoyed by this.
And Simon Crescent is OK if you have lived there all your life. It's more or less all the same families who live there; not a bad place to live, as I lived there and have family there.
Also, how the Council can build an extension for a large family in Leven but don't seem to care about eight people sharing two bedrooms beats me.
Stephen goes out to work to provide for his family and I know he feels inadequate because he can't change the situation they are in.
Even a three-bedroom house would give them a little bit more breathing space. So come on, Fife Council, get your finger out and get them what they are entitled to – a bigger house. – Yours, etc.,
A FRIEND
(Name and address supplied).

Work together

Sir, – On behalf of the Royal Burgh of Kilrenny, Anstruther and District Community Council, I wish to reply to some of the comments contained in the report of the Cellardyke Residents' Association in the (EFM 04/06/08).
The Association reported a meeting was to take place with Fife Council transportation on June 5 and Community Councillors would be present. Community Councillors were not present because the Residents' Association did not invite them. Even after the Residents' Association was aware it had not invited the Community Council, it did not send out an invite.
It is a shame we were excluded, as some of our members who have lived in Cellardyke for over 40 years have a great deal of practical experience in the transportation problems of the area.
The report goes on to say "the meeting agreed the Community Council should not have agreed to outline planning permission to Muir homes for the erection of 339 homes".
While the Community Council has never opposed redevelopment of this site in principle, the Residents' Association is well aware the Community Council was the main objector to the outline application at the departure hearing held in Cellardyke Town Hall in August 2006.
Also at the time, the outline application was for in excess of 200 houses at a density of at least 24 to the hectare. The number of 339 houses was never stated, even when the developer was asked a direct question for one of the Councillors.
The Community Council was also criticised for not realising the impact this development would have on Anstruther, i.e. parking, dentist, doctors and schools.
The Community Council, being the only democratically elected body that represents Anstruther, Cellardyke and Kilrenny, is fully aware of the impact of such a development on our community.
This is why these were the very concerns, with the addition of sewerage and infrastructure, we submitted to the departure hearing.
The Community Council has been an active critic of this development for over five years and will continue to work to represent the whole community on this and many other issues.
However, everyone has to realise outline planning permission has been given, meaning that redevelopment of this site will go ahead in one form or another, and everyone should be working together to secure the best outcome for our community. – Yours, etc.,
MARTIN DIBLEY
Communicy Council Secretary.

Expense anger

Sir, – I read with interest your article (EFM 04/06/08) regarding elected members' expenses.
I wonder how many people in the area reading this article are outraged to see Council representatives happily take cash from the region's coffers while the poorest of their constituents struggle with charges caused by a so-called budget deficit.
Probably not very many, as we have become a `sit back and take it' society.
That is why our cars are being wrecked negotiating lumps of tar in the street, we have maggots living in our overflowing bins and our pensioners wait seven months for a hand rail, etc.
We as a community need to remind our elected members, when they stand up at public meetings and figuratively give us a sign similar to that used by Winston Churchill and say we will do what we want, that they are not the omnipotent body they think they are and we are not like the figures on Fife Council's logo, which stand with their hands up in submission. – Yours, etc.,
JOE COCHRANE
62 Springbank, Kennoway.

Poor driving

Sir, – Pedestrians of Levenmouth please beware - drivers in the area seem to have forgotten their Highway Code.
As a mum with a child at a local nursery, my daughters and I often use the zebra crossing between Lidl's supermarket and Mitchell Street.
I have lost count of the number of times I have had to pull my buggy and child back off the crossing because drivers coming into Lidl's car park seem to be driving with their eyes shut and don't stop at the crossing.
Within five minutes of each other on Friday past, I was nearly hit by a female driver who refused to stop and another mum was narrowly missed by a driver who swerved round her as she was halfway across the crossing with two small children.
What is the point of teaching our children to use crossings if drivers are just going to ignore them? – Yours, etc.,
LILIAN BLYTH
Methil (address supplied).

Rural re-think

Sir, – With reference to your article "Parents Fight Staffing Cut" (EFM 04/06/08), it is extremely worrying to learn that Fife Council's rigid adherence to a region-wide, paper-based staffing formula means that, for small rural schools like Pittenweem, slight changes in pupil numbers are to have a disproportionately damaging effect on the quality of our children's education.
It is also concerning that the action proposed by Fife Council is entirely at odds with the Scottish Government's stated policy to reduce class sizes to 18 in P1-P3. How can the Council square its decision to remove up to two teachers from the school with its goal of meeting Scottish Government targets?
I have also been dismayed by the lack of consultation with either the Pittenweem Parent Council or the wider community on this issue. This is particularly baffling in a week where the Council has announced public consultations on matters ranging from the Fife Core Path Network to the meaning of the word 'culture' to Fife residents.
Does the Council consider our views on the quality of our children's education are of less value than our opinions on cycle path routes or cultural activities? In the circumstances, it seems difficult to conclude otherwise.
I would urge the Council to re-think this short-sighted and worrying decision, taking into account the complex issues which affect rural schools like Pittenweem, and the extremely damaging impact this decision will have on our community. – Yours, etc.,
PAUL MUTCH
Abbeywall Road, Pittenweem.

Goin' Quoin'

Sir, – Two years ago, with my husband, I managed to go to every Status Quo concert on the UK winter tour – a total of 31 concerts in six weeks.
I met so many people that had stories to tell about their experiences of seeing Status Quo and, as a result, I am compiling a book of people's memories for a book entitled 'Goin' Quoin' – Past and Present'.
I am interested in hearing from anyone who has seen Status Quo from the 1960s right up to the present day. As the band has been performing for more than 40 years now, this would be an ideal opportunity to record all those memories.
All the proceeds from the book are going to The Shona Smile Foundation (www.shonassmile.org)
I'd be very grateful for any contribution readers could send me, either at the address below or by email to yvonnehanvey@aol.com – Yours, etc.,
YVONNE HANVEY
West Lodge,
Balmoral Way, Rownhams.

East Fife Mail Letters - June 4, 2008

PO closures

Sir, – No one likes to see Post Offices closing but, as a society, we are using them a lot less as more and more services become available online.
Eight out of 10 pensioners, for example, now have their pension paid directly into a bank account and among new retirees the figure is nine out of 10.
One million people a month renew their road tax online – a service that didn't even exist a few years ago. And about three quarters of the population have one or more Direct Debits to pay bills.
As a result, the Post Office has been losing custom and losing money. There are now about four million fewer customers a week compared to a few years ago and the network is losing half a million pounds every single day.
In fact, if it wasn't for subsidies by the Government, thousands more branches would be under threat.
Across North East Scotland, Tayside and Fife 1.3m residents are currently served by 416 branches.
We propose to close 42 and replace a further 37 with an outreach service.
Under this proposal, 99.9 per cent of the population will see no change to the branch they currently use or will remain within one mile by road of an alternative outlet.
I know that no one wants to see any closures but it is important to remember that the vast majority of most Post Office branches will be unaffected – even after the closures are complete there will still be around 11,500 Post Offices.
The future for the Post Office network cannot be about turning the clock back and wishing away the changes in technology and communications that have taken place in recent years – changes that most of us have taken part in, in one way or another.
It must be about developing new products and services which attract custom and about ensuring the viability of the network which remains after the current closures. Yours, etc.,
PAT McFADDEN MP
Minister for Employment Relations
and Postal Affairs.

Poor impression

Sir, – I have just spent several weeks on holiday in Leven, staying in the Haughgate area of the town.
It appears to me that this part of Leven has acquired some unsavoury characters – drunkards, gaunt-faced druggies and the 'unwanted'.
If this isn't bad enough, they have attracted even more unscrupulous folk who insist on rushing around going no place, on bicycles with children in hand.
These folk openly discuss what they require and where they will meet to get it on their mobile phones.
I am afraid for the well-being of the decent, hard working and loyal people who have stayed in this area all their lives.
I'm not in a rush to return to what used to be a lovely Leven. – Yours, etc.,
LANCASHIRE VISITOR
(Name and address supplied).

Rough centre

Sir, – What is happening to Leven High Street?
I've just returned from the shops and found the town centre, quite frankly, an intimidating place to be.
I already consider it a no-go area after dark but now it seems during daylight hours it is simply a place to hang around, smoke, swear and generally behave in an aggressive and threatening manner.
I've often seen a police officer patrolling the Kingdom Centre in Glenrothes, which must be reassuring for shopkeepers and shoppers alike.
Could Leven High Street not have something similar? Something is needing done because the situation is getting worse. – Yours, etc.,
LEVEN SHOPPER
(Name and address supplied)

Race nuisance

Sir, – I am writing this somewhat irately having just attempted to drive down Wellesley Road in Methil in order to get home from Leven.
At 10.30am on a Sunday morning, this should not be a difficult task.
However, it would appear that some idiot has found it necessary to organise Methil's answer to the Tour de France (Tour de Farce perhaps?) in a residential street without informing residents.
These cyclists, unfortunately, had to use their cars to congest both Wellesley Road and Bayview Crescent by double-parking, blocking cars in and parking on grass verges.
As a regular Mail reader, I have to say that neither myself nor my husband noticed anything regarding this race in the Mail or in local shops, on lamp posts etc, and, having spoken to my neighbours, it would appear that nobody had any prior knowledge of this.
On contacting Fife Police, I was told that the community policeman had knowledge of the cycle race and that Wellesley Road would be closed off for five minutes in order that the race be run.
I was also informed that there was a police presence in Wellesley Road trying to rectify the situation.
Pardon my ignorance but I thought that the whole point of a community police officer was to make the community aware of issues – if not that, then some kind of liaison between the police and Fife Council, which, I was informed, gave permission for this race to take place.
My gripe is this – why run a race in a residential street where, for instance, Leven Prom, could have been used with minimum disruption?
Also, I was under the impression that the council had a duty to inform residents when there was disruption to the highway and surrounding areas?
Maybe these officials should do a Tebbit, and get on their bike themselves! – Yours, etc.,
IRATE METHIL RESIDENT
(via e-mail)

Postal pressure

Sir, – Your story on the efficiency of the Royal Mail (EFM 28/05/08) did not tell the whole story. Stark figures never do as was the case in for example school league tables.
The Royal Mail carries most of the mail generated by its so-called 'rivals'.
Look at the franking on your mail. On many occasions you will see for example, TNT, DHL, UK Mail, Fedex and others. The Postal Regulator dictates that Royal Mail delivers the mail for rivals to your doorstep.
When DHL tried end deliveries in London it gave up and began using Royal Mail again.
Figures for the past few years show us just how the accessing of Royal Mail by other mail companies has grown.
In 2005-2006 Royal Mail carried 1.2bn items of mail from others. This grew to nearly 2.5bn the next year and is still growing. Also, it is a well known secret that these other mail companies pay a fraction of what Joe Public does for the same service.
DHL and TNT are the German and Dutch postal services while FEDex is American. The Germans and Dutch have not opened their markets as we have to rivals. If they are so efficient why then do they not face competition in their own countries. It is only in the UK do we see markets opened up with not only postal services but also power supply through EDF and EoN.
Volumes of mail have greatly increased over the past few years as has the type of mail carried.
Gone are the days when the postie carried only letters.
Not only the volumes but the size mail handled by Royal Mail has increased. Look at the size of the magazines you now receive. Online shopping now accounts for growing volumes of mail and who brings most of it to your door?
Go on try the test; look at the franking on your mail next time. – Yours, etc.,
JOHN MONTGOMERY
24 March Crescent,
Cellardyke.

Overdue office

Sir, – Let me congratulate Claire Baker and John Park for showing commitment to Levenmouth by opening an office in Methil.
I have tried to get a Labour MP or MSP to do that for years. Well done!
I also pay tribute to Tricia Marwick for her regular surgeries in Leven and feel it is a great pity our councillors continue to only have one surgery per month at half hour per venue despite getting double the remuneration as in the past.
I found the latest list of payments very interesting indeed and hope they will be publicised as in the past.
I do feel that it is disgraceful that Councillor Andrew Rodger has no responsibility payment as he is chairman of the important licensing committee, which takes a lot of hard work and knowledge.
He is, by far, the hardest working one in Levenmouth. – Yours, etc.,
JOYCE SMITH
4 Lime Grove,
Methil.

Pointless delay

Sir, – The article in this week's East Fife Mail regarding the Leven to Kirkcaldy via Thornton Rail Link, was most obtuse, and seen to be just an attempt to elicit yet more debate on a project which is already way overdue.
The bill to re-open the line was put to the Scottish Parliament about three weeks ago and there was no opposition from any of the political parties – so why this continual dithering? Get the funding in place. If the financial climate is difficult, phase the funding.
Get a portable cabin on the land behind the swimming pool. Get four experienced `rail line gangers' and take up any able bodied young men on the dole and get the scheme moving. Feed them, pay them the rate and a bonus if finished on schedule.
I don't see a need for yet another feasibility study to get the project the go-ahead. The only part requiring discussion and planning would be signalling and time tabling.
With two large firms seemingly interested in supporting what's the hold up?
To drag NE Fife into the equation is just another red herring. A lot of money was spent to improve Markinch which I never thought was wise because of parking space and room for expansion being in short supply.
The buses, the taxis, all do a good job and they would not lose out, rather their business would be boosted. This alternative rail travel to the capital from Levenmouth is crucial. No one wants to drive in Edinburgh, or to it, now and with the tram upset it'll get worse.
So, get wise, stop the squabbling and prevarication. Do something positive for once. – Yours, etc.,
MORAG C. BELL
11 North Street,
Elie.

Out of touch

Sir, – I attended the Fife Council's social work and health committee (SWH) on Tuesday, May 27, when the remit of the planned scrutiny committee was unveiled.
At the previous meeting of the SWH committee there had been a great deal of debate as to what this pilot would look at and it was agreed that three councillors would meet and decide this. Cllr Mark Hood took issue with the chair as to why the remit which had been agreed, ie "homecare - the customer's journey", had been switched to "aids and adaptations". He was adamant that this had not been the case and the dismay of members of the public was very real.
The irony of this whole situation was certainly not lost on us – for a service to agree to pilot a scheme which would open itself up to scrutiny seemed like a noble thing to do but it seems clear that there has been lots of gerrymandering going on to ensure that the issue of home care is kept well out of the limelight.
Indeed, at the last meeting, the coalition councillors wanted to conduct the meetings in private, which is a bit of a contradiction in terms – well done to those councillors who fought to have the meetings public.
Councillor Hood lost his motion to change the remit back to that which he considered had been agreed.
At the meeting councillors also considered a report on the Sutherland Review of Free Personal Care commissioned by the Scottish Government.
Cllr Andrew Rodger took the opportunity of asking for an update on what was happening with the assessments for home care charges which have been kept under wraps so far.
He was promptly put down by Stephen Moore, head of social work service, as "not being relevant". Cllr David Ross also requested information on home care charges and was given the same reply.
I think it is shameful that there is absolutely no information coming out from anywhere in the council and that officers can treat us in such a cavalier fashion.
There should a running agenda item on the SWH committee allowing for progress reports to be submitted.
People have no idea when they will be assessed and what and when they will have to pay.
To dismiss requests for information on these matters is shocking and this from a man who says he wants his service to be open to scrutiny. What is it that they're hiding – can it be the fact that no one has as yet been assessed and that not one penny has come into the council by way of revenue other than what it already charges?
I think these high ranking and highly paid officials are so far removed from real people that they no longer have any concept of why they are there.
Apart from anything, this is one of the most controversial policies this council has brought forward in many years and it makes operational and political sense that there should be robust reporting in the implementation. – Yours, etc.,
MAUREEN CLOSS
Campaign Against Charges,
1 Barassie Drive,
Kirkcaldy.

East Fife Mail Letters - May 28, 2008

Village concern

Sir, – I attended Muir Homes' public exhibition yesterday and have just read your copy in this (Wednesday) morning's paper – I did not find it helpful.
If I had been interested in buying a house or leasing a shop they could not have been more helpful but, when asked about the main items, such as the expansion of schools, medical services, police and the problem with the sewage system in the village, it was a matter of that has been worked out with the council and passed.
According to your paper and what we have heard, it is outline planning only.
Muir Homes and Fife Council have not addressed any of the major problems.
They are talking about 340 houses and we were shown a plan for a playground that would maybe hold 10-12 children.
Mr Muir and Mr Hamilton should clap themselves on the back for turning historic Fife villages into towns.
They have not even bothered to consider building shops so close to the old folk's home – one is to be a chemist with a consulting room. As in other chemists, this will be for addicts to get their methadone. Another is to be a grocers, which could mean an off-license.
The elderly do not need the trouble these could bring,, but maybe they do not count.
This development needs to be further inspected and reduced by at least one third.
As for the artist's impression you carried in your paper , I can read a plan and I never saw that part. – Yours, etc.,
MARGARET MELDRUM
37 Ariel Close,
Cellardyke.

Penny pinching

Sir, – I totally agree with the comments made by Mr Tom Ratcliffe of Brucespeed when he says that the old and disabled of our community are being put at risk from the penny-pinching of the social services.
My mother is 78 years old and not very good on her legs. She has been a virtual prisoner in her own home since last November after she had a bad fall whilst alighting from an older style bus in Methilhill.
I had a meeting at her home with social services the day after she got out of hospital and it was agreed to install a handrail at her front door but, six months later, there is still no handrail.
Maybe social services think if they wait long enough the need might go away.
I think it's deplorable how we treat our elderly who have already done their bit for our community.
I am sure there are old soldiers that fought for this country that would turn in their graves if they knew that pensioners' safety was being jeopardised through charging for home alarms and that we were forcing them to pay for home care. – Yours, etc.,
JOE COCHRANE
62 Springbank,
Kennoway.

School priority

Sir - Re provision of Gaelic in schools, how can you expect Fife Council's education services to introduce Gaelic into the school curriculum when it can't even provide the teachers for the compulsory subjects, such as English.
My son and daughter are at a local high school and it has been a constant battle to ensure they get an English education due to staffing shortages.
So, in my opinion, your readers should be appealing to Fife Council for English teachers not the Gaelic language. – Yours, etc.,
ANNOYED MUM
(Name and address supplied)

Negative view

Sir, – In response to your article 'Beauty spot plagued by bikers' (EFM 14/05/08), to reduce the effect of illegal anti-social off-road motorcycling, the best tactic to use is the simplest – recognise this as a leisure pursuit/sport, as a positive activity (which is alluring to young and old).
It is exciting, addictive, it will not go away! No matter how many fences/barriers are erected, no matter how may ASBO vehicle seizures are made, no matter how many people are killed or maimed; It will not go away!
We have evidence of this. It has been a thorn in our side ever since the off-road motorcycle was invented. The reason it has endured is that we have not dealt with the issue effectively.
The collation of statistics is flawed and does not quantify the extent of the problem, hence a strategy and sufficient investment are not allocated.
The costs incurred in implementing the ill-effective approaches are phenomenal and they are costs to the tax payer.
Over 10 years ago it was estimated "a single youth crime is estimated to average £2100.
For every one motorcyclist caught and charged, we will have to dig deeper into our pockets; for every one young person caught and charged, we will have lost an opportunity to focus, channel and divert the young person away from alcohol, drugs and ively.
The collation of statistics is flawed and does not quantify the extent of the problem, hence a strategy and sufficient investment are not allocated.
The costs incurred in implementing the ill-effective approaches are phenomenal and they are costs to the tax payer.
Over 10 years ago it was estimated "a single youth crime is estimated to average £2100.
For every one motorcyclist caught and charged, we will have to dig deeper into our pockets; for every one young person caught and charged, we will have lost an opportunity to focus, channel and divert the young person away from alcohol, drugs and vandalism.
Communities should help empower the too often stigmatised motorcycle sports enthusiast and help to give them a voice and provision of sports facilities in Fife.
In Fife we have 15 swimming pools, 43 tennis courts, 36 rugby pitches, 320 grass football pitches with a further 45 synthetic pitches. We have only one, under-resourced, part-time off-road motorcycle track, which is run by dedicated volunteers.
The club can boast huge membership. Surly these members of the public, sports enthusiasts, should be recognised or at least considered in the provision of sports investment and development.
Well over a £1m has been the suggested capital investment required to enhance football facilities; as a minority sport, areas for motorcycling would require a pittance of this. Indeed land in-kind donation could go a long way to rid our communities of the negative impact of off-road motorcycles and quads.
Further reinforcing this argument, as a parent, I would much rather my kids get high on motorcycling than cannabis or alcohol; or be smashing school windows etc.
You can exercise access rights to the countryside but what activities are not covered?
Under the Land Reform Act, certain activities are excluded – the use of a motorised vehicle or vessel (except special vehicles for disabled people).
It seems again the motorcyclist is being discriminated against?
Give us somewhere to go!
Lastly, we are absent a driving force, in that there are limited local responses to the issues of off-road motorcycling, quads, mini bikes, pit bikes etc. A network or strategy driven by the local authority or police should be top of the agenda.
Failing this, motorcycles/quads will continue to use our beaches, parks and woodlands and the victims will continue to be victims. – Yours, etc.,
DAVE PATON
3 The Turnstiles,
Methil.

Sporting chance

Sir, – The power of sport for doing good is in danger of being sidelined.
While the Olympics are providing a high profile platform for the tensions between politics and sport, young people who are at risk of offending tell us sport transforms their lives.
It helps change their behaviour, channels their energies and helps them back into education, training and work.
In one of our projects, for example, sport helped cut youth crime in the neighbourhood by more than 40 per cent.
It's vital we don't lose sight of the powerful role sport can play in young people's lives and the importance it has on the ground in so many of our disadvantaged communities. – Yours, etc.,
CLARE CHECKSFIELD
Chief Executive,
Crime Concern,
1st floor,
Albert Embankment,
London SE1 7TP.

Shared subsidy

Sir, – So your correspondent John Douglas wants to carry through the unfinished work of those who perpetrated the Highland Clearances?
He calls those living in our rural areas 'selfish', as their mail service is subsidised.
Let me share a well-known secret. All our doorstep letter deliveries are subsidised. DHL, one of the so called efficient rivals to Royal Mail, tried carrying out end deliveries in the London area only to stop them as they were uneconomical.
Only Royal Mail carries out a universal service delivering all mail including that of DHL, TNT, UK Mail etc etc. Hence, even cities have subsidised mail services.
People live in areas such as he mentions because of historical issues. For example Ballachulish was a busy ferry crossing hence North and South Ballachulish. Thurso is a thriving fishing port.
If one looks at any rural community from an historical perspective then it becomes obvious why they were settled.
Also, taking Mr Douglas's argument further would he do way with places like Anstruther, Cupar or the like?
I do agree that, for example, individual houses, miles off the beaten track, should be uplifting their mail from a central point. It makes no sense for a mail van to travel miles with one letter.
Many of these far flung places pay over the odds for many everyday commodities. You will find petrol at near £1.30 a litre and diesel about £1.40. Groceries are the same.
So people living there do not need lectured on what things cost. So are they paying extra for their fuel to subsidise Mr Douglas?
What people like Mr Douglas should be campaigning about is the cost to rural communities of second homes. They are owned on the whole by city dwellers like Mr Douglas and contribute nothing to the local economies. So are all city dwellers selfish? – Yours, etc.,
JOHN MONTGOMERY
24 March Crescent,
Cellardyke.

Shoddy work

Sir, – Can someone please explain the mess around Savoy Park. The old fence looked 10 times better and at least it looked level. There seems to be no rhyme nor reason as to how this fence was fitted.
If a fence runs down hill then by all means step the fence down to the contour of the road or path but at least make the steps equal. Even on a straight stretch the fence goes up and down. Some is even buried in the ground.
How much did this cost the tax payer? Was it done by Fife Council? If so, it should be ashamed. If not, then there should be some recourse with the firm responsible to rectify this abomination and provide the community with a decent looking fence.
I cannot believe that this is the finished product. If Fife Council has signed this off as being complete, then those responsible for monitoring the works should be paid off as they must be incompetent to think this is alright. Any answers? – Yours, etc.,
MH
Methil.

Calculated act

Sir, – My, my I appear to have upset our Glenrothes Labour MP again. This time on the issue of abolishing the 10p starting rate of income tax.
Let me say that I don't buy for a single instant that Gordon Brown considered he had made a mistake in abolishing the 10p tax rate. He had Whitehall civil servants at the Treasury who would have advised him as to what the consequences were for the poorest paid in our society in abolishing the lowest starting rate of tax. So he knew exactly what he was doing!
The temporary measures put in place by Labour still leaves over one million people worse off, and those who didn't lose out in the first place are now even better off than they were before.
The Institute for Fiscal Studies also warns that when the temporary measures expire in April 2008 18 million families are going to be worse off.
I am not going to waste my time rebutting the garbage peddled by our Labour MP in regard to the 1978/9 era; it would make my letter overly long and require more space than would be permitted in a letters page of a newspaper.
However, as he has brought up the subject of the poll tax, would he care to remind me just exactly what actions/measures he took as leader of Fife Regional Council to defeat Thatcher's poll tax. – Yours, etc.,
PETER McCULLOCH
72 Memorial Road,
Methil.

Gregg roots

Sir, – I'm wondering if any of your readers could help me.
I'm trying to obtain information on my great grandfather, Robert Gregg, who may have been born in the area.
The information I have is he was born in 1827, he served in Indian in the early 1860s, married Emma Jane Hockham, April 13, 1857, at St John Sutton-on-Plym, Plymouth.
They had three daughters, Margaret (1862), Mary (1866), Emma Lavinia (1867), two sons Thomas (1876) and David William (1879) – my grandfather.
On the marriage record of Robert Jnr, his father, also Robert Gregg, his occupation was an attorney in Scotland. Mother's name unknown.
The three girls were born in India.
The boys in Newcastle-Upon-Tyne.
If any descendants or anyone that maybe able to help please phone James on 0191 242 0322. Robert died Newcastle 1890, Emma Jane 1905 (both Newcastle). – Yours, etc.,
JAMES E. GREGG
7 Chessar Avenue,
Newcastle-Upon-Tyne NE5 3RE

East Fife Mail Letters - May 21, 2008

SWACS snub

Sir, – I read with some concern, the report (EFM 14/05/08), re visit of Scottish Culture Minister Linda Fabiani to the Scottish Fisheries Museum in Anstruther. This was most commendable and the visit appreciated by everyone.
I am, however, more concerned that the Culture Minister visited East Wemyss Caves with no indication of even a courtesy call to Save Wemyss Ancient Caves Society (SWACS), which has had worldwide acclaim for the voluntary endeavour to preserve these Scottish monuments of days gone by.
The society would have been delighted to have a representative of SWACS present at this momentous occasion. Who better to explain the situation to the Culture Minister, than SWACS?
SWACS has had visitations from MPs of several persuasions and other VIPs including a four-day workout by television's Time Team and Tony Robinson in 2004.
The BBC/ITV have covered the site of the caves on several occasions. There have been visits to the caves by ex pats from all over the world and books on the caves have been snapped up worldwide since the society was formed over 20 years ago.
For certainty, Save Wemyss Ancient Caves Society is very much alive to the preservation of these Scottish ancient monuments and is an entirely voluntary organisation. – Yours, etc.,
BILL BARKER
Chairman,
SWACS.

Bizarre ruling

Sir, – It seems that OAPs and the disabled have a choice to make.
When applying to social services for handrails to make access in and out of their homes easier they can have handrails at the front or rear but not both.
I can only assume this is down to costs as it is only common sense that if you need a handrail at the front to go up and down steps then you also need a handrail at the rear to go up and down steps.
What they are actually saying here, from a safety point of view, is that if you have handrails at the rear and this access is blocked, due to fire for example, then make your way to the front door and fall out.
Social services need to look into this as a matter of urgency and act expeditiously in their responsibility for providing safe homes for those vulnerable and most in need. – Yours, etc.,
TOM V. RATCLIFFE
Managing Director ,
Brucespeed Limited,
Unit 4,
Aberhill Industrial Park,
Methil.

Postal paradox

Sir, – Postcomm is to be congratulated for its report that Royal Mail should begin the approach to privatisation.
Nobody can deny the improvements in pricing and increases in standards of customer service that have been made by previously nationalised communication services like telecommunications, railways and buses since they were liberated from the clammy hands of the Civil Service.
Royal Mail should also be free to charge more to deliver to the rural wilds of the country.
After all, when it is now illegal for bus operators to cross-subsidise their routes so that busy city routes keep costs down in the rural hinterlands, why should I have to pay more for my city centre postal service in order to subsidise deliveries to people selfish enough to live in places like Thurso, Ballachulish or worse? – Yours, etc.,
JOHN EOIN DOUGLAS
7 Spey Terrace,
Edinburgh EH7 4PX

Tax errors

Sir, – Last week's latest tartan-tinged contribution by Peter McCulloch's in the EFM will come as no surprise to regular readers. On this occasion I feel that I must respond.
Mr McCulloch could have contacted my office to find out my views about the removal of the 10p tax band. He did not. Many other constituents did so and I made their views and my own known to my government.
I am surprised that Mr McCulloch expects to find out my thoughts through newspapers, where there is no guarantee of coverage.
To suggest, as he does, that a Labour government would set out to disadvantage the low-paid is to ignore decades of history and the economic success of the last 11 years.
The Prime Minister has accepted that errors were made in removing the 10p tax band. For the vast majority of people solutions have been put in place.
Mistakes do happen: it takes a brave politician to admit them.
Now that the Labour government has apologised for this mistake, will Mr McCulloch ask for the leaders of the SNP to publicly apologise for what was surely the greatest error ever made by a UK political party?
I refer, of course, to the SNP decision to vote with the Tories in 1979 and to bring down the Labour government. No-one in this area will forget the devastation of the Thatcher years that followed.
Mr McCulloch should remember the assault on our mining communities, mass unemployment and the Poll Tax, to mention but a few of the dreadful acts of 'government' which resulted from the SNP support for the Tories. – Yours, etc.,
JOHN MacDOUGALL MP
Glenrothes Constituency

Labour cons

Sir, – Last week the Labour Party announced its latest u-turn – not on the issue of a referendum on independence but on the 10p tax and compersation for those hardest hit.
First we got the tax con – and now we get the compensation con.
The Shadow Chancellor, George Osborne, made it clear that Conservatives support any effort to compensate those hit by Gordon Brown's axing of the 10p tax rate, but the fact that Labour has failed to address the root cause of the problem demonstrates how out of touch it really is.
The help which the Labour Party announced is for one year only. It is a one-off payment, a one-off solution for tax rises that will hit families every single year.
Alistair Darling and the Labour Party have not put in place a long-term plan to compensate people, and it would seem Labour has only acted to "save its skin". Would that be because of a pending by-election in Crewe and Nantwich?
This is a panic emergency Budget from a divided, dithering and disintegrating government that has completely lost control of events.
What the Labour Party and Alistair Darling fail to point out is the fact that 1.1 million low-earners across the UK, many in North East Fife, on incomes between £6635 and £13,355, will still lose out by up to £112 a year. – Yours, etc.,
MILES E BRIGGS
Conservative MP Candidate,
North East Fife

Water charges

Sir, – We would like to thank all those from across Scotland who signed the petition to the Scottish Parliament, marking the culmination of our successful campaign to continue water charge exemptions and reliefs for charities and churches beyond 2010.
Over 2300 signatures were gathered from charities, churches and individuals, making it one of the largest petitions lodged with the Scottish Parliament.
While the Scottish Government is now minded to have the exemptions and reliefs from these charges extended, the challenge now is to ensure that any new scheme put forward is broader, less costly and less bureaucratic in scope than the current arrangements.
Since the introduction of exemptions and reliefs more than half a century ago it has been recognised that charities and churches play a vital social role, a situation even more strongly relevant now with the increasing reliance placed by the Scottish Government on these bodies to deliver and supplement social services.
We look forward to continue to deliver these services and to work with the Scottish Government on ensuring an appropriate water charges scheme is implemented. – Yours, etc.,
Lucy McTernan
Director of Corporate Affairs,
Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations.

Peter Kearney
Spokesman,
Scottish Catholic Church

The Rev Jock Stein
Dunfermline Presbytery,
Church of Scotland.

East Fife Mail Letters - May 14, 2008

Simple task

Sir, – Mr Neil Watson clearly did not read how to send the questionnaire re SEStran, as it states at the bottom how to send the electronic version.
As he has email all he had to do was what I did and copy and paste his questionnaire into an email.
After I did this I was sent an email saying 'received with thanks', not really a difficult task if he had taken time to read it.
The questionnaire was not difficult to complete and all the questions were pertinent and gave the person completing it every opportunity to give their reasons for bringing a much needed rail link to East Fife. – Yours, etc.,
FRANCES E JOHNSTONE
Buckhaven.
(Full address supplied)

Council inaction

Sir, – The letter from Mr Andrew Dougal of SEStran (EFM 07/05/08) raises a very interesting issue.
He makes it clear that the Transport Study – now central to the rail link debate – is being carried out "in partnership with Fife Council".
Other than SEStran's efforts, our SNP/Lib Dem council doesn't seem to have been particularly proactive in seeking out people's views.
Should the questionnaire not be published within Fifelife – the council's own newspaper to the community?
Should the consultation not feature among those listed on the Fife Direct website?
If there are details online then I apologise but I have been unable to find any.
However, the People's Panel Survey from July 2007 – nearly a year ago – still takes prominence!
Am I alone in thinking it odd that our own local authority, always keen to push its own self-congratulatory messages, is making no effort to engage with the local population on an issue so crucial to the economic revival of Levenmouth?
Instead, it is left to SEStran, an organisation most of the Levenmouth public is not even aware of or knows what it does, to issue a press release and place a "full colour advertisement" which, incredibly, makes no reference at all to the rail issue. It doesn't even to put it into the context of the wider transport network, which is the core aim of an exercise so obviously planned before the rail issue surfaced.
No doubt SEStran and Fife Council will believe they have 'officially' done enough to qualify as making a sincere effort to engage with our community but I am somewhat cynical of that.
I sincerely hope to be proved wrong but Levenmouth should prepare to be disappointed at the end of a campaign that has probably only embarrassed the decison-makers. – Yours, etc.,
KN
Leven.
(Name and address supplied)

Cost analysis

Sir, – Re the proposed re-opening of the rail link from Leven to points west, I don't remember being asked through any questionnaire if I approved 40 years ago when Beeching abruptly closed the very popular and well-used link – whether the population liked it or not!
I hope that all you voters out there will remember that, and the poll tax disgrace that caused we Scots to be classed as guinea pigs for the rest of Britain!
It did not cost a penny to close the link, but it will cost a lot to re-open it.
That is the reason for the questionnaire – to see if it will be cost-effective!
So get filling that form in! – Yours, etc.,
LESLIE GORDON
67 Rowan Crescent,
Methil.

Unfair line

Sir, – My family and I are all in favour of a rail link but guess what? Only those who are online, or have access, are able to vote! What an oversight!
In a democratic society all members have the right to a say in how their country is run and especially in local community matters, like this one.
Increasingly we are being pushed down the online way, because it suits the organisation concerned – competitions are a prime example – and those of us who either choose not to, or cannot afford to, are gradually becoming invisible.
If the campaigners truly want a good representative figure, then as many forms of communication as possible should be included.
Letter writing may be a dying art, but there are still plenty of people who do, and all of us can put a cross or a tick in a box when asked. After all, we do at election time.
In the meantime good luck with the campaign. – Yours, etc.,
S. CRAMB
2 Dundee Place,
Windygates.

Editor's note – Copies of the questionnaire are available from council offices across Levenmouth and from Kennoway Library.

Building control

Sir, – It appears Muir Homes can't sell the houses being built at Castlefleurie and has halted building for the time being.
So why do we have a planning application lodged for more to be built by Campion Homes to the west of Mountfleurie? Site plans show they are to be built down as far as the railway line.
I am also informed there could be more to be built on the south side of the river by other companies.
I know the Mountfleurie area was once used as a dump/tip/landfill and this would normally make bad ground to build on but, with the council rejecting plans for a new school, surely more homes being built would create an influx of more children to schools already nearing capacity?
The children at Mountfleurie School use this area for their outdoor walking and nature appreciation and will most definitely miss this when they leave the classroom on warm summer days.
Local residents and concerned parents can comment online at www.ukplanning.com Application Number 08/01146/CFULL – Yours, etc.,
MR G
(Name and address supplied)

Vital services

Sir, – As the parent of a child with autism I am very worried about what will happen as thes children get older.
Autism is a lifelong condition, yet as 'I Exist', the new report from The National Autistic Society (NAS) has found, many adults with the disability struggle to get the help they so desperately need.
Many feel isolated and ignored and are entirely dependent on their families for support.
I want to see the right services and support in place so people with autism can reach their true potential – the right help at the right time can have a profound effect.
That is why I'm supporting the NAS 'think differently about autism' campaign.
I urge readers to visit www.think-differently.org.uk and help put pressure on local and national government to do more to transform the lives of adults with autism. – Yours, etc.,
ALYSON NICOLL
5 Calder Court,
Anstrurther.

Tax penalty

Sir, – I see that our Glenrothes Labour MP is maintaining his silence over the issue of the scrapping of 10p starting rate of income tax, which had doubled the tax for the poorest in our society.
It really makes you wonder just exactly whose interests our Labour MP actually looking after at Westminster, because it doesn't appear to those who are working for low wages does it?
What we are witnessing now is the ludicrous situation where those on low pay are now going to have to apply for a means tested benefit, – that's if they qualify for it in the first place – (Brown's chaotic tax credit system) in an attempt to recoup some or all of the money that has been taken from them by this tax increase.
This, remember, when it's been reported that the mega rich who not only have seen their wealth quadrupled under Labour, and despite the abolition of the 10p tax band will still be quids' in, as will our Labour MP, unlike many of his constituents. – Yours, etc.,
PETER McCULLOCH
72 Memorial Road,
Methil.

Gael force

Sir, – While this issue may not be in the forefront of people's minds at present, I thought you might be interested to know that, currently, there is not a single school in Fife that offers pupils the chance to learn Gaelic.
Now, one could be excused for thinking that this is no big deal in Fife, where speaking of Gaelic has not been widespread for many centuries (if, indeed, it ever was) but, as a parent, it has not escaped my notice that the Gaelic language is currently receiving far more official recognition than was the case, say, half a century ago.
This means that it is likely, very shortly, to be expected that every public body in Scotland should have some ability to deal with people in Gaelic. Indeed, this is laid down in the Gaelic Language Act passed by Holyrood under the previous administration.
Thus, I am anxious that our schoolchildren should not miss out on the undoubted employment opportunities that this will present to those with some proficiency in Gaelic.
However, Fife Council's education policy is, of course, demand-driven – as, indeed, it should be. The official line is that, while it would in principle support Gaelic education, there is currently insufficient demand to justify its provision.
So, I am appealing to your readers – particularly those with children of school age – to get in touch with Fife education department and ask for the provision of Gaelic in Fife. If demand is sufficient, I understand that the costs involved in hiring the necessary staff can be largely met by grants from the Scottish Government. – Yours, etc.,
JOHN MORTON
3 Bow Butts,
Markinch.

MSP openness

Sir, – Congratulations to Tricia Marwick on her efforts to re-establish the much-needed rail link in Leven.
We should all get behind her on this issue by submitting as many of our our signatures and questionnaires as possible before the new deadline.
Another characteristic of her leadership is her openness and desire to make herself available to her constituents, an attribute which badly needs to rub off on members of Fife Council.
When voters step into the polling booth and put their cross on a ballot paper they expect their chosen candidate to be available to listen to their concerns.
I am sure the electorate did not expect their councillors to hand over the reins of their position to an elite self-elected few.
If we are now paying our councillors to act on our behalf we need to disband these out of tune committees and get back to decisions made in council chambers not church halls. – Yours, etc.,
JOE COCHRANE
62 Springbank,
Kennoway.

'Parked' policy

Sir, – What is the SNP for anymore?
You used to vote SNP for independence. Then you were asked to vote SNP for a referendum on independence.
And now when Labour are offering the votes to get a referendum passed through the Scottish Parliament rather than biting Labour's hand off the SNP is playing hard to get.
Independence has been 'parked' while the SNP has been sucked in to administering devolution in Edinburgh for London.
The suspicion has to be that the leadership of the SNP is not sure if it wants independence now that it has a taste of power.
In 2010, how will it get enough votes to get a referendum bill through?
The unionists are currently inept but why give them three years to regroup? Why give the UK Parliament this time to mess Scotland about? Call Alexander and Labour's bluff.
On the broader issue of 'Independence in Europe', what kind of independence does this meaningless soundbite slogan mean?
You can not be independent in the European Union, there is a clue in the second word in the EU's name and that is Union! Where is the logic in wanting to leave one small union (the UK) but at the same time wanting to be part of an even bigger union (the EU)?
The Free Scotland Party is committed to a fully independent Scotland outwith the European Union. Scottish solutions to Scottish problems do not come from London. Scottish solutions to Scottish problems do not come from Brussels. Scottish solutions to Scottish problems will come from a government elected by and answerable only to voters in Scotland.
Independence is too important to be left to a party that does not know what it is for anymore. – Yours, etc.,
Brian Nugent
Free Scotland Party,
Schoolhouse,
Hamnavoe,
Burra,
Shetland ZE2 9LA.

East Fife Mail Letters - May 7, 2008

Transport study

Sir, – I am writing in response to the article in the East Fife Mail "Seven days to have your say", reporting on the Levenmouth Transport Study. This is being carried out by Scott Wilson Ltd, on behalf of SEStran in partnership with Fife Council.
The report says that "few people were aware" of the study. This is of great concern to SEStran as we are eager to ensure that those with an interest in transportation in Levenmouth have a chance to make their views known. In order to facilitate this, we have so far extended the deadline for return of the questionnaires twice; to April 30 and, at the request of the East Fife Mail, to May 7.
SEStran issued a press release about the study to the media on March 19, which included full details on where to obtain the questionnaires. In fact the story was carried by the East Fife Mail with the full details contained in our press release under the headline "Views sought on transport network" in the edition for week ending March 28. The story may still be viewed on the Fife Today website at http://www.fifetoday.co.uk/east-fife-mail-news/Views-sought-on-transport-network.3911578.jp
However, in view of the comments made, SEStran agrees that a more high profile approach towards advertising the study is required.
Accordingly, a full colour advertisement will be placed in the East Fife Mail, St Andrew's Citizen, Fife Leader North and on the Fife Today website and we are extending the deadline for return of questionnaires to May 31, 2008.
We will also issue a further press release to the media, to ensure that everyone has an opportunity to be aware of the existence of the study and of the extended deadline for submissions.
SEStran would like to thank the East Fife Mail and Tricia Marwick MSP for their interest and efforts in ensuring a wider awareness of this issue. – Yours, etc.,
ANDREW DOUGAL
Communications Officer,
SEStran,
8b McDonald Road,
Edinburgh EH7 4LZ

Difficult process

Sir, – Many thanks for your front page article. I have just completed the SEStran questionnaire, printed it off for delivery to Carberry House, Leven, as there seems no way of simply sending it online.
The process of accessing and completing the questionnaire is so cumbersome I began to wonder whether SEStran really does want a response from the public.
I was one of those who attended the debate in the Parliament last Thursday and would be greatly annoyed if others missed the opportunity to respond to SEStran or found that it simply ignored the responses. – Yours, etc.,
NEIL WATSON
(via e-mail)

Town neglect

Sir, – The authors of `Grimy Town' and `Civic Slum' (EFM 23/04/08) don't miss and hit the wall with their remarks about Leven.
Well done for articulating the views and frustration of the majority of citizens of this neglected and run down community.
In fairness we cannot yet be too critical of our new trio of councillors who have only had a few months to prove their worth since the elections.
This said, all party politicians try to serve two conflicting masters, the electorate and the party. The best interests of Scotland in general would be best served by throwing party politics out of local government entirely, in favour of competence and merit.
Continuing with the theme of maladministration at grass roots level. For as long as I can remember apathy has been Leven's biggest enemy. This has allowed a coterie of professional committee sitters to dominate the community council, and form a plethora of sub-committees.
Neither elected, nor representative, of this predominantly working class community, these wealthy people from the posh end of town have turned Leven into their own little fiefdom. All these committees need to be disbanded, in favour of a single democratically chosen, accountable body to represent our will and best interests.
As a historian I relish Leven's past, but our administrators are living in it.
Seaside resorts like Leven are as dead as the ministry industry. It's time to stop fretting about the tourists we have nothing to offer, and move on. Money poured into our obsession with Leven's tourist past has detracted from local services for decades. Time to forget the Prom and concentrate on improving the lives of local folk in the dreary and deprived council estates.
Neglect of our town centre is destroying the one function we do have, a service centre for a wider area.
We'll never attract investment with the town in its present state. Acres of yuppie commuter homes on our green belt, miles of hedgerow destroyed and productive farmland wasted forever, are not my vision of regeneration. Just more Council Tax for Fife House to squander, and more pressure on roads, schools and healthcare that are already unsatisfactory.
What we've had for years in Leven are frills and fantasies, in the form of hanging baskets, tatty bunting, and a useless, ugly bus station.
What we need is common sense, like paint for the kids' play areas, a pedestrian crossing at the nursery, and a bus service to Cupar.
There's a very long list of improvements which might be made at comparatively small cost if only someone would listen. – Yours ,etc.,
ERIC EUNSON
32 Letham Terrace,
Leven.

Historic sites

Sir, – While I am delighted to see that Historic Scotland has proposed to protect Scotland's battlefields by making such sites a material consideration during the planning process, it is disappointing to note that this stops short of full legal protection.
The proposed "inventory of battlefields" will not provide local authorities with the power to block planning applications, as the policy will be non-statutory, and as such battlefields will still face the cultural vandalism that currently marks many such sites.
For example, the Battle of Bothwell Bridge, where a Covenanting army was defeated in 1679, is buried under a housing development, with a small memorial to the rebel dead all that remains.
Developments also continue to threaten the likes of Bannockburn, where Robert the Bruce famously defeated the English, and the Jacobite battle of Sheriffmuir.
For a country with such a rich history we take an astonishingly cavalier attitude to our past, and in the likes of the US, for example, battlefields are held as sacred.
What is required is automatic government protection for our battlefields, and as such an SNP Government would be shooting an open goal as it looks to promote greater awareness of Scottish history in our schools.
Key battlefields should be listed and have the same status as historic buildings, to lose them would be little short of criminal. – Yours, etc.,
ALEX ORR
Flat 8,
35 Bryson Road,
Edinburgh EH11 1DY.

Press freedom

Sir, I read (EFM 30/04/08) that a local politician disapproved of the coverage that your paper gave to a recent police drugs raid, saying that the paper "had a role to play".
The role the East Fife Mail has to play in the community is to publish newsworthy stories containing relevant facts of interest to the public.
Given that the East Fife Mail is part of a privately-owned group of companies and not state owned (let's rue the day that happens), it is up to the editor to decide which stories are given greater or lesser coverage – and he ought be be able to make those decisions free from political influence or pressure.
The political system is highly flawed to put it mildly and the public are entitled to the press and other branches of the media to report matters as they see fit and not to "play a role" in disseminating political propaganda. – Yours, etc.,
WILL BROOKS
(Address supplied)

Buffer zones

Sir, – There was a small report (EFM 23/04/08) informing us that the Planning Guidance on Wind Energy (which previously we had in the form of a draft document for January 2007) had now been approved.
I spoke to one of the authors, (Fife Planning in Glenrothes) and he sent me a copy of this on CD so I am now in a position to reassure your Levenmouth residents – campaigning against the colossal wind-turbine – about the final position on stand-off/buffer-zones.
The developer, you might remember, tried to tell visitors to an open day last year, and in a leaflet, that these buffer-zones of 1.5km – to keep wind-turbines from looming over nearby housing etc – were "mere guidelines" with no teeth and, in effect, could be set aside.
That is not what the finalised version tells us. Section 7.10, "Proximity to Sensitive Properties", for example, sets it out clearly: "The issue of the proximity of turbines to settlements, occupied residential and institutional properties will be evaluated when applications are being determined."
And it goes on to say: "Fife Council has adopted the Guidance in SPP6 (the Scottish Executive's advice) which sets a stand-off distance at 2 kilometres (more than the 1.5 previously used as a measure) and advises that every proposal should be considered on its own merits."
So if, say, a proposed turbine was 2km or less from a single dwelling or office, but nothing else in sight, it probably would be possible to get it approved. The case for Levenmouth is quite different. Here we have "Sensitive Properties" galore – hundreds of homes; dozens of offices and businesses, as well as several nursery and primary schools, all well within 2km from this proposed colossal industrial turbine.
Over and over again in the Guidance, this point is emphasised: "A small buffer around settlements of around 2km is a common policy approach to protect settlements from the direct impact of turbine noise."
And again: "It is only appropriate to include a 2.0km buffer as this protects settlements from a definitive potential negative impact". (Note the description: "definitive potential negative impact"). The document even includes figures/diagrams with the buffer-zones shown clearly around areas like Kirkcaldy and the Levenmouth area.
In this finalised version, too, the factors listed which are required to be taken into consideration – as well as this 2km buffer-zone – include all the grounds that we have campaigned against: the visual and noise pollution that would blight the Levenmouth area; shadow-flicker – and the effects on driving; TV interference; the dangers of ice thrown from blades; and the knock-on effects on the tourist industry.
Section after section on all these points and others we raised about infra-noise; the harm to birds, animals and people; the damage to the shoreline, leisure and tourism in the area – all are covered in great detail.
Those drawing up this final version describe how people they have consulted: "...considered that turbines should be sited in uninhabited areas and high on hillsides. In view of the importance of tourism to the Fife Economy, the potential impact of proposals must be evaluated." (para 3.21)
So the message is clear. In future no developer dreaming of setting up an industrial turbine in our neighbourhood will get off the starting-blocks because this finalised Guidance will spell it out for him: that people/communities come first. – Yours, etc.,
ISOBEL DRUMMOND
Aberhill.
(Full address supplied)

Cash incentive

Sir, – Over the past few months we have been treated in 'The Mail' and its sister papers to claims and counter-claims from all sides of the political spectrum that the £500,000 added on to the home care income was the fault of the outgoing administration, a number of whom took a one-off golden handshake prior to the last locla government election.
That may be the case, but there are still quite a few of the councillors who participated in that vote among the ranks of Fife Council's new administration.
Those councillors, and in particular those councillors at the top of the administration tree, now also share in a nest egg gifted to them under The Local Government (Allowances and Expenses) (Scotland) Regulations 2007.
Whilst the sick and needy of our community struggle with new charges for care, our top councillors take away through salaries and expenses a sum which is probably well in excess of the deficit.
I can remember when there used to be a public outcry each year when councillors' expenses were published. Now each councillor – and for most being a councillor is a part time vocation – is entitled to a minimum salary of £15,500 plus expenses.
I don't think we will ever hear of anyone on the council adopting paragraph 4 of the above mentioned act which reads 'Any councillor, regardless of level of payment, will be able to renounce receipt of all or any part of his or her salary if he or she chooses to do so'.
Gone are the days when people stood up just for the sake of the community – it's the cash that's the incentive now. – Yours, etc.,
JOE COCHRANE
62 Springbank,
Kennoway.


East Fife Mail Letters - April 30, 2008

Sour grapes

Sir, – I wish to draw your attention – once again – to the following facts: It is now almost exactly 70 years ago that East Fife won the Scottish Cup – the one and only time that a team from a lower division has ever done so, before or since!
If it had been any team from the west of Scotland, especially a fancied team and/or even a team from closer to home, then we would have been reminded of the occasion ad infinitum, just like England in ' 66.
I maintain that "sour grapes" have withheld the slightest chance of praise for East Fife from the press locally, or in the west.
I can just imagine the Dundee and Kirkcaldy papers praising wee, lowly East Fife FC when their own more fancied teams never ever got even remotely close to achieving what East Fife did that day in 1938.
Admit it, what other reason could exist for deliberately ignoring such a praisworthy event?
Even now, the media go on and on about the current Scottish Cup contenders and quite rightly so. However, how is it that such an attractive event nowadays has, so far, not elicited one syllable about East Fife in '38?
All praise to East Fife for their efforts this year; no doubt that will have a veil drawn over it as soon as possible. – Yours, etc.,
LESLIE GORDON
67 Rowan Crescent,
Methil KY8 2HE..

Foul play

Sir – This is a letter to all the dog owners who walk their dogs in and around Centenary Court in Mountflurie.
When you are walking your dogs and they do their mess, is it so hard to pick it up?
I am sick and tired of having to clean your dogs' mess, and when I say "clean" I mean clean it off of my kids' clothes, shoes and even hands.
My son came in tonight while in the middle of an innocent game of football with a group of kids out the front of my house with dog mess all over his hands and my husband and I were disgusted.
How would these dog owners feel if I left my kids' soiled nappies on their doorsteps for them to step in?
As far as my husband and I are concerned, the law needs to be tighter when it comes to dog fouling as it is ridiculous that you have to watch where your kids are playing as everywhere you look there is mess.
Come on dog owners think about the amount of kids that play in Centenary Court. – Yours, etc.,
KERRY SMITH
Centenary Court,
Mountflurie.

Kind gesture

Sir, – As a WRVS volunteer driver I often take frail, elderly and disabled people places.
Usually it is just shopping or the hospital but, now and again, to nights out.
The other Saturday I took two ladies to a theatre for an evening of Irish dancing.
There were no tickets left and I was quite prepared to sit and read a book in the foyer, but a young girl came up to me, asked if I wanted a ticket.
She then gave me a ticket and I thanked her but she disappeared before I could offer her the price.
I'd like to send a warm "thank you" to that young girl and also to the ladies, young and not so young, who danced for us and made it a truly delightful evening. – Yours, etc.,
LINDA McCUTCHEON
5 Baird Crescent,
Leven.

Litter problem

Sir, – You carried an article (EFM 23/04/08) claiming that there is a downward trend in the amount of litter blighting our streets (Fife starts to clean up its act on littering).
I am afraid I cannot agree with this statement, seeing the amount of trash lining the country roads: plastic bottles, drink cans, plastic bags hanging in the trees and bushes, etc.
It is particularly bad close to villages and towns, but the litter is everywhere.
My husband and I regularly pick up bags full of other people's litter on the stretch of road our house is on.
We need more campaigns against littering, to educate people not to dump their trash on the street. In addition, the roads need to be cleaned up, not only in towns, but also in the countryside.
Is someone responsible for this? – Yours, etc.,
TANJA VAN MOURIK
Lundin Links.
(Full address supplied)

Plan on track

Sir, – Having campaigned for about 16 years, to see this rail link being put forward on a Member's Bill to the Scottish Parliament by Tricia Marwick gave me great pleasure and hope that I might see it become a reality.
Tricia Marwick put her case very succinctly and didn't miss any points in its favour...viz: availability – no legal litigation problems; two docks (number one and two) available for freight transfers – a station and ground available close to centre of the town for cross servicing bus to rail and vice-versa. With two large businesses in the town area Diageo and Silberline – anything which helps prosper these large firms will, in turn, help a much needed regeneration of Levenmouth and be of great assistance to its neighbouring East Neuk villages.
All the parties agreed that it was a viable and necessary rail link for a population now reaching nearly 80,000.
I should like to thank Tricia Marwick for inviting me but also for enabling me to be present at the debate along with 17 others.
Thanks to her efforts Mobus was more than helpful by taking us there and back with consummate ease, thanks to an excellent driver.
I would give him a medal, having negotiated us through the thick of Edinburgh traffic between 4pm. and 5 pm Thank you both. – Yours, etc.,
MORAG C. BELL
The Birket,
11 North Street,

Common ground

Sir, - It was encouraging to read last week's detailed letter 'Shameful deal' by David A. Brown (EFM 23/04/08)) regarding Lundin Links Common.
If the gentleman's letter is an example of many local residents' concerns, and that they are prepared to stand up for their community in order to defend the protection of the common ground, we wish them every success in their quest.
Mr Brown refers to my letter of the previous week where I used the word 'disappointment' coming nowhere near the outrage of the vast majority of local residents.
Upon reflection, perhaps I was being too diplomatic.
However, please let me assure Mr Brown that I am equally concerned about the Common having known and appreciated the tranquility of the area over many years.
Council officials must be fully aware of the local residents' stressful concerns and, therefore, should have the consideration and authority to resolve the present situation on behalf of the community without further bureaucratic delay by confirming that the area will remain free from any property developer application, or similar. – Yours, etc.,
HARRY LAWRIE
Abbots Mill,
Kirkcaldy.


United front

Sir, – Through your columns I would like to take the opportunity to respond to the criticism of Largo Area Community Council (LACC) by Mr David Brown.
The proposed development by Lundin Bowling Club (LBC) is one of eight possible sites identified in the 'Issues and Options' document published by Fife Council.
Fife Council has not yet identified which (if any) of these eight sites are to be allocated for housing in the draft East Area and St Andrews Local Plan. It follows, therefore, that the site proposed for development by LBC has not been allocated in the Local Plan for housing.
LACC held two public meetings which were well attended by local residents. The first, attended by around 120 residents, dealt exclusively with the site adjacent to LBC when the public voted overwhelmingly that the site should remain as "open space".
The second of these was attended by around 140 residents and dealt with the eight sites identified for possible development (including the site adjacent to LBC) when the public voted overwhelmingly that no development should be permitted on any of the eight sites (including the site adjacent to LBC).
Detailed representations were then made by LACC on behalf of the community to Fife Council in support of the wishes of the local residents. The outcome of these representations is still awaited in December 2008.
The Memorandum for Opinion of the Professor of Conveyancing on the legal issues (as opposed to the planning issues) was prepared by me last year and submitted (with supporting documents) to the Professor for opinion. Despite repeated requests by LACC, the Opinion has not been issued to date but the Professor has now undertaken to come to Fife in May to prepare the Opinion.
Nothing would assist the developers of the site adjacent to LBC more than for the community to be "split" over this issue. I would therefore call upon residents to unite in support of their community council in their opposition to this development on behalf of the community.
I would remind Mr Brown that the members of LACC are unpaid volunteers who give up their own time to help their community. LACC meets in public on the third Monday of each month and these issues have been debated at each meeting over the last year.
I invite Mr Brown and any other residents to attend the monthly meetings when regular progress reports are given.
In response to the allegation that LACC is "unfit for purpose", LACC is happy to stand by its record of service to the community over the years. For instance, were it not for LACC there would now be a methane gas field at Keilsden Wood, Lundin Links. – Yours, etc.,
PETER M AITKEN
Chairman,
Largo Area Community Council.

Speed poser

Sir, – I was driving through Bonnybank the other day and noticed that, other than for the 40mph speed reduction coming in off the Cupar Road, there does not seem to be the same level of motoring restriction that we see in Kennoway.
In fact, the side streets do not have any speed reduction markings and are not subject to the now customary mountain of tar at their entrance and so, technically, the speed on these streets is still 40mph.
Then I realised that I was passing by the homes of members of the community council who look to be quite happy to subject the people of Kennoway to their decision process, as long as it doesn't happen in their back yard.
Driving on through Kennoway I also noticed that the traffic situation on New Road looks to have gone from the sublime to the ridiculous with the introduction of lane markings and chevrons.
I wonder if the community council is deliberately trying to close down the Little Frier by siting a traffic island right outside, making it nearly impossible for cars to stop, and now it looks to be concentrating its litter strategy on the area next to his chip shop.
Maybe it's time the councillors stopped wearing away the backs of their jackets from the constant back slapping for stopping the possible pollution from ship-to-ship transfers – a senario which would take a natural disaster on the scale of a tsunami to affect Kennoway – and make some changes that will actually benefit the residents. – Yours, etc.,
JOE COCHRANE
62 Springbank,
Kennoway.

Futile task

Sir, – With regard to the letters criticising the deplorable condition of the Levenmouth area (EFM 23/04/08), part of the problem is apathy.
People are tired of complaining to the authorities to do something about the vandalism, terrorism, dog fouling, drunkenness and fly-tipping that everyone sees going on.
When caught, those responsible are let off with a telling off or a small fine.
These people should be severely punished, they are unravelling the fabric of our society.
I do not blame the councillors, because if they come up with thingss to improve the area these are very soon vandalised or burnt down.
I know how I would feel, what's the point of bothering?
Do not have any compassion for these anti-social people, they don't give a damn about us. – Yours, etc.,
DISILLUSIONED
(Name and address supplied)

Schools' failure

Sir, – The interesting point about last week's letter in under 'Kirkland credit' from three Labour councillors was what was missing.
While they wanted to applaud Kirkland High School for its "excellent progress report" – its links to Africa, its arts festival and new auditorium facilities – there was not a reference anwhere to what a school is primarily about – providing a good education so that pupils, of all abilities, can enter "the jobs' market" with qualifications that will help them succeed.
But that is not surprising when you remember the performance tables last year for Standard and Higher Levels (which the Scottish Education establishment itself, unlike its English counterpart, is reluctant to publish nowadays).
Of 359 state secondary schools in Scotland, doing Standards and Highers, Fife schools, apart from Madras College and Waid Academy, all fell into the lower half of this "league". And right down at the very bottom (=351) was Kirkland High, even lower than the year before when it was 348.. So between 2006-7 it was certainly not "progressing".
Sadly our other local high schools were in similar straits.
Fifty years ago Buckhaven High and Kirkcaldy High matched resu