Here are this week's letters:

Tax on residents

Re the proposed car parking charges in North Berwick: I think it’s obvious to most people that these would really be just a tax on local residents, especially as it’s often only in the height of the summer that parking becomes an issue, yet East Lothian Council are looking to implement year-round parking charges. 
A key point for us all to bear in mind is that if paid-for parking is introduced, then what’s to stop the council a) increasing the fees and b) reducing or abolishing the initial free parking period?
Undoubtedly the cash-strapped council will want to review the charges and time periods on a regular basis to maximise their income.
Although they may portray the charges as ‘acceptable’ now, they will almost certainly increase at the earliest opportunity.
If you look at Edinburgh as an example, in many parts of the city parking charges have trebled in a very short space of time to £6 an hour, as City of Edinburgh Council try to drive up their income. What’s to stop East Lothian Council doing the same?
Peter Wood
North Berwick


Police stations

As a retired officer who has worked in Edinburgh city centre for years and also North Berwick and Dunbar for many years, I am amazed at the decision to close these stations and Prestonpans, and essentially treat the towns as ‘beats’, coverage coming from a central station.
The populations of all East Lothian towns have already changed dramatically and are increasing. There is more need than ever for officers to be based 24/7 in these towns.
I can recall many incidents in the Dunbar area where I was the only officer on duty and the closest to attend serious vehicular accidents on the A1 south of Dunbar, and waiting for what seemed like an eternity for assistance from other emergency services, including fellow officers.
I can also remember people queuing up at the station front door to report accidents, assaults, etc, waiting for me to commence my shift due to there being no day shift officers on duty.
I would like to think that, with the sale of these properties, a smaller, appropriate premise could be used as a base for officers and a place members of the public could report matters.
I suspect that the senior officers who are tasked with managing budget constraints have not worked in these stations themselves, otherwise they might not be so quick to make judgement.
There will be a loss of local knowledge, intelligence regarding criminality and I wouldn’t be surprised if the crime rates increase.
Undoubtedly, the people of Dunbar, North Berwick and Prestonpans will lose out, despite the best efforts of my ex-colleagues to hold things together.
Name and address supplied


Energy projects

In his column on August 29, Paul McLennan MSP noted the ambition of the Scottish Government for Scotland to be the world’s first clean energy superpower.
The need for renewable energy is recognised. However, the proposals need to be balanced with the impact on communities where infrastructure is built.
When the Scottish Cabinet met in Haddington in 2023, I raised concerns with the First Minister about the impact of energy development proposals on the rural communities of the East Lammermuir area. He said that the concerns of residents must be heard and that there should be co-production of proposals with local people.
Since then, there have been more proposals for energy infrastructure. The most recent is Springfield Solar Farm – 400 acres of prime agricultural land near the conservation village of Oldhamstocks to be developed as a solar farm with an associated battery energy storage system (BESS).
Each application is looked at on its own merits. Some are agreed by East Lothian Council (ELC), some by the Scottish Government Energy Consents Unit and some by the UK Government body Ofgem. It is the ScottishPower Energy Networks (SPEN) proposal for a substation at Branxton, which is a UK level decision, which has led to the gold rush of applications for energy developments seeking a grid connection in the East Lammermuir area.
The result, if all are consented, is a cumulative impact on the roads network, biodiversity, loss of prime agricultural land, industrialisation of the rural landscape and, above all, on the residents of the area.
The proposed developments will all come in the same timescale. This raises concerns about where construction workers will be accommodated. The council leader has previously suggested floating hotels on the First of Forth! When asked, Paul McLennan has said that ELC must take the lead. As noted elsewhere, ELC policy is seeing a reduction in short-term lets.
It is essential that community concerns are actively heard by decision-makers. Over 100 people attended the public consultation event at Oldhamstocks Village Hall for Springfield Solar Farm to raise their concerns.
However, to date, community concerns have not been taken forward on developments. A BESS proposal at Aikengall was approved in August without discussion at planning committee, despite objections from East Lammermuir and West Barns Community Councils, and without any public engagement by the developer, an offshoot of Community Windpower. A BESS at Innerwick, which will be decided by Scottish Government Energy Consents Unit will not see an ELC officer report discussed at planning committee because it was not called in by an ELC councillor. Again, there were community and community council objections. It is noted that in Fife, any development that is opposed by statutory consultees like community councils must go to planning committee.
The community concerns are not ‘nimby’-ist: they are a wish for the community voice to be heard. The energy infrastructure will be in place for over 40 years. Many proposals are for development on prime agricultural land which will not be available to produce food at a time of growing concerns about food security.
Jacquie Bell
Belhaven


Warning served

As a trade unionist and active socialist, I have been vigorously fighting racism and extreme right-wing fascist ideology and organisation for the past 50 years.
While on the other hand, capitalist politicians of all varieties and backgrounds have used racist scapegoating of immigrants over the past five decades to distract from the failure of their profit system, capitalism, to provide decent pay, homes, social services and a future for young people. That includes the present Labour Prime Minister Keir Starmer.
Meanwhile, all of these establishment politicians support privatisation and cutbacks to public services, and do nothing of substance to address falling living standards, or the housing and cost-of-living crises.
While I welcome Musselburgh’s latest MP, Labour’s Chris Murray, saying in the Courier that he is opposed to racism, if he is genuine in his sincerity in his opposition he should publicly condemn the Labour Prime Minister’s pre-election comments in The Sun about Bangladeshi migrants and fight to oppose the continuation of the Tory agenda of the past 14 years of austerity – such as the mean-testing of the winter fuel bill, the cuts in council funding, the ending of the two-child benefit – which Mr Murray voted to keep, by the way – and all other cuts to the working class.
However, the latest surge of racist violence serves as a warning as to what can develop under a Labour Government which is continuing with the Tories’ austerity policies – already cutting pensioners’ winter fuel payment and promising billions of pounds of further cuts. The election of five Reform MPs is a warning too.
I, along with the thousands of trade unionists, young people and others marching throughout Britain and Ireland against racist hate, are motivated to bring about change so that we can live in a society free from racism, Islamophobia and division. The way to mobilise maximum numbers to fight for that kind of change is to link the struggle against racism to the fight for jobs, homes, a socialist programme and a decent future for young people.
If the 6.5 million-strong trade union movement was to lead a struggle for those things – bringing together workers and young people from all backgrounds – it would give an expression to the huge anger and discontent that exists under the surface in society caused by decades of cuts and austerity carried out by capitalist politicians of all colours.
Jimmy Haddow
Socialist Party Scotland
Carlaverock Avenue
Tranent

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