GARETH EDWARDS' article "Fire centre sparks into life" (Evening News, September 1) initially reads like yet another story about a capital project that will not be built due to lack of funding from the SNP Government.
However, towards the end there is a twist in the tale that may have implications for the thousands of people across Edinburgh who continue to wait for the process of rebuilding our "Wave 3" schools to begin.
Cllr Mike Bridgman has told parents th
at the council cannot begin work on Portobello High School and the other four city schools most in need of rebuilding, as it is against treasury rules to begin capital projects until such times as all funding is in place.
This is entirely at odds with his statement in your article where he commits £8m while simultaneously "hoping" for Scottish Government funding.
If such a strategy is against treasury rules then surely no exceptions can be made? Furthermore, on what basis did this project rise to the top of the council's priority list ahead of educational facilities? Is this simply a case of an SNP councillor pushing a pet project, for which he is paid and – hey presto – "we have the funding to build this"?
I believe we ought to be informed. I accept that the desired Fire Brigade facility is worthy, but to put things in perspective the projected cost is roughly equivalent to a two-stream primary school – £8m.
I assume that the bulk of this money will come from Council funds.
I believe we need some answers as to why there are apparent inconsistencies.
Stephen McIntyre, Portobello High Street, EdinburghA shared equity scheme is not new MICHAEL BLACKLEY'S article (News, September 4) created the impression that Home Scotland's shared equity scheme is a new initiative introduced in response to the credit crunch.
In fact, Link, another leading Scottish Registered Social Landlord, and others, have been operating shared ownership schemes in Edinburgh since the 1980s, helping people who may not otherwise be able to afford their own home to get a foot on the property ladder.
Link ran the Scottish Executive's open market shared equity scheme, Homestake, from its launch in September 2005 until the Scottish Government scheme LIFT took over in January 2008.
Link now runs LIFT in Edinburgh and the Lothians, and the Perth & Kinross and Stirling council areas. In addition to providing shared equity on the new homes that we build, eligible applicants can also buy properties on the open market, giving them a wide range of homes to choose from.
The comment by Scott Brown of Warners that shared equity would never be considered 'if the market was flying' does not reflect initiatives that were ongoing long before the credit crunch. We have helped thousands of people in Edinburgh and the Lothians to become homeowners over the last 28 years.
Craig Sanderson, chief executive, Link Group LtdWater fee leaves LIT high and dryTHERE is debate about whether local income tax (LIT) should replace council tax.
The amount each of us at present pays consists of two separate charges: council tax, and water and sewerage charges.
The Water and Sewerage charges are only collected by the councils on behalf of the water authorities. This money has nothing to do with council services.
Those in receipt of a council tax rebate still have to pay the water and sewerage charges with no reduction, other than the 25 per cent for a single person household.
What the politicians have not made clear is whether the water and sewerage charges will be included in LIT, or whether, as I suspect, they will not be and we will then be billed direct by the water companies.
Clark Cross, Springfield Road, LinlithgowLearn on the job, not in a classroomAS part of a new government initiative, those beginning secondary school in England this week will be the first required to stay in full-time education until 17. Two years from now, English pupils starting secondary school will see school-leaving age raised again to 18.
In my view, this new policy is entirely wrong. For many 16-year-olds, much better routes to success exist outside the classroom, in the real world of work. What's more, a new batch of classroom-taught vocational diplomas simply won't give young people the practical on-the-job skills so many businesses need. Get them into work and train them there.
We have to hope that any plans to import this misguided policy north of the Border gain no mileage at Holyrood.
Gerard Eadie, Chairman CR Smith Ltd and vice chair of the Prince's Trust in ScotlandWe wish Sam all the best in BeijingTHE ParalympicsGB team competing in Beijing is one of the biggest of all time, with 206 athletes competing in 18 of the 20 Paralympic Sports.
Among them will be 15 athletes from Scotland, including Sam Ingram from Edinburgh who will be competing in judo.
We wish Sam Ingram the best of luck.
Sebastian Coe, chair of the London Organising Committee of the Olympic Games and Paralympic Games The full article contains 859 words and appears in Edinburgh Evening News newspaper.
