Letters: Just Leith it out .. biomass plant is not wanted here

I AM worried that the proposed biomass plant in Leith would contribute to climate change rather than help tackle it, if the wood pellets incinerated in the plant were not replaced at the same speed by newly-planted trees (News, March 3). And there is no guarantee that they would be.

Even the developers are claiming it would take 25 years for the plant to break even in carbon terms. Did they include the thousands of miles the ships bringing the pellets will chug across the sea?

Meanwhile Leithers will be breathing the carcinogenic particulate pollution (PM2.5s) caused by the scores of HGVs which will visit the plant every day, and we will be dominated by the 120m chimney (I am 1m75cm; it will be taller than 68 Pauline Wards standing on each other's heads).

Friends of the Earth and Greener Leith are against this project. I'm with them. Give us a park instead please.

Pauline Ward, Hawthornvale, Edinburgh

One single school would be better

I AM sure most citizens can sympathise with councillors and council officers as they try to organise an agreed solution for the overcrowding at St Joseph's Primary School alongside the spare capacity at Broomhouse Primary on the campus the two schools share (News, March 8).

How much more preferable it would be if the law was changed so that there could be one school on the site with children of diverse faiths and none happily mingling and leaving religious imagery, teaching and worship to home and church if desired by their parents.

Norman Bonney, National Secular Society, Edinburgh

Tram proponents cannot criticise

SHEILA Gilmore's article on council nurseries (News, March 9) omits to mention that in 2007 she, along with all other Labour councillors, voted to spend 45 million of scarce council resources on a flawed tram system rather than on schools and other core council services.

This vote was taken after Labour had left the Childrens and Families department with a budget deficit of 10m and since then Labour set in train two-thirds of the Westminster cuts being inflicted on Scotland and all our local authorities with the council having its budget slashed by 90m over the next three years.

Politics is all about choices and those who voted for trams are in no position to complain about cuts in council services.

Calum Stewart, Montague Street, Edinburgh

Chance for city to show the world

AMIDST all the doom and gloom, whether or not you support the Royal Family it is a historical and tourist boon that Edinburgh is to play host to a Royal Wedding.

London may have the "main event" to look forward to but at least Edinburgh and indeed Scotland have managed to get in on the act.

Such an event will of course put the city in the spotlight and it is a wonderful opportunity to show the rest of the world how regal and majestic Edinburgh can look when it is called upon to do so.

Angus McGregor, Albion Road, Edinburgh

Learning from leaflet mistake

THE Evening News reported that there had been a complaint from someone that my recent parliamentary report did not have the words "this report has been paid for out of Parliamentary resources" on it (March 8).

As soon as I became aware of the official complaint I took a copy of the report into the Parliament. I spoke to the head of allowances and she confirmed that this wording is required.

I fully accept that it is my responsibility to make sure that all leaflets that go out from my office conform to any rules that apply. I have repaid the funds spent on the Annual Report to the allowances office.

We can all make mistakes, the important thing is to recognise this, apologise and learn from them. So, I apologise for this mistake and I assure you that I have learned from this one.

Mike Pringle MSP