Low turnout comes as no surprise
Sir, – It is no surprise that the average turnout across Moray was only 37.8% in last week’s council elections.
The general public has very long memories regarding many ludicrous decisions made by Moray Council, including ignoring the wishes of the residents of Wittet Drive and other parts of Elgin by proceeding to create a relief road, the failure to maintain and dredge the River Lossie and other waterways in favour of an absurd flood alleviation scheme, and imposing massive vehicle parking charges on Elgin’s car parks, causing the decline in trading at shops along High Street, Batchen Street and so on.
All absurd ideas at a time of cutbacks, although there has been no mention of any dramatic cutbacks in the number of officials, councillors or consultants and their overpaid salaries.
Returning to dredging, why do Moray Council’s ‘experts’ not pop across to Ireland?
There they would learn many lessons on how to deal with centuries old ‘hard grit’ by regular maintenance and dredging of waterways, from estuary to source, through the practical knowledge and experience of farmers, landowners and authorities there, and in return they receive credit and awards for their labour and common sense approach – something that is long overdue here.
Moray Council, it is never too late to be taught lessons by the professionals and admit you got it wrong. – Yours etc,
Charles Macdonald
Innes House,
Near Lhanbryde.