Sir, - I was shocked to arrive back from holiday and read the report on the proposed plans to build a new school or schools in Tullibody.

I was born and brought up in Tullibody when it had a population of around 300 people. This park has always been a very important part of this community, no more large events such as gala days, recreation and play.

We have a number of football teams who play and train on a regular basis and have changing facilities available.

They say one option is the provision of an alternative public park which is equivalent. I hope they are not considering the football pitches in the Banchory area for it is not the answer.

Those council officers must think the people of Tullibody are buttoned up the back for there is no alternative sites which are equivalent to what we have at present.

As far as Councillor Forson is concerned she can take her 21st century community plans elsewhere. It is scandalous for officers of this council to come up with such ridiculous proposals. It is obvious they do not live in Tullibody.

Councillor Forson said she welcomes the views of the whole community. There is not much chance of that for a meeting lasting one hour. For something so important as this it should have been two hours.

No doubt this will suit whoever is present from the council with less opportunity for the majority of the public in attendance to air their views making it an easy ride for the council officers and councillors. - Yours etc., A Scobbie Tullibody End of the Yellow Brick Road?

Sir, - Back in April 2012 I submitted a letter that was headlined ‘CCS proposal is still too Iffy’. This referred to the technology of carbon capture and storage that would allow fossil burning power stations to have a longer life and hopefully meet the EU regulations re air pollution.

I pointed out then that the procedure was experimental and might not achieve its aim. The Scottish Government had high hopes, and was very enthusiastic.

The same week that the letter was published, the UK Government announced that they refused to give financial backing, and so the plug was pulled on the venture, because it was too risky (iffy) The Scottish Government was not amused then.

Fast forward to the present time. I suggested that it was time for the ‘green crusade’ with the Energy Minister Fergus Ewing at the helm, to have a rethink. You headlined it ‘The hills pay the price for the Green Crusade’ .

This was about the super pylons coming down the spine of Scotland, and the devastation to bonnie Scotland and our Ochil Hills , all to accommodate renewable energy, from the wind turbines. So surprise, surprise, the UK government is stopping the massive subsidies that go to the renewable companies. The Scottish Government again, is not amused.

I did say that Scotland exports electricity and that shows we have a surplus. The UK Government states that there is enough wind turbines ( in England?) throughout the country, and power produced, ( people don’t take kindly to them it would appear) They want the decision for future applications (if) to be in the hands of local communities. Need I say more! So is it time for Fergus to rethink?

Will the Scottish Government take heed.? Is the end of ‘the yellow brick road’ coming into sight? Or is their sudden angst a sign that the ‘crusade’ will stagger on regardless. That we (pensioners included) will continue to donate part of our energy bills to the massive subsidies, to nurture the devastation, regardless. Yours etc., Bob Cuthbert Alloa No need to divert taxes Sir, - While the Salvation Army does great work (Advertiser 17 June) I would question why they are asking us to divert taxes to them.

In 2013 the Salvation Army’s trading arm was able to pass more than £6 million to the Salvation Army thus reducing the trading arm’s taxable profits by that amount. Surely this is a large enough charitable benefit without encouraging citizens to deplete the general tax pool further by signing up for Gift Aid.

In 2013 according to the accounts, the Salvation Army Trading Ltd., was able to claim and pass over about a million pounds from the tax office to the Salvation Army from people signing up for Gift Aid.

The Salvation Army Trading Company Ltd., is apparently one of the largest companies in the world dealing with second hand clothing/textiles, and I find it disturbing that such companies are so keen to see those who pay income tax for the general public good having to fill the gap of more than a billion pounds a year that disappears into the coffers of charities and less discerning wealthy donors.

The extent of money lost to the tax pool through the Goverment’s Gift Aid schemes is the equivalent each year to the cost of a new Glasgow Southern General Hospital and more. So people who want to protect the tax pool for the benefit of all citizens should be saying no to Gift Aid and our MPs should be taking a hard look at the private benefit of this HMRC scheme. - Yours etc., D. Hamilton Alloa Get rid of nuisance calls Sir, - I read with interest the ‘in brief’ article in last week’s Alloa Advertiser about nuisance calls. I know, first hand, how disruptive and annoying these calls can be.

I often work from home and I was constantly being interrupted by these pointless calls. A friend recommended that I buy and install one of the units that was successful on Dragons Den.

I bought and installed it three years ago and I have had a quiet house ever since. Best £100 I ever spent! I realise not everyone can afford one of these units but, if you can, it screens all incoming calls and allows you to have a ‘star list’ where calls get straight through or a ‘zap list’ where callers can be completely blocked and the ‘phone will not ring! Well worth the money for a peaceful life at home. - Yours etc., Duncan Findlay Tillicoultry