Send your letters to editor of the Reporter, Vanessa Bridge. Email the.reporter@leeds.ac.uk or send by internal post to press office, 12.67 E C Stoner building.

All letters will be considered for publication. We will not as a rule publish 'round robin' letters, letters that have been published elsewhere or letters that have also been sent to University colleagues for action. Letters may be cut (for space) and we will indicate where this has happened. If writers have asked questions, we will attempt to answer them. If they assert things we know to be untrue, we may add an editor’s note.

ON THE ENVIRONMENT: (from Keith Pitcher, environmental officer) We have had many environmental initiatives from staff over the last 18 months and I would like to thank everyone for their contributions.

Thirty-one environmental co-ordinators across campus have made a big contribution and Janet Willis’ cleaning services team have put in a huge amount of work to help roll out the office waste management programme. Recycling rates have increased from 24% to over 50%.

There are new facilities for people who walk and cycle to work - cycle racks are now available at eight more sites and showers have been installed in the Baines wing, Parkinson and EC Stoner buildings. We’ve introduced car sharing and a car club on campus - as more people join the car sharing scheme, the greater the chance of meeting a colleague who can offer or who needs a lift.

An environmental week from October 11 will showcase all our initiatives, and on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday those who cycle to work get a free breakfast.

Finally, an appeal for everyone to take part in the University’s online annual travel survey on October 18 - cash prizes are on offer! The survey will help us learn more about how you get to work and how we can provide useful alternatives to coming by car.

The survey is available online www.leeds.ac.uk/environmental or contact Steffi Hasse on ext 35793 for a paper copy.

NEW UNIVERSITY IDENTITY: (from Chris Hatton, life fellow) I couldn’t agree more with the first sentence in your item about the University’s logo: The way we present ourselves says a lot about who we are. This was brought home to me very forcibly at a British Council education fair in Singapore I attended on behalf of the University shortly after the introduction of the circular ‘beermat’. The Leeds stand had a new display, not a crest to be seen, only the new logo. Looking up at the ‘beermat’ one student said to me, “Are you a mature university?”

I am pleased to learn that the ‘beermat’ is to be replaced by a logo based on the Parkinson building. However, this image may not be familiar to prospective international students and so I hope that those promoting the University overseas will recognise the importance of our crest, not only for ceremonial purposes, but also in giving us a ‘world-class visual identity’.

PARKING CHARGES: (from Richard Bell, civil engineering) With respect to the University increasing car parking charges in line with road tax, my car is in the highest bracket but I don’t use it very often to come to work. I walk or cycle most of the time. In other words I am ‘greener’ than someone in the lowest bracket who uses their car every day.

I feel that the system is unfair and it would be better to charge on a daily basis with a nominal rental for the privilege of using the parking facility.

PARKING CHARGES: (from Jonathan Adams, Dean for strategic development) Is there any plan to extend the variable parking charge to take account of zero-rated VED for electric/battery cars?

Such cars do not incur the London congestion charge and have free parking on meters in many urban areas. It is a coherent development in encouraging people to use transport that is less damaging to the environment and therefore would fit with the logic of the University’s strategy for better use of transport. For a recent BBC article on driving electric cars in Leeds see http://tinyurl.com/8o2f5/

RESPONSE (by Professor John Fisher, chair of the transport policy review group)
Our transport policy review group considered replacing the annual permit with daily charges but concluded this would penalise those who come onto campus most frequently and discriminate against non-academic staff. Staff who rarely drive to work should consider buying daily tickets or car sharing (www.carshareleeds.com).

Whilst electric cars should be encouraged, the group felt all vehicles should make a contribution to the costs of the space they occupy and the services from which they benefit on campus. Electric cars (and all hybrid fuel cars) are in the lowest price band, and we will consider a lower charge for such cars - or treat them like motorcycles - for 2006/7.