I read with interest the letter from Councillor Ruth Simpson (The Herald, January 25) defending the Go Ape consultation.

It seems to me she is missing the point. I have no doubt that the council's consultation ticked all the right boxes. But surely the quality of consultation matters as much as the process. I accept that consultation exercises cannot - and should not - routinely be rerun just because some people don't like the outcomes.

However, there is clear evidence that this consultation process failed its very first test: to make people aware of the proposals being consulted on so that they then had the opportunity to participate.

Given the passion with which thousands of people have responded to the proposal once they did become aware of it, it is simply not credible to argue - as Ruth Simpson did at the public meeting - that they knew what was happening all along and simply opted to ignore it.

The fact is that this consultation failed and, instead of pressing full-steam ahead to a planning decision, the council should allow it to be rerun. That would allow everyone - those who favour the Go Ape proposal and those who, like me, think that the North Wood of Pollok Park is not the right place for it - to be fully informed and have their say before a final decision is taken.

I hope that the council and Go Ape, whose representative impressed many at the public meeting, will now agree to take a step back in the process and allow for proper and meaningful consultation with the real owners of Pollok Park - the people of Glasgow.

Nicola Sturgeon, MSP for Glasgow Govan, 213 Paisley Road West, Glasgow.

Can it be that our city fathers have revised their strict rules regarding toilet facilities in public places?

Some years ago, when we were building our state-of-the-art surgery in Possilpark, we had to provide male and female toilets, a further two as male and female staff toilets, disabled toilets and a further a toilet for the second floor.

Now I see that their ill-conceived plan for Go Ape in Pollok Park requires no new toilet facilities to be built.

The councillors' reason is that they believe that the nearby Burrell Collection will provide enough facilities for the children and adults using the arboreal assault course.

But as the Burrell Collection is only open from 10am-5pm and Go Ape is to remain open from 8am-10pm, there will be several hours when toilets are not available, unless the person treks to the toilets at the Old Stable Courtyard, which we were assured will remain open all the time.

I am not exactly sure that the trustees of the Burrell will be too happy about a lot of muddy feet trekking through their facilities when people come off the tree adventure course. I will be interested to hear their response.

From the map supplied by the Go Ape representatives, the distance to the Old Stable Courtyard from the North Wood site is more than half a mile, as the crow flies, and considerably further along the paths. That is is a long way to go if nature calls urgently.

So, councillors, have you relaxed the requirements which added such a large extra cost to the building of our surgery?

Jack Mulhearn, 27 Hillside Road, Glasgow.