De-bunking misleading headlines

I WAS at the last meeting of the Rural Communities Committee on Thursday March 1 – the last under this present administration at least. For despite some headlines in the press which suggested it was about to be scrapped, it looks as if this committee – and its funding – will continue well into 2007 and beyond.

All members on Thursday – many of whom certainly hope to be re-elected into the new council on May 3 – agreed unanimously that the committee should continue in some form under the new administration and the budget for next year has already earmarked funds for rural projects.

So despite misleading statements and rumours to the contrary, the rural money hasn`t been sacrificed to allow Ayr Town Centre to have flower baskets!

The last of this council`s rural cash went towards a community garden in Tarbolton, disabled access to Symington Parish Church and the Ayrshire Rivers Trust `Salmon in the Classroom` project .which involves pupils at Barr, Dundonald, Tarbolton, Dailly, St Cuthberts, Cairn and Minishant Primaries. The projects aims to improve children`s understanding of rivers, environmental issues and the importance of protecting wildlife.

And speaking of rumours and misleading headlines, there was another Labour -inspired one in the local press this week concerning Coylton Library - `Villagers fear library will close`. it screamed. Readers who got to the end of the story would see that negotiations about the lease of the building housing the library are ongoing and a statement by the council leader Gibson Macdonald saying that `Coylton Library will remain open. The matter is as simple as that` .`But hey, why let facts get in the way of a good story especially if you have gone to the trouble of having a picture taken.

Concerns were raised at the Rural Communities Committee about the future of our rural post offices. The most vulnerable ones locally, committee members were told by officials, appear to be Annbank, Kirkmichael and Turnberry. The council of course will fight to keep all our local post offices open – recognising the important role they play in the community and have submitted a response to the current Government consultation which has had a very short time frame and ends this month. It is to be hoped more attention is paid to the response to this`consultation` than the one involving the A&E unit at Ayr Hospital!

However at the same time, working to a `just in case` scenario and recognising closures may happen despite all the best efforts of opponents, council officers have been instructed to look at the best viable options and pilot programmes that have been tried out in other areas, like setting up Post Office facilities in other premises like community halls and the use of mobile units.