End of the Road

Well this is the final blog before Election Day – Thursday May 3.

It has been interesting plodding the miles round the new huge ward of Maybole, North Carrick and Coylton Different communities, town, village and country – yet many share the same concerns.

And what has topped the list? Not, as you might think, the closure of the Accident and Emergency Department of Ayr Hospital – though that was obviously a worry and a decision most hoped will be changed. However I did find ONE potential voter who approved of the change. But she was a senior nurse at Ayr Hospital and was taking the long view.

No, topping the list was roads – complaints about the condition of our roads, potholes etc, to speeding drivers and the need for more safety measures From Maidens, where there are numerous accidents with drivers speeding into the village, to the outskirts of Annbank, where there was a fatal accident last week the complaint is the same – car drivers are going too fast on our country roads. And you can add to that the timber lorries that speed along the Straiton to Minishant road, cutting up roadside verges and other drivers. People all over are demanding that something is done to improve our roads and make them safer.

And of course there is still the thorny question of the Maybole by-pass. Surely a new parliament will see that through. We can’t afford to stop applying pressure here.

You have my assurance that if elected I will be unceasing in seeking additional expenditure on road maintenance to try and catch up on the disgraceful 10 years backlog which has been caused by lack of investment hidden under the heading of “budget savings”.

Second was anti social behaviour – in particular underage drinking. People who live in what you would think are idyllic situations having their lives ruined by drunken kids and they are frustrated that the police seem to be able to do little about it. Yet another challenge that the new council has the opportunity to address and must do so quickly.

Pensions too came high on the list – but unfortunately standing for the council I wasn’t in any position to make any promises there if I get elected- though I could assure people that the new council will be doing everything in their power to bring down the council tax next year and it certainly looks like there will be concession for senior citizens. (After all the parties vying for power in the next parliament are promising that in one form or another.)

All I can do now is ask you to make sure you come out and vote on Thursday. There is a new style of voting for the council, a multi-candidate choice and that should make the result both historic and more interesting. Hope to see you at the polling station.