Ann Galbraith`s view - from the council chamber

Apathy rules

2009-11-08T17:07:00.003Z

I WAS at church this Sunday morning (November 8) and I have to admit this is not my usual activity on the Sabbath - unlike when I was a kid and church and Sunday School were part of my weekly programme. No way would I be allowed to miss either. Bible Class and Church Choir followed as I got older and continued until I worked away from home. How times have changed.

The kirk was Kirkoswald and I was attending in my official capacity as councillor - it was my privilege to lay the council poppy wreath at the war memorial.

What surprised me - no I will strengthen that - what shocked me was that there were so few in the congregation. Around 20 attended the service, most of whom would not see 60 again. I found that surprisingly depressing paticularly on Remembrance Sunday and when our young soldiers are being killed every week and the debate about the Afghan War is so high on the national agenda.

After the service we walked down to the war memorial which edges the busy A77 and there was something so inappropriate about cars and lorries whizzing by as we were remembering the dead of all recent wars.

But hey the church wasn`t the only barely attended event of the past week or so. Another example of public apathy was the council`s big `Conversation` in Maybole which managed to attract barey 20 local people, despite being advertised all over North Carrick - the target audience.
The aim of the Converstion was for the Chief Executive and Council Leader to advise people of the diffricult times ahead and the cuts that might have to be made. There was also a chance to ask questions and air beefs - everybody has some beef against the cooncil. But few decided to take advantage of the opportunity. More such events are being held - each ward in South Ayrshire will host one - so it will be interesting to see if they attract a bigger audience.

Then there was the night with John Cairney in Maybole Town Hall which struggled to attract an audience and the organisers of the Homecoming event had sleepless nights in case they faced the embarrassment of a half empty hall. It was a close call but eventually they managed a respectable audience - all of whom I may add enjoyed a great night`s entertainment. Cairney may be in his 80the year (he looks and sounds a good 20 years younger) he has lost none of the charm, personality and acting prowess that has seen him through a lifetime of being or speaking about, Robert Burns.

After an evening of anecdotes on his life as Burns he happily answered questions from the auidence. As I said, a wonderful night of live entertainment which I would have thought would have had House Full signs up. As one organiser asked - What do you need to do to get folk out?

French connection

2009-09-27T15:23:00.003Z

I COULDN`T help but smile last week as I read of the squeals of `unfair`coming from Glasgow Airport when the Scottish government cancelled the plans for a rail link from the city centre to the airport. Now they know what it feels like. Twenty or so years ago they were happily conspiring to see the closure of Prestwick Airport and turned deaf ears to our cries of unfair practice.

Of course the success of Prestwick is a subject close to my heart (the book is The Dream that Wouldn`t Die on is still on sale from the website of the same name!) and I was interested to see how busy or otherwise it was last week as I tragelled to Beauvais, one of the routes Ryanair have left untouched (for the moment at least).

And I couldn`t help but ponder on how while making cheap travel to Europe accessible to us all Mr O`Leary is gradually taking the joy out of the journey. This was the first time I was dealing with the new luggage restrictions - carrying on my case with a weight restriction of 10kilogrammes.

The conversation in the transit lounge, I kid you not, was all about the weight of our cases, whether our cases were too big to pass inspection, and the acceptance of the sad fact we could bring few if any souvenirs home. It turned out we were lucky as two flights were leaving around the same time and the luggage police were concentrating on the hapless Frankfurt-bound passengers. I watched astonished as a woman, picked at random, had to open her case, put on a cardigan, a shawl and her husband took on another item of clothing. They were then allowed to board the plane -with the same weight of clothing though some of it now on the body instead of in the case. Madness.

Next thing Ryanair will be introducing body searches not for contraband or explosive devices but to see hoew many layers of clothes you are wearing!

On the way back I fell foul of the not enough make-up items in the plastic bag regime and watched in horror as the attendant considered whether to discard a bottle of Chanel No 5. It could have led to violence - but I was lucky and it went back into my case though a tube of moisturiser went into the bucket.

My weekend was to St Germain-en-Laye the Ayr Twin Town (a private visit I may add - no council cash involved) and a lot of the discussion there was around the future of twinning in the 21st century. This trip was more like a pensioners` outing than a vibrant exhange! In St Germain some young families have joined their association and this is what we need to attempt here or the movement will just fade away, which would be sad after 25 years. Twinning has as lot to offer. You learn so much more about your Continental neighbours living in their homes than you ever will sitting round a swimming pool, competing for deck chairs or talking in cafes.

While there we talked of youth exchanges through schools - sports tournaments, golf and rugby matches and music was also a suggested means of increasing the interest of children and through them their parents in twinning. Time will tell.

Summer of discontent

2009-08-09T15:13:00.002Z

SUMMER`S over . . . well at least as far as the council is concerned. Monday sees us all back at our desks geared up for a difficult time ahead.

But that is for the future.

Clicking in I was surprised to see I hadn`t updated my blog since May! Where has the time gone?

Down this way (North Carrick that is) the main item on the summer programme was of course the Open Golf Championship - a major event that brought great publicity to the area - TV coverage you couldn`t buy and didn`t Turberry look great. But like all major events the Open brought with it its minor annoyances.

There was the plaster cracking on the ceiling of Maybole Town Hall - caused, the Community Council claimed, by the build-up of traffic. The story of course was big in headlines but in fact it was minor in real damage and I imagine the actual cause would be hard to prove. But it made a good story

A lone photographer decided to take up the cheap option and pitch his tent at Maidens Harbour causing much consternation locally. The CC got involved plus the local cops, but it turned out he had permission to be there. Even if he hadn`t, by the time all the complaints procedures had been completed the golf would have been finished and he would have been on his way anyway.

Parking of course was also a problem, with surrounding villages being turned into no-go areas. But all in all I think the event was relatively hazard-free and a great success - right up until the last nail-biting play-off.

SOON after for me it was holiday time. It`s funny how a pandemic alters your attitude to travel. We were travelling when the headlines were at their most dramatic and suddenly every fellow passenger was a potential carrier.

I actually found myself standing in the queue waiting to check in, listening for sneezes and sniffles and clutching my little bottle of lavender. For those of you who don`t know Lavender is good for warding off germs and I wouldn`t travel anywhere without it. Dabs at the nose and throat works wonders. (At least I believe it does!)

Likewise in the hotel and in restaurants, every cough was registered and we actually moved table once to get away from someone who obviously had a very bad dose of something!

However as the holiday wore on and the warm weather gave some assurance (it is supposed to spread easier in the winter months) we relaxed - also in the knowledge that the French have a very good health service! Plus it helped not reading English language newspapers every day, hyping up the threat in a slow news season.

You would think having worked a lifetime in newspapers I would be able to read behind the stories and recognise when and how they are being over-hyped.

However now it is back to auld claes and porridge as they say and a new council session beckons. At least it has started well with the news of the £2million plus from the Scottish government for the regeneration of Ayr Town Centre. That, I am delighted to say, augurs well for the Gaiety.

Two days back from holiday I had a pile of emails to deal with (you go aways but the constituents` enquiries and complaints don`t). Everyone of them was from Maidens.
I won`t go into details, but that one small village - the epitome you would think of peaceful living - promises to keep me busy for the next few weeks!

French connection

2009-05-16T17:13:00.003Z

I have just spent a long weekend in St Germain-en-Laye in France.

So what, you may say.

Well St Germain is the twin town of Ayr and the French twinners are about to visit as part of the silver anniversary celebration of the signing of the twinning agreement. And as I was having lunch with some of them they were chatting excitedly about their visit to Ayr and what a lovely town it is. Good Lord, I`m thinking, when did you last visit? Twenty five years ago?

St Germain is a town of comparable size to Ayr and both are prosperous even in the current climate.

St Germain however has had a massive clean-up over the past quarter century. Old buildings have been preserved and restored; no weeds and trees growing out from the stonework; no chewing gum impressed into the streets; no litter lying around;a beautiful park, loads of flower beds which were all being re-planted while I was there, from Spring to Summer flowers; a brilliant new library next to the theatre, an Olympic size swimming pool etc etc

The town centre was buzzing, loads of litle shops; bakers, butchers, cheese shops, shoe and clothes shops, retaurants and cafes - no big name chain department stores. No `For Sale` or `To Let` boards blotting the town centre. Parking in the main, now underground - the market square a delight to walk across.(It used to be crammed with parked cars on non-market days)

And after such a visit you tend to ask - if they can do it why can`t we? I don`t have the answer but I know I am appalled at the thought of these French visitors walking down Ayr`s main shopping streets, seeing the dereliction and neglect. I am tempted to say to the twinning hosts -`steer your guests out of town!`.

But on a positive and optimistic note the new chairman of the Ayr Renaissance Board, Alan McDonald, of Dawn Construction and joint owner of Ayr Racecourse, said he was determined to see Ayr rise again when he spoke to the full council last Thursday. He said that there would be some `instant fixes` so the residents could see things were being done; he wanted to get rid of the For Sale and To Let signboards; the re-opening of Ayr Gaiety was a top priority he said as part of the Rennaissance programme.

All good positive stuff. Unfortunately it can`t all happen tomorrow - but at least we seem to be on the right road.

And by the way, as a postscript in case anyone asks in these days of questions about politicians` expenses, I was on a private visit to friends I made in St Germain when I travelled there 25 years ago to cover the signing of the twinning agreementfor the Ayr Advertiser. No cost to the council was involved even though I did meet French politicans - St Germain councillors - while I was there.

Everyone a critic

2009-04-26T15:20:00.003Z

EVERYONE`S a critic these days!

That`s something you discover if you`re a councillor - and we of the South Ayrshire variety have had a particularly hard time over the past few months. I think only the MPs with their expense claims havE had it harder.

And fair enough we probably deserve some of it, but not all. But the armchair critics have had a field day, particuloarly the anonymous ones who write to the local papers handing out the criticism yet don`t have the courage of their convictions to add their name and address at the end.

And there`s the made-up letters - yes they do extist. The ones created by political opponents who add non-existent names and addresses to their billets doux. Yes it happens more than you realise.

But that said, a busy Letters Page is good for democracy and for the local press sales and in the past few weeks I have been called self-centred, arrogant, po-faced,
greedy, amonst other things.

The self-centred and arrogant were diected at me personally by an anonymous critic who berated me for voting for the closure of the Girvan pool and implyong I was also happy to vote for the Gaiety closure. The first I could take - I did vote for the Girvan pool closure fully aware that its demise more or less guaranteed that Maybole Pool would stay open. I have a duty to my constituents.

But I stongly objected to the claims re the Gaiety considering I have been at the forefront of the campaign to save the theatre from closure and not only helped organise the mass meeting in January but masterminded the press campaign through December and January. But the letter writers in the main are not interested in dealing with facts just their own interpretation of events. Why bother with the truth - it might spoil a `good` letter.

The po-faced accustion came not from a letter-writer but a journalist who should have known better - this is opinion slipping in amongst facts which is all too common these days. This journalist claimed the Licensing Board were po-faced for clamping down on dating games and poles in licensed premises. If the same reporter had bothered to find out the information we had in front of us about the date games and the vile, abusive and sexually explicit words that were being posted on the date game boards in the bars, he would not have been so quick to critisice. Likewise what was happening with these poles!

But again why let facts spoil a good story.

As it happens the Licensing Board are meeting this week to look at our policy on so-called adult entertainment in local licensed premises - to see if there is any case for easing up on our current blanket ban. Will keep you posted.

And on the Gaiety, there is a consultation meeting in the County Hall this week with all the local interested groups (invitation only)- the latest stage in the process towards saving and re-opening the theatre under a new management structure.

A dream come true

2009-03-27T11:34:00.003Z

I had an exciting but terrifying experience this week - looking in a bookshop and seeing my book displayed in the front of the window- The Dream That Wouldn`t Die by Ann Galbraith.

Every journalist likes to believe they have a book in them; their own perconal dream. And admittedly I have started a few - including a children`s book which I am determined to finish one of these days. But to have actually finished one has been quite something.

And at one time I wondered if it would ever come to be.
When I retired from the Ayr Advertiser, former industrialist and entrepreneur Bill Miller asked me if I would be interested in writing a book telling the story of how Prestwick airport had been saved from closure and demolition in the late `80s early `90s.

He had been heavily involved in the takeover from BAA - days when the airport had six flights a WEEK, and they were freight re-fuelling stops - and he thought the story deserved its place in history. Plenty of books had been written about the early days, plus aircraft specialist books, but not the inside story of the saving of the airport.

Timing was good for me - and almost two years of research followed - tracing people who had worked at the airport at that time and jogging their memories.It was a time they all remembered with a great deal of pride and were easy to talk to. I travelled to West Viginia in the US to see Matthew Hudson who materminded the turnaround with the late Lord Younger. I was emailing around the world. But eventually it came together and after much blood, sweat and tears, was written, checked, double- checked - but I bet there are still many who will come forward and say `that is not how I remember it`. But I told it as a heard it.

Next of course we had to find a publisher - not the easiest job I discovered. Then in one of life`s little moments of serendipity I was holidaying last year at the home of a former colleague, Jack Wright - he was sports editor with the Ayr Advertiser in the early 1980s. He has his own publishing company in Cape May, New Jersey and I was asking his advice. He said he would do it - and we had lift off.

Now the book is in the shops, we are also selling it online - here`s the plug thedreamthatwouldntdie.co.uk. And now is probably the most trying time of all - hoping folk buy it!.

On the council front, things are winding down towards the Easter recess. It has beena turbulent term since Christmas,with closures, cuts in services, job losses,street protests, the sad sight of the Gaiety with shuttered doors (short term I sincerely hope). We can only hope lessons have been learned and things will get better.

2009-02-27T10:40:00.002Z

I`VE just been looking at a short video posted on U tube which tells the sorry tale of the demise of Girvan. The closure of the swimming pool has just proved a catalyst and people are taking a look at their town and saying enough is enough. Shops, pubs, hotels are all closing down, the Beach Pavilion, gone - there is a sense of dereliction. It will be interesting to see how many people join Saturday`s protest march - for they have a lot to be unhappy about.

And sadly they are not alone. I wrote this week in the Carrick Gazette how Girvan. may have lost a pool, but there was a list as long as your arm of services that are being - or have already been - closed in Maybole. There too there are derelict buildings and shut shops.

And when you look at Ayr Town Centre, the once proud county town is a shadow of its old self. Historic buldings are tired, with weeds growing out from cracks in the stonework; Wellington Square where the Council hq stands, at first glance looks imp-ressive, but look closely and you see the weeds, the litter,the peeling paintwork - where is the pride? In the town centre there are`to let` signs everywhere on empty shops; shutters are up on the Gaiety - though I haven`t totally given up hope that a way will be found to open the theatre again. Talks are still going on with interested parties.

So where have things gone so badly wrong? Without going down the political route we did have more than 10 years when South Ayrshire Council became a job centre rather than a service provider with cash coming in going towards employing more people and not towards the services they should have been providing. However as people will point out we have had almost four years of a change of administration.

The introduction of Civic Pride initiatives was a recognition that the place was looking shabby and rundown, but flower baskets were only painting over the cracks.

I think things will begin to change now; we have new people in the County Buildings looking with fresh eyes and hopefully producing new ideas to halt the slide before if becomes an avalanche.

But when I look at the dilapidated village signs, the litter, the uncut grass, the general neglect I can`t help asking why we went to Dubai to encourage people to come here for the homecoming and the Open at Turnberry.

The golf course - and our countryside are fabulous - but we are not doing them justice. We should welcome visitors to see them but they won`t be able to close their eyes to everything else around them in South Ayrshire.

We have four an a half months to gee up our act before the influx of golf enthusiasts arrive - and I mean all of us, not just the council. Pick up the litter, touch up the paint. It`s maybe too late for the town centres for this year - but a general tidying up would go a long way to improving our image

Not the best of starts

2009-01-27T17:22:00.003Z

It`s a bit late I know - but Happy New Year.

We haven`t got off to a very good start. It`s seems as if it has been one protest aftr another.

I have been heading up a campaign to save Ayr Gaiety from closure. We started a deliberate publicity pusg before Christmas, when I became aware that closure of the theatre at the end of January `for refurbishment` could in fact be closure of Ayr Gaiety, full stop. It needs a lot of money spent on it - at Health and Safety insistence (residents of Girvan will be familiar with that justification)- money that the council just doesn`t have.

But a small group of us argued that the shortage of council cash didn`t need to mean the curtain coming down for good. We decided that out there, there must be someone who would want to take over a theatre - and the council shouldn`t be running it anway - thus began our campaign which I am happy to report (fingers crossed) has attracted interested parties and talks are going ahead.

Sad thing is the same can`t be said about Girvan Swimming Pool. The decline has been going on for years (like the Gaiety) but I guess councillors just didn`t want to face up to the inevitable. Maybe they were hoping for a miracle - but Health and Safety saw it differently.

It was, of course, the way the closure was announced that particularly incensed local people. One day it was open, the next it was shut. No reassurances of future developments, though I believe talks are now going on.

It is not a good start to the year and as I write this Council leader Hugh Hunter is in Dubai along with Enterprise staff promoting South Ayrshire`s Homecoming events and its golf courses. The invite to go came from Leisurecorps, new owners of Turnberry Hotel and while they paid for the Council Leader to go (the Provost though invited was unable to attend) the council had to meet the £15,000 cost of the workers - the enterprise staff who will man the council stall at the big golf tournament.

The argument, of course, is that we will get back a lot more than £15,000 with the number of tourists we can attract to play our courses and attend the Open in July.
Let us hope so. Though the timing could have been better.

To end on a happier note, the big launch weekend for the Year of the Homecoming and Burns` 250th anniversary went with a bang - literally at Alloway where there was an amazing light and firework display depicting Tam o` Shanter`s ride. From concerts and poetry readings to exhibitions and the I Robert Burns Show in the Gaiety - not forgetting dozens of Burns Suppers including one attended by First Minister Alex Salmond - it was a superb showcase for Ayr and South Ayrshire and hopefully a taste of what is to come for the rest of the year.

Happy New Year?

2008-12-28T16:06:00.003Z

Today is December 28 - so we are halfway through. Just Hogmanay and New Year`s Day to go and life can get back to normal.
That is if life can ever be `normal` again. With all the prophets of doom constantly tellinng us how bad the new year is going to be, I can`t help but think of Burns` words from Tae a Mouse - Forward though I canna see, I guess and fear.

But speaking of Burns we do have the Year of the Homecoming to look forward to. Ayr will be he launching pad for the year of clebrations, with a great Burnsfest weekend planned for the 24th and 25th to mark the 250th anniversary of the bard`s birth.

Communities in South Ayrshire have a number of events planned for the whole year both to entertain you and any visitors who are attracted here because of the falling pound (You see every cloud does have a silver lining!)

Season`s greetings

2008-11-23T16:57:00.003Z

WELL are you all set for Christmas? Hvae you been out taking advantage of the sudden rash of sales on the High Street? Or are you so gripped with fear over the state of the economy, the credit crunch and the state of the stock markets you`re not venturing over the threshhold? Is Christmas cancelled this year?

I can`t help but wonder how much of the panic has been created by the media. We`ve had recessions before and survived them without being panicked into thinking the world as we know it is about to end.

I blame it on the 24-hour media; the non-stop demand for news and the way the commentators actually seem to enjoy telling us of the latest banking crisis. There are regular reports of how the stockmarkets round the world are doing. Do you understand a word of it? I don`t and suspect I am not alone

True this one is different - ie the parlous state of the banks and their mismanagement of our affairs - personal and council.

I was at an international dinner a couple of weeks ago in Edinburgh when Cosla (Confederation of Scottish Local Authorities) were entertaining fellow councillors from all over Europe.(And once again I sat mortified as all spoke fluent English. But I digress). At the table was a councillor from Iceland and I was so tempted to say to him that I would be happy to take a cheque on behalf of the council, it didn`t need to £5m in cash. But then I reckoned the poor sod had probably heard that joke too many times during the day and I decided not to spoil his dinner.

But the government I see is going to borrow zillions to buy our way out of the crisis. What I keep asking myself is - where is all that cash coming from?

However back to Christmas. There has been a bit of a rammy this week at council hq over the festive greetings cards chosen for councillors to send out. Someone who shall remain nameless (to spare his blushes) decided as 2009 was the year of the Homecoming and the 250th anniversary of Burns` birth, it would be a good idea to use the council`s famous Goudie paintings as illustrations. Now the Goudie paintings show in graphic detail Tam`s ride to Alloway`s auld haunted kirk, his confrontation with the witches and the de`il and his flight to the bridge. Fine so far. But the paintings are also a tad bawdy - naked figures, admittedly small, boozing, carousing, add a bit of debauchery - and many shocked councillors have decided these don`t exactly illustrate the spirit of Christmas. Ideal to celebrate Burns Night - but not the birth of Christ, or for the secular, the arrival of Santa.

At the time of writing it is my understanding that an alternative card is going to be made available.

However Saturday, December 22 was one of the highlights of my council year - the occasion was the switch-on of the superb Maybole Christmas lights and along with my fellow councillors I rode up High Street with Santa in his sledge. Magic.

And seeing the joy in the kids` faces it was a reminder of what the season is all about - and despite the crisis will go ahead as normal. Enjoy.

Who has gone to Iceland?

2008-10-12T15:05:00.002Z

I remember way back when I took out my first bank account, I had a vision of a cupboard somewhere where my savings sat in a pile and I could walk in at any time and lift them out. This concept of the banking process in fact stayed with me for many decades. My money was piled up there all safe and warm . . .
Then came the shock realisation that it was all just figures on paper.

Which begs the question just WHERE is all the money? Where are those trillions of pounds being banded about to save the economy from meltdown? What giant cupboard are they stashed in?

Have you noticed how actual money is going out of fashion? Whe did you last use actual cash? I keep getting caught out by the window-cleaner who naturally enough does not deal in plastic. Now, to meet the demands of the 21st century he has to accept cheques - or, I would imagine, he would never get paid! But at least, going door to door, he does get paid in the real thing unlike the rest of us who just see figures on pay cheques and bank statenets.

I`ve named this month`s blog, who`s gone to Iceland. Well actually, I have. I was in Reykjavik earlier this year as part of a Cosla delegation to an international conference. And what a fascinating place it is. During a conducted tour the success of their banking institutions was stressed and the place was certainly booming. Gleaming tower business blocks were dominating the quaint old fashioned city and round every corner you found a construction site. There was a real air of prosperity - not a street beggar in sight. In most driveways there were at least two large 4x4s - admittedly the Icelanders need them rather than small cars,considering their extreme climate and desolate landcape. And the other signs of a successful economy were there - McDonalds, Starbucks, Hilton Hotels. . . .

I came home raving about how a nation with a small population - around 350,000- could prosper and pointing out that South Ayrshire Council could learn some lessons for future development.

Little did I realise they were already there. . . . And now we have the discovery this week that £5m of your taxpayers` cash is locked up in an Icelandic bank with little sign of it being released any time soon.

It is of course too early so say how this will affect the council`s finances and your services - and it is people higher placed than me that will be making the decisions.

I hope the matter doesn`t become a political football between the Scottish and Westminster governments; that a sensible solution is found and soon.

On another matter entirely plans are now well underway for the Year of the Homecoming. South Ayrshire is hosting the opening event - a week-end of Burns celebrations with a Burns Supper hosted by First Minister Alex Salmond and a spectacular light event at Burns Monument kicking things off. However the year goes on until Novemeber and the council is keen for groups and associations to put on Burns themed events throughout the year. Cash is available and application forms for grants up to £5,000 are now waiting to be picked up at Burns House and the council are encouraging people to apply. (The forms are a wee bit daunting - but council staff are only too ready to help you fill them in. If you have an idea, get cracking - before all the money is handed out!

Summer`s over

2008-09-14T15:54:00.002Z

Well that`s it over for another year - the summer that is. What summer I hear you ask. I hope you managed to get away on holiday without your travel company or airline going bust.

I wasn`t so lucky. Off to New York, my daughter and I were originally booked on the ill-fated Silverjet. Luckily we booked by credit card. The company went down the tubes about a month before our departure date and we managed to a) get our money back and b) get another flight. Makes you think twice about taking up those great deals on the internet though. Are the days of cheap travel numbered?.

New York was great, hot and cheap but the memories have long faded into the distance. Returning to the council after the recess tends to do that - brings you back to earth with a bump.

And it is going to be a bumpy ride I fear over the next months, if not years.

First jolt was the news that the Ayr United/Barratt Homes deal had fallen through. That is seriously concerning both for the town and of course the football club and their fans. Ayr United needs a new stadium and Ayr could do with the additional housing, particularly the affordable variety that was part of the deal.
Accusations have been hurled around over who was to blame - apart from the current mortgage drought and the poor state of the building industry - and the council haven`t escaped criticism from the Ayr United chairman over their handling of the planning aspects of the deal.

Another major development, if not heading for the buffers, is facing major change. Ayr Racecourse is up for sale and in this present economic climate buyers may not be queuing up. And obviously the major improvements are on hold. Again implications from the owners that the council took too long (five years) over the planning process.

We are easy targets of course.

Is the future of the new West of Scotland University and Scottish Agricultural
College secure? This is a multi-million pound deal with a lot hanging on it. Watch this space - but I certainly hope so.

There is also the major housing plan for Barassie - around 600 houses - will it too but put on hold?

It`s at times like this I am glad to be a humble `back bencher` and not one of the council`s Leadership Panel faced with these major headaches.

Facing us too in the near future is what to do with Ayr Gaiety. The historic old theatre needs a lot of tlc - and a lot of money spent on it to mainly meet Health and Safety demands. Decisions have been put off for years - now we are facing D-day. One option, of course is closure - one I personally can`t comtemplate - and I regularly remind colleagues who weren`t around at the time, what happened the last time they tried to close the Gaiety - street protests, massive nationwide bad publicity, Johnny Beattie threatening to lie in front of bulldozers! We don`t want to go through that again. I also remind them how unforgiving you, the public, can be!

And to top it all the Audit Scotland is currently in the building carrying out their inspection to see how well we operate. That report when it comes out should make interesting reading!

However to strike a brighter note, not to leave you thoroughly depressed, we have the Year of the Homecoming almost upon us - a year of celebrating all thing Scottish and it is kicking off in Ayr with a Burnsfest on January 24 and 25.

With the spectre of the disastrous debacle that was the 200th anniversary celebration (or non event as it turned out after spending a fortune))of the poet`s death in 1996 hovering in the background, I think we can expect a much better effort this time around when we celebrate the 250th anniversay of his birth. (It is difficult typing with fingers crossed!)

Crunch time

2008-07-07T10:38:00.002Z

HAVE you noticed the crunch starting to bite?

We`ve read all the headlines about Sub-Prime mortgages, the rising cost of the barrel of oil, felt the pain at the petrol pumps, seen the warnings about the increased cost of food and stared in horror at the weekly shopping bill.

But is it actually affecting our way of life?

I must admit to having seen worrying signs that it is beginning to - certainly my life.

First sign came with the plan for a night out at the cinema - three of us off to see Sex and the City. Now normally we go to Kilmarnock Odeon rather than Ayr - better choice of films, more cinemas and more comfortable seats. Then one friend said, why drive all the way to Kilmarnock with the price of petrol, let`s just go to Ayr Odeon. So the rot begins.

(It turned out to be a bad choice as Ayr decided not to show Sex and the City that night - not enough demand - so we had to make a rushed trip to Kilmarnock anyway only to discover the show was sold out. So much for the no demand at Ayr - or maybe Kilmarnock was filled by all those Ayr turned away. Reminds me, I was going to write to the manager and complain. But I digreess)

Driving to Edinburgh last week I found myself sticking to under 60mph - better for fuel consumption - only to find every tanker and lorry on the M8 flashing me then thundering past at 70mph. Now if their businesses and owners are finding it tough with the increased cost of diesel why don`t they impose a 50mph limit on all freight transport? Would take the terror out of morotway driving for the rest of us and save them cash .

Then on Saturday I was heading to Glasgow and went by train! Nothing unusual you say? It is for me. I always drive to Glasgow but on Saturday on calculating the petrol cost, the wear and tear on the car, the parking charges (always rising) I decided to let the Scotrail take the strain. Though still not as clean and efficient as the Glasgow-Edinburgh train, the journey was uneventful, not too many mobile phone chats and I arrived on time, both ways. So I may well do it again and cut down my carbon footprint

These are small things I know, but if we all start doing it; going to the nearest supermarket instead of driving; choosing a different restaurant or cinema; switching off lights, cutting down on heating, etc. it is slowly going to have a huge effect on the businesses we are no longer going to and the economy as a whole - and I don`t think the politicians nationally and locally have realised it yet.

And speaking of politicians we have reached the end of our first year and looking back what have we done?

At first sight it seems not a lot and negative things spring to mind - shutting public toilets, the Pets Corner at Belleisle, putting a two mile restriction on school buses, failing to make much of an improvement on roads.

The list could go on.

But we have done a lot of good things too in public safety, trading standards. efforts to make the streets and beaches cleaner. A lot goes on behind the scenes that doesn`t hit the headlines. We are going to try and change that next year and let you know the good along with the bad.

It has been the first year of a four-party council, with the minority administration having to work closely with the others to get measures passed. And it has worked. There is more of a spirit of collaboration within the County Buildings and that can only be for the good

Good to be back

2008-05-25T14:55:00.002Z

Yes it`s good to be back.

Seems a long time - in fact it is a long time - since I last posted a blog. April I was off sick for a few weeks but now am back in business and thought it was time to catch up with things.

Beginning of May saw me flying to Reykjavic in Iceland - yes joining the council you can occasionally travel a bit further than Ayr and Maybole. Through the auspices of Cosla I was attending a policy meeting of the Councill of European Municipalities and Regions (CEMR), which is a coming together of local councillors from all over Europe. The Policy Group aim to exert more influence over the powers that be in the European Parliament in Brussels; they aim to influence decisions before they are made.

It wa a fascinating experience not only seeing the European democratic process at work but visitng the Icelandic Capital. You think life in the UK is expensive - you should try Reykjavic. About £10 for a pint of beer or glass of wine! Mind you you don`t see many (any) drunks hanging around the streets late at night! Scottish government take note.

This week-end was the opportunity for me to see my leader in action - yes I did attend the Tory Party Conference at Ayr Racecourse where understandably everybody was in euphoric mood after the Crew and Nantwich by-election result.

David Cameron is better looking in real life than on telly and he does have that je ne sais quois quality that the really successful have; charisma I think it is called. OK effective policies are what the electorate need and want,(and will get I am sure) but star quality does help.

Though throughout the conference I found myself staring at a succession of men`s ankles and asking - why don`t men get their trousers to fit properly? Why do they all wrinkle round the ankles? (The problem of sitting in the front row with my eyes at ankle level). Two speakers however were rumple free - of course, David Cameron and one guy who wore the kilt!

But I digress. It was a good conference, helped of course by the aforesaid victory, and it will be interesting to see if the surge in the polls is reflected here in Scotland come the next election.

Main topics at the conference on the first day were safer communities and the scourge of the drug problem in our society and it was disheartening to learn that Scotland has the worst drug addict figures in Europe. Nobody could say why and were obviously having trouble coming up with a solution. The Tory approach is abstinence, less use of Methadone and more opportutnies for rehabilitation.

At council level the main headline hitting event has been the troubles within the Labour party. The waves from the forged signature affair continue to spread with the two councillors concerned, Helen Moonie and Ian Cavana being stripped of their senior panel chair positions. Their behaviour was investigated by the council`s Standards in Governance Committee and their recommendations were approved by last week`s full council. Two other councillors Elaine Little and Douglas Campbell have resigned from the Labour Group within the council and are now Independents.

So only a year on from the election the make-up of the council has dramatically altered with 12 Tories, eight SNP, Labour, seven members and three Independents.

Interesting times ahead.

People Power

2008-03-16T15:38:00.002Z

You may have doubted the influence of people power- but last week`s headlines have shown it is alive and well and thriving in South Ayrshire.

But let`s go back a few weeks - to-D-day for the council budget. Certainly as the Scottish Government requested we were able to keep the council tax the same as last year, but it came at a cost - we had to make cuts.

And we made plenty of them but it was the closure of the Pets` Corner at Belleisle that lit the torch paper and had the locals reaching for pen and paper. They organised petitions, wrote to the local papers, bombarded all the local counillors with emails, whether they were Ayr or not. Everyone was outraged; we had certainly touched a nerve.

Now the Pets` Corner had been in a sorry state for years- but it was, in the parlance of Tony Blair, the people`s Pets` Corner and they were outraged that we had decided to close it without consulting them. Admittedly I went there as a child, took my daughter there when she was young and from reading the letters pages of the local press most of the population had fond memories of visiting there and wanted it to stay open.

The council was in a bind - the decision had been made - but fairy godmothers - or more correctly in this case, fairy godfathers - do still exist and came riding to the rescue. The local Rotary Clubs and the generous businessman saved our skins and for now certainly the pets live to fight another day at Belleisle. Shame really,I had found a home for the donkey!!

But it`s not over. We are to be tested again over another `easy option` cut that slipped through and has outraged more local people. Straiton public toilets are in line for closure and the locals are not happy. Which is understandable when you consider Straiton is a top tourist village, one that attracts thousands of hillwalkers - who will no doubt be attracted to the new network of paths currently being opened to criss-cross the area!

What are they to do - look for the nearest bush? Not very 21st century. It is argued that we do not have a statutory duty to provide public toilets but until an alternative solution is found - like encouraging local pubs or cafes to allow the public in as is done in some places in England- surely it is better to try and keep them open.(Though some are in such a disgusting state you would be better looking for a bush!)

One solution has been found in Kirkoswald where the public toilets were also earmarked for closure - not the best move when you consider the heavy traffic use of the A77 and the number of lorries, buses etc that stop in Kirkoswald betwixt Northern Ireland and Glasgow. With some pressure (some applied by yours truly) they were saved and the unexpected bonus is that the Costley and Costley empire currently revitalising the centre of the village with their new hotel and museum and whisky shop plan, have agreed to take over the upkeep of the toilets. They recognise that the new path networks will be attracting more walkers and cyclists to the area. And I bet those toilets will be clean!

Maybe that is the route that should be followed - some fresh thinking on an old problem. But that is for another day. For the moment Straiton villagers are presenting a petition to the council on March 20. It will be interesting to see what success they have. But at least the Belleisle outcome should maybe give them hope.

The best laid schemes

2008-01-26T16:11:00.000Z

HAVE you heard of the Year of the Homecoming? Probably not unless you are a member of a Burns Club or Community Council or Association.

It is the big celebration planned for next year to draw millions of exiled Scots `back home` for a holiday. It is based on five main themes - Burns, Golf, Whisky, the Enlightenment and Innovation. And of course South Ayrshire is ripe to take full advantage of two of these - Burns and Golf. And by luck rather than design the same year sees the British Open coming to Turnberry - a gift horse if ever there was one!

So you would think that we would be well ahead with our plans to take advantage of this one-off event backed by the Scottish Government. Think again.

Those with memories of 1996 when what should have been a world-wide celebration of the 200 anniversay of Burns death turned into a shambolic fiasco, must be shuddering as they think `here we go again`.

But with a lot of luck, victory as they say, can be snatched from the jaws of defeat and we will make a better job of celebrating the 250th anniversary of the poet`s birth.

Event Scotland have been brought in at the last gasp - applications for available government funding have to be in by February 26 - to organise things and having attended a presentation last week they certainly talk the talk - let`s hope their abilities match their aspirations.

South Ayrshire Council, I am glad to say, is also getting its act together and there are talks about having a major event to launch the Homecoming Year at Alloway on January 25. Spring will see the Burns an` a` that festival and July, of course, The Open.

And as well as the big themed events there are hopes that organsiations, clubs and even individuals will come forward with their ideas to help fill a year`s programme of celebration for the visitors we hope will come. Maybole is already well ahead with plans for an event following the brilliant success of last year`s celebration of the wedding of Burns parents at Maybole.

As I said, Allowway should be the centre of the opening event - and probably will be - but there is one small snag . . . the prestigious new £17million Burns museum and visitor centre planned for Alloway won`t be open in time - in fact there will probably be a building site there, with work not scheduled to finish until 2010. As usual it seems we were at the coo`s tale. The National Trust for Scotland who are taking over responsibility for the cottage and heritage park failed to get their submission for funds in to the Heritage Lottery Fund on the preferred date - talk about the best laid schemes - which would have allowed the centre with a bit of an effort, to be open by the November, a stylish and appropriate end to the Homecoming Year The bid is going in three months late which has pushed the completion date well into the following year - assuming we get the £6million, which is not guaranteed. But let`s not dwell on that.

Unfortunately plans for Burns Cottage also look as if they may not be completed in time and a make-do option is being prepared.

Why am I not surprised? Disappointed certainly but not surprised.

ALL aspects of being a councillor have their fascinating side but I think the planning committee - or Regulatory Panel as it is now called - is one of the more interesting. And this year we could be making decisions that will have a major impact on South Ayrshire.

We`ve already approved a massive 600-house development for East Troon, the new Girvan hospital, and a new university campus at Ayr has received outline planning approval.

And this week saw the transfer of land valued at £4m from South Ayrshire Council to the Univerity of the West of Scotland allow their plans for the new multi-million campus to go ahead. It was a decision not taken easily for although talks have been going on for three years, the university plan was new to we new councillors and the land transer had cost implications - we were giving it to the university for free, but the Archive Centre, which is housed on the site at Craigie, would need to be transferred to another building.

Initially were were being asked to meet the cost of renting the new premises but following a decision of the full council last week to agree in principal to the land transfer - the Archive Centre relocation will be re-negotiated. We are hoping to be paying a peppercorn rent or even better, no rent at all, for the new site, which will probably be at Auchincruive.

The university hope to start work on the site on August - the present Criaige campus buildings are well past theri sell-by-date - but full planning consent has still to be given. Also coming before the Regulatory Panel in the near future are the new football stadium plan for Ayr United and a hotel, house and golf course grand plan for Auchincruive Estate.

As I said - interesting times for South Ayrshire and the Regulatory Panel members.

SEASON`S GREETINGS

2007-12-16T17:51:00.000Z

`Tis the season to be jolly - and I am sure you have more to do with your time than to keep up with my ramblings this month. So I will keep it short.

But last week proved to be quite a momentous one at the council. It is not often that you can feel you have really made a difference - but last week we did. The Regulatory Panel (the new name for the planning committee) in the course of two days approved three massive and important developments for the future of South Ayrshire.

First we approved an application to build almost 600 houses at East Troon, edging Barassie. This has been 10 years in the planning, including a public inquiry, but finally last Wednesday we were able to give the go-ahead to builders Stuart Milne. Of the 600 or so houses, 150 will come into the `affordable` category and at last the planners have come to realise that it is essential when social houses are included in a developoment (we no longer build council house estates) they shouldn`t stick out like a sore thumb, creating a `them and us` scenario. You only need to look at some of the Ayrshire Housing that has gone up to see what I mean - Doonfoot and Coylton spring to mind!

Coming with this development are community benefits, including new sports facilities at the nearest primary school, plus cash from the developer towards educational provision in the area. Details have still to be thrashed out but a lot of new families will move into the area and the kids will need to go to school.

The next day we approved the outline planning application for the new Paisley university campus at Craigie Estate in Ayr. The old Craigie College will disappear and in its place there will be new university buildings which will also house the students of the West of Scotland Agricultural College. Around 250 houses will also be built on the former pitch and put course on the estate, including again 25 per cent affordable housing.

There are concerns locally about the pressure on the traffic flow, but the roads experts feel their new plan will happily cope with the increase. We will need to wait and see, bearing in mind another 400 houses are going up in the area as part of the Ayr Racecourse development.

Finally we also passed the plans for the new Girvan Community Hospital. There had been fears that this would be sacrificed by the Health Board as part of the overspill from the Scottish Government`s decision to keep the Ayr A&E department open, but happily these fears have proved groundless. On Thursday we approved plans for in-patients and out-patients facilities, a rehabilitation suite, community casualty facilities, an ambulance station, pharmacy and cafeteria.

AND it will all be powered by a large wind turbine- very eco-friendly!

A good way to end 2007.

All there is left for me to say is I wish you joy at Christmas and peace, health and prosperity in 2008.

Goodbye Gibson

2007-11-11T17:38:00.000Z

THIS has been a difficult month. My friend and mentor Gibson Macdonald died after a cruelly short illness.

Like a lot of people who retire after a hectic career, Gibson did not get the time to enjoy his years of leisure. There was so much he planned to do. Perhaps the trials and tribulations - as well as the sheer enthusiasm and enjoyment- he felt in running South Ayrshire Council as leade staved off the symptoms of his final illness. But when he was `put out to pasture` - his words - in May, the cancer took over.

Gibson Macdonald was a ruthless as well as natural-born politician -and one I had the pleasure of knowing for over 30 years, first when I was the council reporter for the Ayr Advertiser and latterly as a colleague. He was also my mentor. It was Gibson who suggested that I should run for the council when I retired from journalism and he supported me throughout all my campaigning. In fact the creation of this blog came out of a conversation with him. He helped me with the technical side of setting it up, but warned me -`Once you have set it up you have to keep it going. You can`t let your electorate down`. That could almost have been his epitaph.

Gibson loved politics, local politics in particular. He revelled in the challenge, the wheeling and dealing.He had an amazing knowledge of local government and his sharp intellect will be sorely missed. One could be tempted to say that the current stooshie over the exit of the Chief Executive might not have happened had Gibson been around and well enough to advise on the issues.

Though having said that . . .
Researching material for his obituary which I had the priviege of writing, I was looking up a book written by another prominent local politician,the late Councillor Alec Sloan of Coylton,father of my fellow councillor Sandra Goldie.In his memoirs Those WERE the Days he wrote openly and scathingly about the goings-on behind the scenes in the corridors of power.

In a chapter named The Day of the Long Knives he gives an account of the`ousting` of the then Kyle and Carrick Chief Executive John Hill, when a trio of Conservative councillors (one of them Gibson) decided that the post of Chief Executive should be abolished. After some pressure,in the end Mr Hill agreed to resign to allow the council to `restructure`. According to Councillor Sloan, Mr Hill received credited years allowing him his full pension. Plus ca change!

Throughout my newspaper career Labour always accused me of favouring the Toies but once Gibson famously called me into his office and accused me of siding with Labour. I got it from both sides so must have been doing something right!

Gibson Macdoanld was a gifted politician - one with a great sense of humour. He could also laugh at himself, something rare in local politics where people take themslves very seriously. He was devoted to his adopted home town of Ayr. He will be sorely missed.

ON the domestic side I have been dealing with matters down Maidens way. Their last community council lasted until 10.30pm and the room was packed with local folk - a sure sign that there is an issue of local concern. Two words - Ayrshire Housing. Affordable housing is going up on the site of the former community centre and there is a lot of local anxiety. A lot of old ground was gone over- why was the land, a prime site, sold for only £150,000 and why did the cash not come back into the village? Councils unfortunately don`t work like that. The main concern though was about who would be allocated the houses; a lot of people thought they should only go to local folk, maybe pensioners. I am going to try and get an officer from the appropriate department to come and speak to the next community council meeting and maybe allay some fears.

The idea of a Maidens cemetery has caught the local imagination and Cassillis Estates appear to be looking favourably of the idea of donating land. However there is still a long way to go and there is the thorny question of financial backing from the council in these cash-strapped time. I will keep you posted.

The French Connection

2007-10-20T15:50:00.000Z

Thought I`d give a different slant to my blog this month - give you the French perspective.

So the UK is going to sign up to the new European Convention without a referendum - and even before the debate in parliament starts we have the weeping and wailing and gnashing of teeth particularly from our brethren south of the border. Unlike the Scots, I don`t think the English are natural Europeans. We after all have the Auld Alliance and the shared history of fighting the English!

Come the constitution we`ll get even more of those terrible European influences bearing down on us - like maybe clean, litter-free streets, busy and buoyant town centres, a superb network of public transport, trains that run on time and are clean, good healthy eating ( you really don`t see all that many obese people in France ) and good weather - well maybe the last one is going a bit far.

You can tell from this onslaught that I have been out of the country for a short time - and in fact have been in two of South Ayrshire`s twin towns across the Channel. The first visit was to Villenuve-sur-Lot,celebrating 20 years of twinning with Troon. This was the `official` part of my trip - though I hasten to add that myself and my fellow councillors who travelled to France did so at our own expense (before the word`jolly` springs to mind!)I then travelled north - via the magnificent TGV - to visit Ayr`s twin, St Germain-en-Laye where I have many friends.

Both towns are very different, one rural and the other, sitting next to Paris, very sophisticated. But both have much in common - both are clean, vibrant and bustling and despite having large supermarkets on their peripheries, the town centres are full of independent little shops doing a roaring trade. Not a charity shop or for let/for sale sign anywhere to be seen.

The ceremony to mark the town twinning anniversary was the naming of a roundabout, Place de Troon. Not very exciting you might think. But forget your Whitletts, the Villeneuve roundabouts bear little resemblance to ours. For a start they are generally covered in flowers and are extremely decorative. The town obviously has a very active Parks Department. As we left the workmen were out taking down the first of the hundreds of floral baskets bedecking the town and wonder of wonders, scooping up all the autumn leaves with their giant industrial hoover`.

In St Germain-en-Laye the council workers were out each morning power-washing the streets and the town sqaure, which no longer has cars clogging it up thanks to a spanking new underground car park. There was almost no litter to be seen and certainly no chewing gum disfiguring the pavements.

And the lesson you ask? Obviously the French are doing something we`re not. And I`m not just talking South Ayrshire - but the whole of Scotland. Speaking to the French councillors they have cashflow problems, priorities and social problems too, but they seem to manage it better. There`s a lot we could learn from them I think - but I guess an exchange research visit will be out of the question!

But the French in general definitely think more in European terms than we do. It was obvious even at the small ceremony to mark the 20th anniverary. While the Scottish contingent spoke of friendships old and new and more `parochial` matters the Villeneuve mayor spoke of the bigger European picture and the relationships between countries.

Both approaches of course have their place.

Just one PS on the trip. The Saturday night was the big Gala Dinner - but was also the night France played England in the semi finals of the rugby World Cup. Villeneuve you must remember is in the rugby playing region. First course came, then the next. . . . Just over an hour later, as the hands on the clock approached quarter to eleven the main course finally arrived - the entire kitchen staff had been watching the game! Shame about the result.

RUSSIAN ABOUT

2007-09-22T16:35:00.000Z

There`s on thing about being a councillor - life`s full of variety. One minute you`re on the phone trying to sort out a problem for a constituent, the next you are mixing with the Russian navy!

A couple of weeks ago the Russians landed. At the same time there was some miltary fluttering as Russian MIGs were spotted coming into UK air space and the RAF were sent up to escort them off limits. I was tempted to call up the Ministry of Defence and tell them they were too late - the Russians were already here in South Ayrshire! But seriously it was impressive and moving to see how important the unveiling of the memorial of the Varyag was to the Russians. They sent newspaper reportes and TV crew to South Ayrshire to beam the story live to their nation.

At the same time it was disappointing to see how our national press and TV failed to cover the ceremony. Not a line appeared in any national newspaper that I saw. Obviously they had to get their priorities right and the Saturday sports fixtures took up all their reserves! Fortunately the local press, particularly the Carrick Gazette, more than made up for that lack of interest.

The Russians were courteous and highly entertaining visitors who boosted the local economy that weekend. Though I couldn`t help but notice how many of them smoked. If our ban had not been in place maybe I wouldn`t have noticed - but at least the few councillors who haven`t managed to give up the weed had plenty of company outside the marquee at Lendalfoot shore.

Since then the council has been hitting the headlines for less celebratory reasons. Unlike the `source` who has been leaking like a sieve to the press I can`t write about the events surrounding the future of our Chief Executive Tom Cairns as I am bound by confidentiality. A tad frustrating position for the journalist in me (if I`m honest) - for three years ago in my former life as a newspaper editor I would have been looking for every leak to make headlines. The drawback of being poacher turned gamekeeper!

To end this entry I must bring you up to date on the `Balamory` houses in Straiton. I have seen the map and strangely enough the Knockbreck Road does lie outwith the conservation boundary of the village. However I believe it wasn`t the boundary that kept housing design in line before but the reboubtable Jamie Hunter-Blair of Blairquhan. Since his death there has not been the same interest from the estate. However I thought you`d also be interested in knowing some the the thinking behind the technicolour paintwork on the Ayrshire Housing homes. At some national conference the theory was put forward that people would more easily recognise their home by door colour rather than number. I think maybe they were thinking of the elderly and maybe perhaps those in the early stages of dementia, but I guess it will also come in handy after a night at the Black Bull!

Fairness and protection for the rurual areas

2007-09-03T15:05:00.000Z

`It`s like something out of Balamory ………. That`s the words used by a constituent who contacted me about the new Ayrshire Housing homes going up in Straiton. `Certainly they`re not right for a conservation village`, he continued.

I must say I was expecting something like the colourful façade of Tobermory when I went up to see the new affordable houses at Straiton – and while they`re not quite as `vibrant`, the homes at Knockbreck Road have something of the holiday chalet look about them rather than permanent new homes.

Not the fabric of the building I hasten to add. The houses are in keeping with the style of a rural community, the roofs are slate - but the doors and window frames are painted in the bright primary colours – reds, green, yellows, blues. They stick out like a sore thumb. I was looking for the sign saying `Welcome to Straiton holiday complex`.

I contacted the head of planning, showed him pictures and pointed out that surely these colours were inappropriate and not in keeping with the strict conservation status of Stration .But I was wrong. Apparently that`s all right. They could be technicolour stripes if Ayrshire Homes so fancied. For while everyone else in Straiton is restricted in what they can do with their houses, having to stick by strict planning procedures, the Ayrshire Housing homes apparently fall outwith the conservation village status. There`s nothing the planners can do. The multi-coloured windows and doors can stay

I did suggest to the planning director a discreet word in the ear of the developers might encourage a change of hue, something more in keeping with the ambience of one of South Ayrshire`s most beautiful villages. I wait with interest to see if anything is done.

However the new residents of the Knockbreck Road houses are luckier than a lot of folk. They have houses .For affordable housing – or the lack of it - promises to be the political hot potato of the next decade for councillors and MSPs.

Labour`s new leader Wendy Alexander said last week said that she was `taken back` during her whistle-stop-getting-to-know-the-people tour to find the strength of feeling across Scotland about the lack of affordable housing. What planet has she been living on? The answer to that of course is in the cushy cushioned political planet that is Holyrood where our political masters (of all hues) lose sight of some of the major issues.. Like SNP housing Minister Stewart Maxwell when unveiling the new government`s bold solution who talked of another `consultation` with `stakeholders`. More words rather than actions.

It is time for councils and the Scottish government to grasp this nettle and simply build more houses.- ones that people can afford. It is nice to have beautiful estates with homes at £500,000 plus, but the majority of young folk, even some professionals, can`t afford a kennel never mind a luxury detached mansion. They can`t get onto the property ladder. We need to build ourselves out of this rapidly growing crisis.

We on South Ayrshire Council are committed to building affordable homes – and that is certainly something I will be fighting for. This is something we CAN do – but we need the political will from Edinburgh and of course more money to pay for the building.
We need to keep our communities vibrant and keep our young people here in South Ayrshire where their skills are needed.

Holidays over

2007-07-28T14:32:00.001Z

What a time to choose to go to the Cotswalds. However I got home before the total deluge – and straight into a row about hall booking fees.

Someone who shall be nameless ( literally as no one is admitting responsibility) sent out a letter to Maybole community groups saying that their charges for using the Town Hall were going to rocket.In some cases this meant going from paying nothing to £8 an hour.

Understandably uproar followed. Groups from pensioners who play carpet bowls to the Brownies could see a bleak future ahead; Cathie Jamieson MSP visited the town giving them her support; a meeting was called for last Monday night.

In the role of Daniel was Pat Whelan – the council officer in charge of the department which sent out the offending letter. The `lions` were representatives of all the local groups who use the hall and understandable they were raring for a fight.

Pat Whelan had to admit that the letter should never have been sent out – and told everyone there to ignore what they had been told . It was back to square one.

He explained that different halls are charged at different rates throughout South Ayrshire and they were trying to get a system in place where all are treated equally. And hall charges will in fact come before the Leadership Panel of the council at the end of August.

From there, any decisions they make will go before the Community Services Scrutiny Panel – which will do `as it says on the tin` - scrutinise the decision and decide if it`s fair. The good news for Maybole is that three of the four members of that panel are local councillors, Brian Connelly, Sandra Goldie and myself and if we weren`t aware of it before, after last week`s meeting we certainly know now how important a role the Town Hall plays in local life.

And we know it must be affordable.

The main thing for now is that the price hike as been put on hold, autumn classes and groups can put their programmes in place – they are not going to be priced out at the end of August.

What about the future? We need to wait and see, but be assured the local councillors will be fighting to keep the hall open and accessible to everyone.

Holidays over

2007-07-28T14:27:00.000Z

What a time to choose to go to the Cotswalds. However I got home before the total deluge – and straight into a row about hall booking fees.

Someone who shall be nameless ( literally as no one is admitting responsibility) sent out a letter to Maybole community groups saying that their charges for using the Town Hall were going to rocket.In some cases this meant going from paying nothing to £8 an hour.

Understandably uproar followed. Groups from pensioners who play carpet bowls to the Brownies could see a bleak future ahead; Cathie Jamieson MSP visited the town giving them her support; a meeting was called for last Monday night.

In the role of Daniel was Pat Whelan – he council officer in charge of the department which sent out the offending letter. The `lions` were representatives of all the local groups who use the hall and understandable they were raring for a fight.

Pat Whelan had to admit that the letter should never have been sent out – and told everyone there to ignore what they had been told . It was back to square one.

He explained that different halls are charged at different rates throughout South Ayrshire and they were trying to get a system in place where all are treated equally. And hall charges will in fact come before the Leadership Panel of the council at the end of August.

From there, any decisions they make will go before the Community Services Scrutiny Panel – which will do `as it says on the tin` - scrutinise the decision and decide if it`s fair. The good news for Maybole is that three of the four members of that panel are local councillors, Brian Connelly, Sandra Goldie and myself and if we weren`t aware of it before, after last week`s meeting we certainly know now how important a role the Town Hall plays in local life.

And we know it must be affordable.

The main thing for now is that the price hike as been put on hold, autumn classes and groups can put their programmes in place – they are not going to be priced out at the end of August.

What about the future? We need to wait and see, but be assured the local councillors will be fighting to keep the hall open and accessible to everyone.

mid summer update

2007-07-14T15:41:00.000Z

I think the stouche over the lapdancing/pole dancing club application is finally beginning to subside – but it certainly was the talk of the steamie for a couple of weeks and livened up the usually rather dry and dusty corridors at the County Buildings . Everyone was talking about it. Of course it could all be stirred up again in October at the next Licensing Board meeting when Forbes Robertson will be able to re-apply for his entertainment licence. By that time board members will have been able to do their homework and we will have caught up with the Scottish Executive`s latest recommendations regarding `adult entertainment`.

The responses to my blog were interesting – particularly the young woman who pointed out that it wasn`t women who were exploited at such clubs – but it was more a case of the women exploiting the men who came to watch. Interesting point.

The thorny subject of community and town hall rents raised its head briefly this week when a letter went out to the users of Maybole Town Hall telling them that the hourly rent was to increase to £8. Consternation – even panic - naturally followed with clubs and groups thinking they were facing shutdown. However that decision has been put on hold until the whole question of hall rents in South Ayrshire is discussed by the leadership panel at the end of August. Will the panel recommend that the rents go up? We will need to wait and see. – and be ready for a fight.

The council is now going into recess for a few weeks – which has come as a relief particularly to we new councillors who have been running round like headless chickens (at least that`s what it sometimes felt like) trying to learn everything at once. It is now time to take stock and get ready for a busy decision-making time ahead.

We are of course still in contact – recess just means there are no official meetings – so don`t hesitate to get in touch via the blog, email or phone if you have any problems or concerns.

The council never really closes.

Busy, busy, busy

2007-07-01T17:51:00.000Z

YOU have a lot of calls on your time as a councillor.

The past month has been particularly busy with galas, school events not to mention the one-to-one problems raised by constituents which have to be dealt with. There have been community council meetings – we have five in Maybole, North Carrick and Coylton – and panel meetings and training sessions within the County Buildings.

This may sound like the build- up- to a moan, but the reverse is true. It has been a fascinating, if hectic two months since the election – nobody told me it would be this busy.

One of the most interesting meetings was the first get-together of the new Licensing Board. To explain to those who don`t know, the Board, deals with applications from all licensed premises, from hotels and pubs to private clubs. We determine how long they can open, what can happen inside the buildings and while ensuring the licensee can earn a living we also take care of the needs of the public making sure there is little or no disturbance from rowdy drunks, no loud music upsetting the peace of neighbours. It can be a delicate balancing act.

However one important move we made last week at our first meeting was to restrict the hours of Beer Gardens – which have sprung up since smoking was banned last year. Beer Gardens may be good for the nicotine addict, but can be particularly annoying for neighbours if they get too noisy – you can`t exactly shut the doors to keep the sound in . From now they will need to close at 10pm. This applies right now to new applications but will gradually cover all licensed premises in South Ayrshire.

As you will see from the Ayrshire post one unusual application at this meeting was for an entertainments licence for lap/pole dancing in a local club. This opened up a moral dilemma for me. I see this as opening up a whole new spectrum in `leisure entertainment` in Ayr. Do we want what I see as the sex industry in our towns; and how do you protect the women so employed from exploitation? The argument was put that it would bring more `tourists` to Ayr. Is this the sort of tourism we want?

However we were saved from making a decision as the licensing laws are about to undergo major changes and we will have to investigate how the Scottish Executive looks on such `adult entertainment before coming to a decision`. The application has been delayed to the next Board meeting in October.

On the brighter side, with my Licensing Board hat on I met Ayr`s superstars the McDonald brothers who are supporting a Board initiative in clubs and pubs this summer aimed particularly at girls- Who`s Keeping an Eye on Your Drink?` I had my picture taken with them – definitely one for the album.

Two comments have been made anonymously to me by email about this blog

1. Lighten up Ann, you are living in the past. Women being exploited? it's us that are exploiting the men by giving them a little thrill in return for hard cash. A local job here in Ayr will save me having to travel to Glasgow to do this work.
Shirley

I am glad you are fighting this move to bring the sex industry into our town.
How about setting up an on line petition against this sex club which will show the Council how normal people feel about a sex club in .

I publish these to show just how widely diverse views on this subject are likely to be.

Back to the real world

2007-06-18T14:11:00.000Z

No I have not been away just totally immersed in the County Buildings which is a bit like the Dr Who "tardis" - looks normal from the outside but inside a different world all together.

Well we are just over a month into government – sorry I am sounding like T Blair or Alex Salmond. What I should say is the council has been in business for about six weeks now – and are we much further forward? I hope so.

All the new panels are in place ( the new word for committees) and members are trying to get their minds round the new setup. The same could be said for the officers who are also working under a new system.

It may sound a bit chaotic – but don`t panic dear reader – the business of local government still continues to flow with decisions being made, plans being passed, grants being allocated…Policy is still being formulated, but that will come and all hopefully to the benefit of you the council taxpayer.

The committees may have new names but the people are still there doing the same job. However as was pointed out at the meeting of voluntary community groups last week it is not always easy for somebody on the outside to find out who is there on the inside to provide help when it is needed. Part of the essence of the new South Ayrshire Council is community involvement – so easier access is something we must look at. A clear contact list on the council award winning website ( www.south-ayrshire.gov.uk ) would be a start. But then what do you do for the people not on the internet and there are still a lot of them out there?. Lists pinned up on library walls perhaps.

In between panel meetings, training sessions (learning how to be a good councillor and giving you value for your council tax) this is the season of galas and school productions and prizegivings – so the councillors` diaries are pretty crowded.

I was at Maybole Gala Day on Saturday and despite the wintery weather – it was freezing! (so much for global warming) – there was a great turnout to see the procession and crowning of the King and Queen of Carrick. The Burns theme of the previous week continued into the Gala – Maybole has been celebrating the fact that Burns` parents met and married in the town – and lots of kids and adults were in period costume.

As well as local folk, the Gala procession had one MP one MSP, the Provost, four councillors, plus the World President of the Burns Federation and the next World President of the Burns Federation. Surely that must be some sort of record!..I suspect the Coylton Gala on this coming Saturday (June 23) may not have such a `star` line-up – but maybe the weather will be better. Let`s hope so.

Sweetness and light in the council chamber

2007-05-25T20:04:00.000Z

THE view this week is really from the Council Chamber for the new council had their first formal meeting on May 21 and top posts were allocated. Winifred Sloan is Provost again – and will continue her Civic Pride programme. Leader of the council is Conservative Hugh Hunter. The principal leadership panel is made up of Tories, (the majority party) but all the other senior posts have been distributed between the SNP, Labour and Independent
The council is taking on a exciting new format – Cabinet style they call it - which involves a new range of panels (instead of committees)_- but it is felt this will give a better standard of service from all of us. The Cabinet will have the job of making the decisions and the Scrutiny committees will have the chance to review these before they are implemented. This is supposed to give a greater opportunity for public debate. It is early days for councillors and officers – so it will be a challenge for everyone to make it work.
The Council meeting went remarkable smoothly considering this was the first time four different parties faced each other across the council chamber – and there was remarkably little cross party sniping. Long may it continue for the new partnership style of local government is all about us working well together.
June 5 sees the council getting down to the serious business of running South Ayrshire – I will keep you posted. Of my wide range of positions - from panels to outside bodies – I think I will find the Regulatory Panel which deals with planning and the Licensing Board the most interesting.
Those living in the rural part of South Ayrshire will be pleased to know that the Rural Committee has been maintained and of course the various Community Councils can look forward to receiving real money to work with in the coming year - £2,000 for the smallest rising to £5,000.
Speaking of Community Councils – the ward of Maybole, North Carrick and Coylton, has five so it should be fun trying to cover them all – particularly as some meet on the same night. This might be where having four councillors for the ward may prove an advantage – we can split up so that everyone is looked after and the views expressed relayed to the other councillors.

from the council chamber - it begins

2007-05-14T16:24:00.000Z

I HAVE discovered a new human condition . . . electionlag. It`s like jetlag, only worse and it lasts longer…It maybe had something to do with the 24-hour stint on election day. All started well. The sun shone, the voters were appearing to come out, there was even a bit of a carnival atmosphere outside Coylton polling station and it all passed quite nicely until around 11pm – when the new electronic system of counting took over and we discovered the intricacies of the two part voting form for the parliament had by-passed a large number of the electorate!.

Then I guess you could say things went from bad to worse. Being the cynics that we are and going on past experience, when the company engineers in charge of the super duper new system assured us beforehand that nothing could go wrong – we somehow knew that it would. Half their counting machines gave up the ghost early and my ward results managed to get lost somewhere in the system. They assured us they were in there but meanwhile as all the other candidates were assessing from screens how their votes were going – the one for Maybole North Carrick and Coylton was blank. We were in the dark.

Add to that the confusion of the spoilt papers – South Ayrshire had about 900 – and you can see it was a fun – or for that, read fraught – night for all concerned. I decided around 3am I was dead on my feet and decided to go home for a couple of hours rest. My head barely reached the pillow when the phone rang at 4.30am and I was called back to the Citadel. Things were happening I was told. Not quite true – but after standing around for another couple of hours the results were at last being announced and by 7.30am I was celebrating being a new councillor – one of 15 on the new-look South Ayrshire Council.

And new look it certainly is with 12 of us Tories, nine Labour, eight SNP and one Independent (Something the Ayrshire Post somehow managed to miss. Brian Connolly who beat me be one vote last time round, was re-elected)..The first couple of days passed in a bit of a haze – but I wasn`t alone in feeling like that. We were councillors but didn`t know where to go or what to do. The corridors of the County Buildings are a maze for the uninitiated. They all look alike so we found ourselves wandering aimlessly for a while and this combined with the tiredness produced that electionlag feeling.

The system has now clicked in and the council officers have arranged `councillor classes` for us. So it is a bit like going back to school to learn the intricacies of local government and how it operates. We will also need to learn how to work together. Maybole, North Carrick and Coylton is one ward with four councillors, one from each party – Tory, Labour, SNP and Independent. How we will share responsibility? It is a learning process for us all

The first meeting of the council proper is Monday, May 21 at 10am . How will it go?
I will certainly keep you posted.

End of the Road

2007-04-29T16:11:00.000Z

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.

10 days to go

2007-04-21T18:40:00.000Z

WELL the election campaign is well and truly underway.

But when you read all the publicity in the papers you`d be hard pressed to realise that the council elections are actually happening.

All the headlines, all the TV cameras, all the commentators are concentrating on the activities of the Holyrood candidates – or as all broadcasters seem to say, HOLLYrood elections. They`ve been watching too many movies.

And while it may be of great interest to everyone what Jack McConnell thinks of Alex Salmond, and vice versa; what Nichol Stephen has in mind, likewise Annabel Goldie, for the next session of the parliament, what happens in the County Buildings in Ayr will in fact have as much of an impact – maybe even more of an impact - on your day-to-day lives as the goings-on in Edinburgh. (OK a referendum on Independence will make a difference but that is three years away.)

Yet amazingly, going round the doors – I am sure I will be three inches shorter once this campaigning is over, I`ve walked so much – some people are surprised to learn that there are two elections going on on the same day.

And considering this is the first trial of PR voting for local elections in the country , that all the ward boundaries have changed and that instead of the usual X to select your candidate, you will not only be expected to number your choices you will be voting for more than one candidate in each ward, you`d think the council elections would be getting at least some publicity nationally.

Do I see a recipe for chaos on election night? I hope not. Though one native of Ireland now living here didn`t help my confidence. The voting system selected is the one used the Northern Ireland - the Single Transferable Vote system - and he assured me that folk won`t understand it - :`They`ll vote, 1, 1, 1, 1, instead of 1,2,3,4 and you`ll have loads of spoiled papers!`. Let`s hope he was underestimating the Scottish voter.

The only consolation is that all parties are facing the same problems, have the same concerns that they are getting their message across loud and clear.

As I write this there are only 11 more canvassing days left – and one more pre-election blog to write.

Next week I will let you know my view of your concerns, what folk have been talking about round the doors – and make one last appeal to you to get out there and vote.

All is not as it seems in the “political scene”
If you read the local papers recently you will have got the impression that Paul Torrance and Gibson Macdonald hate each others politics and guts. Well Paul’s been in hospital – all the Tories sent him a get well card genuinely wishing him well. On Friday he was in the County Buildings looking bronzed and fit. Paul then sought out Gibson and shook him by the hand to say a warm thanks for the friendly gesture sent at a time when he was feeling low. So there you are it is possible to argue forcefully but still respect each other.

Playing Politics

2007-04-13T18:04:00.000Z

WHEN is politics serious and when does it become a game?
It appeared to become a game last week when Councillor Paul Torrance hauled himself out of his sickbed and Councillor Helen Moonie came home early from a conference in Edinburgh with the sole aim of defeating a Tory recommendation to turn down the application for a massive windfarm at Dersalloch, above Straiton
It was a good game. Five Labour councillors got together to overturn this recommendation - the vote was 5-4 - against the advice of planning officials who recommended refusal, against the wishes of neighbouring Labour controlled East Ayrshire Council (most of the site visual affects East Ayrshire above Dalmellington). Labour Justice Minister and MSP for the area Cathy Jamieson opposed the plan, as did thousands of residents who signed a petition to that effect.
But most of all Prestwick Airport opposed the plan as they foresaw problems with radar affecting flight plans and said openly this could affect the future development of the airport – and as a result could pose a threat to jobs out there.
But hey why should all that matter when Labour could get one over their Tory opponents. A great wheeze – and one that may come back to haunt them.
It is ironic that South Ayrshire should have had control over this decision considering the windfarm will have little impact on Straiton – it won`t be seen or heard from the village so there has been no great raising of voices against the plan there. It will of course bring a cash rental to the community. However it will impact on Dalmellington and maybe even the future of the airport.
It is now up to the Executive to decide on the future of the windfarm – while under the impression that South Ayrshire Council approves of it.
This is the type of behaviour that is putting people off voting – and quite a lot of them have been saying just that as I continue to go round the doors.
Dangerous roads – and driving – have again come to my attention this week – this time the target is the road between Maybole and Maidens, past Culzean..
It would appear a lot of traffic is taking this alternative route - the local theory is they are trying to avoid the speed cameras on the A77. They are speeding round dangerous bends on this lesser road many of them landing in fields and going through hedges according to the locals.
The villagers of Maidens are getting fed up with it – rightly so. Even horses from the riding stable are at risk as cars speed into the village. There is no horse warning sign as you get in other part of the area.
More warning signs and slowing down measures are definitely needed– something for the new council to tackle. I think.

Cash for communities

2007-04-06T16:39:00.000Z

There was good news for rural communities – in fact all communities – this week when the council approved a cash bonanza.

Starting from now Community Councils are to receive real cash to pay for pet projects they identify as good for the local people. (Up until now the only cash they have received has been to cover administration costs). It could be spent on the creation of community gardens, a clean up litter/grafitti campaign, playschemes for kids, additional facilities for the elderly – the list is endless.

Grants will range from a minimum of £2,000 for smaller communities rising to £5,000. The only snag – if you could describe it as that – is that the project has to get the approval of the council before getting the go-ahead. Councillors see that as a safeguard against spurious schemes. But that`s where County Buildings interference will end. The money is the community`s to spend as the people have decided.

I was out and about in really rural South Ayrshire this week and was disturbed to learn about the amount of crime taking place in the countryside. Farm gates being stolen, machinery damaged – pointless acts of vandalism that cost farmers dear. You don`t tend to hear about this anti-social behaviour. Town crimes seem to make the headlines.
Even more disturbing was learning of the abuse of the Freedom to Roam we now have - the new legislation brought in by the Scottish Parliament... While it lets the rest of us enjoy the countryside there are of course those that abuse the privilege – like the groups of men reportedly going out with lurchers and hunting deer. Brutal and bloody and on our doorstep. The police know about it – but I guess catching them in the act is another thing.

A Straiton resident contacted me this week to complain about the speeding timber lorries he meets on the road. He wanted to show me the extent of the damage they were causing. I pointed out I was aware of the problem driving the road regularly but he insisted on showing me for himself – which led to a most enjoyable drive in a bright red left-hand drive Corvette! Cool! (as the kids say) However he was able to point out not just the damage to the road surface but the real mess the lorries are making of the verges. Plus of course the danger from heavy vehicles driving at excessive speed. I am currently trying to find out what conditions were agreed with the Forestry Commission regarding speed etc when the haulage started.- and what happened to the rail plan.

Well election time is really with us – the dreaded political placards are appearing on the lamp standards all over the place. Me, I would ban them, particularly as the parties are so keen to erect them but aren`t quite so quick to remove them after the results are known. And I am not targeting one particular party – though Labour have been first out the starting gate – they are all as bad as each other!

LOCATION, LOCATION, LOCATION

2007-04-01T19:55:00.000Z

There is an interesting public consultation going on in Coylton right now.

A couple of weeks ago an advertisement appeared in the local press with the dramatic statement -`An accident waiting to happen! How Long? Scottish Executive 2006`. The quote was from the public local enquiry into the finalised local plan and referred to the traffic situation on the A70 past Coylton Primary School.
A public information advert? No it turned out to be an advertisement for a public exhibition last Thursday night spelling out details of three potential housing developments in the village.
Tied to these developments getting the go-ahead, villagers were told – would be a 65 space car park next to the school providing a safer dropping off area for kids; a system of traffic free footpaths and cycle ways through the village linking homes in Hillhead, Joppa North and South with the school and each other; and three pelican crossings with associated traffic lights, at the school, where the road from Dalrymple and Drongan joins the A 70 and at the dangerous corner of Manse Road.
The cost of these benefits - £400,000. Obviously something the cash strapped council can`t look at.
A very altruistic, community responsible plan - or a blatant inducement aimed at the planning department to help ease the planning process?.
There is a saying there is no such thing as a free lunch or as Virgil said, beware of Greeks bearing gifts. Hope Homes after all is in business to build houses and make money.
But again there is a traffic problem in Coylton. As well as speeding traffic there is congestion on the busy stretch of road morning and mid afternoon when parents anxious about their kids` safety, park along the road outside the school..
And there is a need for more housing in South Ayrshire, particularly low cost housing which Hope Homes say is included in their plans.
A dilemma for villagers. Already residents and parents at Manse Road are worried about more congestion there and some see traffic lights at the corner creating a more dangererous situation rather than a safe solution; and one home owner doesn`t want beeping traffic lights outside her house.
A lot of questions and concerns have still to be answered.
But it is early days. Obviously the company has done a good PR job coming in early with their consultation – and it is to be hoped they keep up this good relationship with the villagers throughout the planning process. What the new council will make of it is another matter. I understand that this type of pre-application process will become standard practice when the new planning procedure becomes law.

On the subject of traffic through Coylton and particularly speeding motorists. I happened to be travelling through on Saturday, as a passenger, when I pointed out to the driver (who shall be nameless) that he was going at 40mph through a 30mph stretch. `There aren`t any speed cameras` was his reply. A typical (male) response – so shouldn`t the police be pushing for a speed camera on this stretch? And as one Manse Road parent pointed out to me – Coylton Primary is the only one locally that doesn`t have speed bumps outside. That would certainly put the brakes on the speedsters.

EDUCATION, EDUCATION, EDUCATION

2007-03-22T21:57:00.000Z

The schools` consultation process trundled into Maybole on Wednesday night and considering the lack of publicity promoting the event there was a reasonable turnout.
However about half the audience – in total about 60 – were teachers, head teachers , councillors and one election candidate (me) – certainly not enough parents. And let`s face it, parents and pupils will be the ones most affected by change.

For change there will need to be as school roles are falling throughout the area and some schools are falling apart – a legacy, South Ayrshire officials were quick to point out, of the bad old days of Strathclyde Regional Council. The helpful information sheet which was handed out said `efforts to maintain quantity are compromising the long term quality of the provision. – in realspeak that means- changes will need to be made if our kids are to get the education they deserve. Schools may need to be amalgamated, new schools may be built on different sites, more use could be made of IT linking schools, school campuses may be created – all sorts of ideas.

However the officials also emphasised the village schools were recognised as vitally important to communities and a falling school role did NOT mean a school was threatened with closure.

Luckily this is a very early stage in the year long consultation process which means there is plenty time to have your say– and the education department officials were at pains to emphasise this will be a real consultation not like one about the Ayr Hospital Accident and Emergency department closure! They really want to know what you think, any ideas you have will be considered. This is a genuine attempt to consult communities every step of the way. They know how important the future education provision is.

Sitting back saying nothing is not an option. You want to keep your local school, think it is important, want to see it improve – then put pen to paper and tell them. Bombard them with ideas and opinions. Write to the Director of Education, Culture and Lifelong Learning, County Buildings, Wellington Square, Ayr KA 19 7DN or you can email mayboleareaconsultation@south-ayrshire.gov.uk.

What do I think? Rural schools are the heart of small communities and I want to see their continued presence in the villages. It’s up to the council to find ways of providing a high standard of education provided at the local level. I will stand up and be counted on this issue.

EASY PEASY

2007-03-18T16:13:00.000Z

AS EASY as 1-2-3. At least that`s what they`re saying about the new voting system for the May 3 elections. And now I understand it I can explain it to you! All three Ayrshire councils combined to hold a seminar in the County Hall, Ayr on Saturday morning to demonstrate the new voting system to we candidates – so that we can answer your questions on the doorstep. I suppose it simply comes down to this – instead of putting a cross (X) against the candidate of your choice this time, you put down 1, 2, 3 and 4. And why four numbers? Easy peasy, you are voting for four councillors in the new extended ward of Coylton, Maybole and North Carrick. Got it? (Don`t worry, there are plenty leaflets on their way spelling it out). Counting will be different too this time round. It will all be done electronically. We have entered the computer age for vote counting – let`s hope there isn`t a power cut.

Good news this week for communities all over South Ayrshire. Community Councils are to get real cash to spend. There have been rumblings that the Civic Pride initiative has seemed to be concentrated on Ayr – you`ve heard the moans from some quarters about those flower baskets – so now cash is being made available in the budget for Community Councils to spend on pet projects. It`s all about extending Civic Pride throughout the whole of South Ayrshire. The amount being made available to each council will vary according to size of community – but the smallest will be £2,000.

Round the doorsteps comments still have the power to surprise and I was somewhat taken aback to have to discuss the merits Trident. Thank goodness this is not a council decision. I don`t think big national issues should ever reflect on local elections – but unfortunately they are sometimes the choice that people make. The only time one of my wee election cards was handed back on the doorstep was by a guy who still `couldn`t forgive` Margaret Thatcher! On a more local level I had some sympathy for a Straiton resident who said she had lived all over but found Ayrshire the dirtiest county she had stayed in. The council do their best and are spending more money and manpower on lifting the litter – but it is us who drop it!

A plaque for Andy?

2007-03-09T16:13:00.000Z

Well it`s been a slow week on the political front
.
You can judge that by the only negative campaigning story to appear in the local press this week – frustrated soon to retire councillor McKenzie banging on about how he believed that not enough Tory Councillors had been attending Cosla meetings. Riveting stuff!
For those of you not in the know Cosla is the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities – a political talking shop – which discusses issues of interest to politicians – fortunately councillors do not spend their time and your money going to Edinburgh to talk for a hour or so about things that do not affect you but are working here in South Ayrshire for the folk they were elected to represent.

But enough of overtly political stuff.

I have been on out on the campaign trail in the new Maybole, North Carrick and Coylton ward this week - a daunting prospect if you look at the map. The new ward stretches from half way to Girvan in the south, past Straiton to the east and Coylton and Annbank to the north. A real mix of small towns, villages, country houses and farms – and a real mix of problems.

It`s amazing what comes up when you speak to folk on the doorstep. The most startling comment was from the guy who asked `Tory – what`s that?` I was concerned he was about to come up with a witty or rude response, but he quickly followed with – `Oh that`s Conservative isn`t it? –I got a letter from your leader this morning` - referring to the David Cameron espistle that will have been received by most of you. Great sigh of relief.

Another wanted to know what could be done about the famous – or should it be infamous – Maybole railway bridge. Could it be removed or was it too late. We agreed it could probably be a tourist attraction in 100 years or so. Maybe it should carry an Andy Hill commemorative plaque so we all remember who was responsible for it.

In Coylton a demand for a by-pass came high on the list for some just as it does to the Maybole folk. I will fight for both of them. And there are the usual dog mess and litter complaints and of course the state of the roads which are shocking!

Then I called at the home of Mr and Mrs Ismail, who live in my ward. You will remember their son was murdered in a robbery at the family shop in Maybole before Christmas. Seeing their grief, desolation and feeling of isolation put a different perspective on things and reinforced the need to create safe communities for our families.

It is conversations such as this that makes me feel that it is necessary to get around the ward and listen and speak to people to understand what is going on. Maybe I will get a chance to meet you on the doorstep soon.

De-bunking misleading headlines

2007-03-02T16:04:00.000Z

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.

Election in the air?

2007-02-22T22:21:00.000Z

THERE is definitely an election in the air! The papers are still buzzing with all sorts of reactions to the council budget – both for and against, some reasoned some definitely off the wall. One point being missed is that although the South Ayrshire hike was one of the highest, the rates being paid are still lower than North and EastAyrshire. And had Labour been in charge you would all be facing a 4.6 rise.

But enough of tit for tat politicking.

Going round the doors it is interesting to see the subjects you raise. The weather was good last weekend so I headed for Maidens – to the south of the new ward which stretches north to Coylton and Annbank and complaints and comments ranged from the closure of the A&E unit at Ayr Hospital. - NOT a popular move - to what Maggie Thatcher did for the working man! How long has she been out of power? Business rates came up, speeding on the M77 – some for and other against the 50mps restriction being discussed for the Symington stretch to Monkton roundabout – but everyone was in favour of a Maybole by-pass, which the council is really fighting for.

And of course there was a unanimous welcome for the posts put up at the seafront to keep the travellers off the grass.

These posts of course were part of the Civic Pride initiative launched by the Conservatives when they took over power last December. Putting pride back into the community didn`t just mean flower baskets in Ayr High Street as Labour keeping implying. And what`s wrong with putting flower tubs and baskets back into our towns and villages. Tourism is our major industry and pretty areas attract visitors. And let`s admit it – we like them too

This is my first blog - so what subject should I tackle?

2007-02-15T08:08:00.000Z

Interuptions do happen when you are working.

What is concerning you most? Probably the latest Council Tax figure. Yes I got a shock too being a South Ayrshire council tax payer like you – but when you look at the 3.9 per cent hike and analyse it, the money will be well spent. After all one per cent is going towards the six new schools being built by South Ayrshire Council . Our children are our future and they deserve to be educated in the best of facilities. When you look at our schools – many built in the 1960s – you must admit they badly need replacing. That leaves us with a 2.9 hike which compares favourably with the rest of Scotland.

There has been a lot of hooh-hah in the local papers about massive closures of leisure facilities. Golf Courses and swimming pools are safe and sports barns are also being kept open in the villages – though they could be better used by local people.

There have also been scare headlines about school closures. True there is a schools/education consultation going on just now throughout South Ayrshire. Teachers and parents are all being involved as well as councillors and officials. With falling school roles this is a means of deciding the best way of preparing for a brighter future for all our kids.

Oh I know what you are thinking – there was a `consultation` about the Accident and Emergency facility at Ayr Hospital and look what happened to that. The future of our schools is being decided by the people who operate and use them – not an unelected board answerable to the Scottish Executive.

Living in the countryside is great – but we have issues that we are really concerned about Our rural roads must be about the worst in Scotland and I would fight for more money for improvements to get rid of the potholes.

And windfarms are a particular concern out of town centres. They are being built near our homes. While I am in favour of environmentally friendly energy production – and communities do benefit from the cash spin off from windfarm construction - it is vital that these do not go up in our most scenic areas – like the hills above Culzean.

That`s all folks for this first attempt. Look for next week`s update

Hello and welcome to my blog

2007-02-14T21:02:00.000Z

LET me introduce myself. My name is Ann Galbraith and I hope to be elected as a councillor for the new ward of Maybole, North Carrick and Coylton. You may not have heard much about this new ward yet …..but you will!

I am the former editor of the Ayr Advertiser and during my time with that paper I gained a reputation for telling it like it is. I wrote a weekly column – often standing up for the interests of the people of South Ayrshire – and the council were regularly in my sights. Now it is time to put my money where my mouth is.

Having just completed a book on Prestwick Airport I now have the time to devote to public service. My appetite was whetted last year when I stood in the Maybole East and North Carrick by-election losing by ONE vote. This time I hope to go one better!

I live in Crosshill with my three cats– I have been here for coming up on 16 years – but before that I lived eight years in Coylton, while my daughter was growing up – so I have a full appreciation of the interests and concerns of people who live in rural South Ayrshire. My daughter Amber is now an advocate based in Edinburgh and lives with her husband, two dogs and a cat, in Musselburgh.