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!
Saturday, 22 September 2007
Monday, 3 September 2007
Fairness and protection for the rurual areas
`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.
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.
Saturday, 28 July 2007
Holidays over
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.
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
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.
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.
Saturday, 14 July 2007
mid summer update
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.
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.
Sunday, 1 July 2007
Busy, busy, busy
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.
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.
Monday, 18 June 2007
Back to the real world
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.
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.
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