Monday
7.30 Start work in Glasgow
1.30 Leave work to travel to Greenock
2.30 Meeting with Officers
3.30 Pre-agenda for the next Policy & Resources Committee meeting
5.00 Special meeting of the Labour Group
7.00 Meeting of Kilmacolm Primary School Parent Partnership
Tuesday
7.30 Start work in Glasgow
12.00 Leave work to travel to Greenock
1.00 Meeting with the Chief Executive of Riverside Inverclyde
2.00 Presentation on educational attainment
4.00 Meeting of the Education & Lifelong Learning Committee
7.00 Meeting of the Park Farm Regeneration Sub-Committee
Wednesday
7.30 Start work in Glasgow
12.30 Leave work to travel to Greenock
1.30 Meeting of the Council's Strategic Leadership Forum
2.30 Weekly meeting with the Chief Executive
4.00 Meeting with the new Divisional Police Commander
4.30 Weekly meeting of the Administration Group
5.30 Weekly meeting of the Labour Group
Thursday
At work all day with no evening commitments
Friday
Attending a special COSLA Leaders' meeting in Edinburgh in the morning. In the afternoon I will be at work for a few hours and in the evening I have a meeting of Inverclyde Constituency Labour Party.
Saturday
10.00 Service at the Garden of Remembrance in Clyde Square
Sunday, 31 October 2010
Tuesday, 26 October 2010
At last some good news for Clune Park...
I am pleased to report that at its meeting today the Council's Safe, Sustainable Communities Committee agreed to include the Clune Park area of Port Glasgow as a priority in Inverclyde's Strategic Housing Investment Plan (SHIP).
There is still a fair way to go however before we will see work start in Clune Park.
For that to happen we need to be able to agree a revised strategy with the Scottish Government. While discussions continue at officer level on how the Council and the Scottish Government can jointly address the issues in Clune Park I am disappointed that the Housing Minister, Alex Neil, has so far not accepted my invitation to visit the area to see for himself the challenges we face.
I firmly believe that a visit from the Minister would help in underlining to officers the urgency of coming up with a solution. It would also give a boost to the members of the residents' association, who are beginning to think that the Government has lost interest in their area.
There is still a fair way to go however before we will see work start in Clune Park.
For that to happen we need to be able to agree a revised strategy with the Scottish Government. While discussions continue at officer level on how the Council and the Scottish Government can jointly address the issues in Clune Park I am disappointed that the Housing Minister, Alex Neil, has so far not accepted my invitation to visit the area to see for himself the challenges we face.
I firmly believe that a visit from the Minister would help in underlining to officers the urgency of coming up with a solution. It would also give a boost to the members of the residents' association, who are beginning to think that the Government has lost interest in their area.
Monday, 25 October 2010
Shared Campus Update
I chaired a meeting of the Council's Shared Campus Working Group tonight in St Stephen's High School.
We were given useful updates by officers on the arrangements for the temporary shared campus at Stephen's; the development of the new shared campus on the Port Glasgow High site; the next stage of the consultation process with stakeholders; and proposals for additional parking and drop off points at the temporary campus.
The group were pleased to hear that 16 major contractors have expressed an interest in building the campus. Following an appraisal of the proposals a number will be invited to formally bid for the contract early in the New Year.
During the meeting I was questioned on the Council's commitment to the new shared campus in light of the funding cuts announced in the Comprehensive Spending Review.
I stressed that while we still await the details of our funding allocations from the Scottish Government I was confident that the funding was in place for both the shared campus and the new St Columba's High School. These two projects are my administration's highest priorities and therefore we will prioritise our spending plans to ensure that they go ahead. Undoubtedly however the impending cuts in both revenue and capital funding will mean that we will have to cut back on some other projects.
We were given useful updates by officers on the arrangements for the temporary shared campus at Stephen's; the development of the new shared campus on the Port Glasgow High site; the next stage of the consultation process with stakeholders; and proposals for additional parking and drop off points at the temporary campus.
The group were pleased to hear that 16 major contractors have expressed an interest in building the campus. Following an appraisal of the proposals a number will be invited to formally bid for the contract early in the New Year.
During the meeting I was questioned on the Council's commitment to the new shared campus in light of the funding cuts announced in the Comprehensive Spending Review.
I stressed that while we still await the details of our funding allocations from the Scottish Government I was confident that the funding was in place for both the shared campus and the new St Columba's High School. These two projects are my administration's highest priorities and therefore we will prioritise our spending plans to ensure that they go ahead. Undoubtedly however the impending cuts in both revenue and capital funding will mean that we will have to cut back on some other projects.
Sunday, 24 October 2010
The week ahead...
Monday
At work all day in Glasgow. In the evening I am due to chair a meeting of the Shared Campus Working Group.
Tuesday
7.30 Start work in Glasgow
1.00 Leave work to travel to Greenock
2.00 Briefing on the Strategic Housing Investment Plan (SHIP) for Inverclyde
3.00 Meeting of the Council's Safe, Sustainable Communities Committee
6.30 Surgery at Kilmacolm Community Centre
7.30 Meeting of Kilmacolm Community Council
Wednesday
7.30 Start work in Glasgow
1.00 Leave work to travel to Greenock
1.30 Personal appointment
4.30 Weekly meeting of the Administration Group
5.30 Weekly meeting of the Labour Group
Thursday
7.30 Start work in Glasgow
1.00 Leave work to travel to Greenock
2.00 Briefing for Elected Members by the Chief Executive of River Clyde Homes
3.00 Meeting of the Council's Regeneration Committee
6.00 Return to work in Glasgow for a Committee meeting
Friday
At work all day with no evening Council commitments
At work all day in Glasgow. In the evening I am due to chair a meeting of the Shared Campus Working Group.
Tuesday
7.30 Start work in Glasgow
1.00 Leave work to travel to Greenock
2.00 Briefing on the Strategic Housing Investment Plan (SHIP) for Inverclyde
3.00 Meeting of the Council's Safe, Sustainable Communities Committee
6.30 Surgery at Kilmacolm Community Centre
7.30 Meeting of Kilmacolm Community Council
Wednesday
7.30 Start work in Glasgow
1.00 Leave work to travel to Greenock
1.30 Personal appointment
4.30 Weekly meeting of the Administration Group
5.30 Weekly meeting of the Labour Group
Thursday
7.30 Start work in Glasgow
1.00 Leave work to travel to Greenock
2.00 Briefing for Elected Members by the Chief Executive of River Clyde Homes
3.00 Meeting of the Council's Regeneration Committee
6.00 Return to work in Glasgow for a Committee meeting
Friday
At work all day with no evening Council commitments
Saturday, 23 October 2010
A Greater Renfrewshire?
At yesterday's COSLA Convention meeting one of the reports discussed was on reform of the public sector.
During the debate the SNP Group Leader, Derek Mackay, who is also the Leader of Renfrewshire Council, called on COSLA to start debating the number of Councils we have in Scotland.
Somewhat 'tongue in cheek', I told Derek that if he had designs on a 'Greater Renfrewshire' authority to give me a call.
Personally however, I think that public sector reform has much more to it than simply reducing the number of Councils.
When I sit around the Inverclyde Alliance Board table I do so with a large number of public sector partners - the Health Board, Strathclyde Police, Strathclyde Fire & Rescue, Strathclyde Partnership for Transport, Scottish Enterprise, Skills Development Scotland, James Watt College, The Scottish Government, Job Centre Plus -as well as partners from business, trade unions and the voluntary sector. The Alliance structure also has involvement from a number of quasi-public agencies, such as Riverside Inverclyde, Inverclyde Leisure and local and national housing associations.
For me the focus of public sector reform should be on how agencies that operate within existing council boundaries can work together better, and, frankly, if we need so many agencies.
That is not to say that I would shy away from a debate about council boundaries.
For me the overriding imperative is that we meet the needs of the people of Inverclyde. If a convincing case was presented that these needs could be better met within the context of a greater Renfrewshire authority then that is something I would seriously look at.
Mind you, I am not convinced that I will receive a call from Derek. I suspect that for political and other reasons East Renfrewshire is more likely to be the subject of his advances.
During the debate the SNP Group Leader, Derek Mackay, who is also the Leader of Renfrewshire Council, called on COSLA to start debating the number of Councils we have in Scotland.
Somewhat 'tongue in cheek', I told Derek that if he had designs on a 'Greater Renfrewshire' authority to give me a call.
Personally however, I think that public sector reform has much more to it than simply reducing the number of Councils.
When I sit around the Inverclyde Alliance Board table I do so with a large number of public sector partners - the Health Board, Strathclyde Police, Strathclyde Fire & Rescue, Strathclyde Partnership for Transport, Scottish Enterprise, Skills Development Scotland, James Watt College, The Scottish Government, Job Centre Plus -as well as partners from business, trade unions and the voluntary sector. The Alliance structure also has involvement from a number of quasi-public agencies, such as Riverside Inverclyde, Inverclyde Leisure and local and national housing associations.
For me the focus of public sector reform should be on how agencies that operate within existing council boundaries can work together better, and, frankly, if we need so many agencies.
That is not to say that I would shy away from a debate about council boundaries.
For me the overriding imperative is that we meet the needs of the people of Inverclyde. If a convincing case was presented that these needs could be better met within the context of a greater Renfrewshire authority then that is something I would seriously look at.
Mind you, I am not convinced that I will receive a call from Derek. I suspect that for political and other reasons East Renfrewshire is more likely to be the subject of his advances.
Wednesday, 20 October 2010
Exciting Plans...
I attended a meeting in Boglestone Community Centre last night to discuss the proposals for a new play area and multi-use games area on the land adjacent to the centre. The Three Wards Community Council is working with Council Community Workers on developing this project.
At the meeting we received a presentation from a firm that designs and installs play facilities. The plans that they have come up with are very exciting. However to deliver the facilities that we are looking for will cost around £200,000.
Fortunately the Council has already committed £100,000 towards the project with the Community Council looking to raise another £100,000 through bids to various funders. This is obviously a major challenge in the current climate but you don't get if you don't ask.
The target is to have the play facilities in place for next summer if the funding can be secured.
At the meeting we received a presentation from a firm that designs and installs play facilities. The plans that they have come up with are very exciting. However to deliver the facilities that we are looking for will cost around £200,000.
Fortunately the Council has already committed £100,000 towards the project with the Community Council looking to raise another £100,000 through bids to various funders. This is obviously a major challenge in the current climate but you don't get if you don't ask.
The target is to have the play facilities in place for next summer if the funding can be secured.
Monday, 18 October 2010
Bus Station Improvements
I see that my coalition partner David Wilson will be officially opening the revamped Greenock Bus Station on Wednesday morning. The investment by SPT in the bus station is very much to be welcomed, with facilities for the travelling public greatly improved.
At recent liaison meetings with SPT I have been lobbying for the upgrading of Port Glasgow Bus Station. Hopefully SPT will be able to allocate funding for this within the not too distant future.
Improvements at the bus station would complement the investment by the Council and Riverside Inverclyde that is currently underway through the various Town Centre Regeneration Fund projects.
At recent liaison meetings with SPT I have been lobbying for the upgrading of Port Glasgow Bus Station. Hopefully SPT will be able to allocate funding for this within the not too distant future.
Improvements at the bus station would complement the investment by the Council and Riverside Inverclyde that is currently underway through the various Town Centre Regeneration Fund projects.
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