A busy day

After a morning at work, I spent the afternoon in the Council attending the Safe, Sustainable Communities Committee.

The Committee discussed a number of important issues, including an update on the development of our flood action plan and a proposal for a study into charging for car parking in Greenock Town Centre.

I was disappointed - although not surprised - that opposition councillors voted against the study into parking charges. It is clear that the opposition 'rainbow coalition' of the SNP, Lib Dems and Independent Charlie McCallum are looking for any opportunity to force a vote at Council meetings.

I made it clear at the meeting that the Administration's support for the study did not mean that we supported the introduction of charging. We have an open mind and will listen to the arguments before coming to a decision.

I was pleased that the Committee did agree to my suggestion that the new River Clyde Homes' housing development on the site of the former Holy Family Primary School in Port Glasgow be named 'School Road'. I believed that it was important that we recognised the important part that Holy Family played in the history of Port Glasgow. The Woodhall Community Association also backed this proposal.

In the early evening I held an advice surgery in Clune Park Resource Centre, dealing with a range of issues including a parking problem, a complaint about the handling of a planning application and a neighbour dispute.

Later on I attended a meeting of Park Farm Tenants' and Residents' Association where the main discussion centred around River Clyde Homes' investment proposals for the Oronsay estate. RCH Chief Executive Lynne Carr was present along with two of her staff to answer residents' questions.