The week ahead...

A busier week this week as the summer recess comes to an end:

On Monday I am due to attend a tender opening in the Municipal Buildings in Greenock at 2.30. In the evening I have a meeting of the Woodhall Regeneration Task Group at 6.30 in Woodhall Community Hall.

On Tuesday I will be attending the Policy & Resources Committee pre-agenda at 3.30 and have a briefing meeting on current Regeneration issues at 4.15. At 5.00 I have my first weekly meeting with the Chief Executive since I was re-appointed as Leader of the ruling Administration.

On Wednesday afternoon I have arranged a visit to St Stephen's High School to see how work on the temporary shared campus with Port Glasgow High School is progressing in advance of the start of the new school term. Later in the day I have the first weekly Labour Group meeting after the summer break.

I don't have any scheduled Council commitments on Thursday and Friday, so I will be spending both days at work. For completeness I will obviously also be at work on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday mornings.

The week ahead...

Another relatively quiet week for Council commitments due to the summer recess, although I have a full week at work.

On Monday evening I will be chairing a meeting of the Clune Park Task Group.

On Tuesday afternoon I am meeting with a local business owner.

On Wednesday afternoon I am going on a tenant-led inspection of the Woodhall estate in Port Glasgow.

The week ahead...

Only one meeting in the diary this week - on Monday at 4.00 to discuss bids received for the Council's Community Facilities Fund. I have a number of constituency cases on the go at present however, so I will be following them up.

Back to work on Tuesday after a fortnight off. Mind you I haven't really had many long lies as I have had to get my sons up to do their papers runs and even help them on a few occasions!

Was in work on Saturday for a few hours and been checking my emails, so the shock should not be as great as previous years.

Work on new play area underway...

Work is well underway on the new children's play area in Auchenleck Lane in Port Glasgow, next to the Devol community facility.

New play equipment has been installed on part of the site of the MUGA. The MUGA will be reduced in size to create a smaller ball court.

The work should be completed by mid August with the installation of a new fence to separate the play area and ball court.

Below are images of the play equipment and new site layout.

The next project on my agenda is the proposed new MUGA and play area on the grass site in front of Boglestone Community Centre. Officers are currently drawing up plans for this and I am hopeful that the provision will be in place within the next few months.

Providing our children and young people with modern play facilities is a high priority for the Labour-led Administration.

Parklea update...

While down at Parklea Playing Fields in Port Glasgow tonight dropping my son off at his football training I took the opportunity to have a look at how our redevelopment programme is progressing.

The first four grass pitches to have their drainage upgraded last year are nearly ready for playing on. One of the pitches - the infamous 'Pork Chop Hill' - has been flattened and turfed and now looks like a brand new pitch. Work has started on upgrading the drainage on the other four grass pitches. These should be available for playing on in late summer 2012.

Work is also going well on the new community stadium. The roof is now on the changing pavilion.

I am delighted with the progress. We are well on our way to making Parklea our centre of excellence for football.

'Pork Chop Hill' grass pitch,

New changing pavilion taking shape

Work progressing on temporary shared campus...

Stephen's High School is a hive of activity at present with work ongoing to get it ready for the temporary shared campus for St Stephen's and Port Glasgow High Schools, which is due to open on 18 August.

I am planning to pay a visit to the campus early next month to check on the progress of the work.

New temporary classrooms being installed

A spectacular success...

So the Tall Ships event for 2011 has come to an end with the Parade of Sail.

Overall the 4 day event has been a spectacular success.

Just like in 1999, Inverclyde put on a great show for our many visitors from home and abroad. Equally important, the event was enjoyed by tens of thousands of local residents.

Following the recent by-election when some lazy journalists were all too willing to portray a negative picture of our community, the Tall Ships has presented us with the opportunity to showcase the real Inverclyde: a community in transition but with a strong sense of identity and a rich history on which to draw. Yes we have challenges that we are facing up to, but we have many strengths, not least the character of our people, demonstrated so well during the last 4 days when many of them gave freely of their time to look after our visitors.

Congratulations are due to all those who contributed to making the Tall Ships 2011 a resounding success. If we can harness the same energy and commitment on an ongoing basis we will be well placed to face the challenges that lie ahead.

A word of praise for our local community newspaper, The Greenock Telegraph. Sometimes the 'Tele' is criticised for portraying the negative side of Inverclyde. Its coverage of the Tall Ships 2011 however has been outstanding and shows how important a part it has to play in the promotion of Inverclyde to the outside world.

The Parade of Sail, 12 July 2011

The week ahead...

Off on annual leave again this week.

On Monday and Tuesday I will be enjoying the festivities at the Tall Ships in Greenock.

My only Council commitment is a meeting of the Three Wards Community Council on Tuesday evening.

Play area investment programme taking shape...

It is great to see new and improved play areas being developed across Inverclyde.

While in the east end of Greenock this morning taking down election posters I was delighted to see the new play area in Leven Road.  My Labour colleagues Robert Moran and Michael McCormick lobbied hard for this new play area for their constituents in South Maukinhill.

I was also pleased to see that the construction of a new play area in my own ward at Devol is under way.

The Labour-led Administration is investing significant sums in new and improved play areas across Inverclyde to give children and young people safe places to play, encouraging them to get out into the open air and enjoy healthy exercise.

New Play Area, Leven Road, Greenock

School refurbishment gets go ahead...

I was delighted to sign off a tender acceptance today for the refurbishment of part of Inverkip Primary School.

The work, which will cost just under £300,000, will involve the comprehensive refurbishment of four classrooms and four WC blocks within the 1970s extension to the school. It also includes alterations to the main reception/administration area to ensure Disability Discrimination Act compliance.

To avoid disruption to the school most of the work will be carried out during the summer break.

Inverkip Primary School

Work progressing well on new arts centre...

I paid a visit to Greenock today to have a look at how work is progressing on the Inverclyde's new £10m arts centre to replace The Greenock Arts Guild.

The Guild’s current premises are no longer fit for purpose and an exciting project has been devised to create a new purpose built arts centre. Expected to open in 2012, it will be known as The Beacon Arts Centre. The centre will build on the impressive track record of Greenock Arts Guild, which has been successfully delivering high quality arts in Inverclyde for 60 years. It will be sited on a prime location of a former dockyard in Greenock, adjacent to the historic Georgian Custom House, with superb views over the River Clyde. 

The new building will form a key community focus as part of the wider regeneration of former industrial land along the Inverclyde waterfront. It will house a 500 seat main auditorium together with a 130 seat studio theatre, three large rehearsal rooms and a riverside restaurant and bar with outstanding views over the Clyde.

Inverclyde Council is making a £2.5m contribution towards the cost of the new arts centre.

Labour Group appoints new Leader...

Press Release by Inverclyde Council Labour Group

For Immediate Use

Following Councillor Iain McKenzie’s election as the Member of Parliament for Inverclyde, Councillor Stephen McCabe as been re-appointed as the Leader of Inverclyde Council Labour Group, a position he held between May 2007 and February 2011.

Councillor McCabe will be the ruling Administration’s nominee to replace Councillor McKenzie as Council Leader at a special Council meeting to be held during August (date to be confirmed).

Labour Group Chairperson Councillor Joe McIlwee commented: “I would like to thank Iain for his work as Group and Council Leader during the last 5 months and to wish him well as he takes on the role of Member of Parliament for Inverclyde. I am sure that he will prove a worthy successor to David Cairns.”

Councillor McIlwee continued: “I would also like to congratulate Stephen on his re-appointment as Labour Group Leader. He led the Group with distinction for nearly 4 years and his colleagues feel that he is the right man to lead us in the remaining 10 months of this Council term.”

Councillor McCabe commented: “When I resigned in February I had hoped to return as Group and Council Leader at some point in the future. Obviously due to the tragic loss of our colleague David Cairns my return has been somewhat sooner than I had anticipated.”

Councillor McCabe continued: “During the past 5 months I have had a chance to recharge my batteries and spend a bit more time with my family. I am ready to lead the Labour Group and Council again for the remaining 10 months of this term. I am looking forward to the challenge and to delivering on our ambitious programme for Inverclyde.”

Councillor Gerry Dorrian has been appointed as Labour Group Secretary/Whip to replace Councillor McCabe and Councillor Terry Loughran replaces Councillor Dorrian as Vice Chair.

ENDS

Work continues at new Parklea Community Stadium...

I paid a visit to Parklea Playing Fields in Port Glasgow this afternoon to see how work is progressing on our new community stadium. I was delighted to see that the steel frames of the pavilion and covered enclosure have been erected and work is progressing well.

I am hopeful that the stadium - which will be the new home for Port Glasgow Juniors FC - will be completed ahead of schedule, perhaps by the end of 2011.

Labour delivering for Port Glasgow!

Shared Campus takes another step forward...

I was delighted to attend the tender opening for Port Glasgow's new shared school campus this afternoon.

Following detailed checking, the most competitive tender should be accepted before the end of this month with work starting next month.

The shared campus will be the new home for Port Glasgow and St Stephen's High Schools and the new special needs school to replace Glenburn and Lilybank Schools.

The week ahead...

Although the Council is in recess - and I am on leave from work for the next 2 weeks - I do have some Council business this week.

On Monday I am attending a special meeting of the Council's Regeneration Committee to discuss - and hopefully approve - outline proposals for the redevelopment of the Gourock Pierhead area. Later in the afternoon I have a special meeting of the Labour Group to discuss how we go forward following my colleague Iain McKenzie's election as the local MP.

On Wednesday morning I have arranged to walk round Port Glasgow Town Centre with the Council's Corporate Director Regeneration & Environment, Aubrey Fawcett, to discuss the priorities for the Council's and Riverside Inverclyde's funding for the redevelopment of the Town Centre.

The redevelopment of the Gourock Pierhead area and Port Glasgow Town Centre are high priorities for the Administration so I am happy to sacrifice part of my annual holiday to make sure that we move these projects forward.