"Ideal solution for Greenock Academy site"...

A rather bizarre editorial in The Greenock Telegraph today arguing that "the west end should derive some benefit from the sale (of the former Greenock Academy site), rather than see the entire amount go into the school estates programme".

There was me thinking that the west end is benefiting from the school estates programme.

After all we have built two new multi-million pound secondary schools that serve the west end. The proceeds of the sale of the former Greenock Academy site will in part fund the refurbishment of the west end's two primary schools: Ardgowan and St Mary's.

It is worth pointing out that the sale proceeds from the former Greenock High School site is not being used to fund a new community facility for the south west of Greenock. The sale proceeds from the Wellington Academy site have not been earmarked for a new community facility for central Greenock and the sale proceeds from the planned sale of the St Stephen's High School site will not be used to fund community facilities in Port Glasgow.

My Administration is always willing to listen to community groups who feel that facilities are lacking in their area.

This is demonstrated by the funding we have provided for new community facilities in Kilmacolm and the funding that has been earmarked for new facilities in Inverkip and the Broomhill area of Greenock. We have also recently allocated funding for a number of projects through our Community Facilities Fund. Interestingly no bid was submitted to this fund for a new community facility for the west end.

I see that SNP Councillor Chris Osborne is backing the case for a new community facility for the west end.

We are now over four years into the current Council. If a community centre for the west end is such a priority for the local SNP why have they not been pushing the case before now? Could their current enthusiasm have anything to do with the fact that there is an election next year?

In their budget in February the SNP Group allocated over £3m of reserves for capital projects. Not one penny of this was allocated for a new community facility for the west end. They did however allocate £600,000 for a new community facility in Inverkip.

If the members of the Cardwell Bay and Greenock West Community Council are serious about wanting to build and run a new community facility in the west end I would be more than happy to listen to their case. All they have to do is give me a call and we can arrange a meeting.