Kilmacolm and Quarrier's monthly report...

The Local Government Boundary Commission for Scotland recently consulted the Council on its proposals for new Council wards in Inverclyde on the back of its recommendation to increase the number of Councillors in Inverclyde from 20 to 22 to take account of the level of deprivation in the area. Although the Council previously argued against this increase on cost grounds the Commission decided to press ahead to the next stage of developing new ward proposals.

Under the Commission’s plans the number of wards would increase from 6 to 7 and there would be changes to a number of the existing wards. The current Ward 1 (Inverclyde East), which incorporates Kilmacolm and Quarrier’s Village, would be reduced from a four member ward to a three member ward with a significant area of Port Glasgow moving into Ward 2.

At a meeting of the Policy & Resources Executive Sub-Committee on 14 May Councillors decided to maintain the Council’s objection to the increase in the number of Councillors and to make comment on the new ward proposals.

Once it has considered the Council’s representations the Commission will put its proposals out to public consultation.

Following the withdrawal of two short-listed candidates the post of Kilmacolm Primary School Head Teacher was re-advertised to try to ensure that the selection panel had a number of candidates to choose from. Hopefully the new Head Teacher will be appointed before the end of this term.

I am pleased to have been invited by the Twinning Society to Kilmacolm’s French Day on Saturday 6 June, which kicks off at 10.30 a.m. in the Cargill Centre. There will be a pipe band, choirs and speeches from the Provost, Twinning Society Chair Gerry Boyle and pupils from St Columba's School and their French visitors. A French Waiters’ Race will then take place in Birkmyre Park and we return to the Cargill Centre for prize giving, wine, cheese, etc. Other French themed activities will be taking place throughout the village during that day. 

My surgeries this month are on Thursday 11 June, 6.00 - 7.00 p.m., in St Francis’ Primary School and Tuesday 23 June, 6.00 – 7.00 pm., in Kilmacolm Community Centre.

You can also contact me directly to discuss any matters that are of concern to you by telephone on 01475 712020 (during office hours) and 871368 (home) or by email to Stephen.McCabe@inverclyde.gov.uk. Alternatively you can write to me at 10 Victoria Gardens, Kilmacolm PA13 4HL.

You can keep up to date with my work as a Councillor by visiting my blog: http://councillorstephenmccabe.blogspot.com/ and follow me on Twitter @CllrSMcCabe.

The week ahead...

Monday
Attending a Skills Development Scotland seminar in Glasgow in the morning. In the evening I will be attending a meeting of the Woodhall Task Group.
Tuesday
Through in Edinburgh in the morning for the COSLA Strategic HR Executive Group. In the evening I will be attending a meeting of Kilmacolm Primary School Parent Partnership.
Wednesday
In the afternoon I have my weekly meetings with the Chief Executive and Labour Group.
Thursday
I have a lunchtime interview within Inverclyde Radio. In the afternoon I have a meeting of the Police & Fire Scrutiny Sub-Committee followed by a meeting of the full Council.
Friday
In the morning I am at COSLA in Edinburgh for an education seminar. In the evening I will be attending the 2015 Bee's and Knees business awards in Inverkip.

Guides' hard work pays off...

Last year I assisted Kilmacolm Guide Group to get the use of Council owned land adjacent to their Guide Hut in Woodrow Avenue. After an initial cut of grass and vegetation by the Council the Guides, with the support of parents helpers, took on the job of trying to turn the site into recreational space for their various activities, such as camping and barbecue's . A year on all the Group's hard work has paid off with the site now completely transformed.

Very well done to all those involved. What you have achieved is really impressive.

Coronation Park sea wall repairs completed...

It was good to see that sea wall repairs have been completed at Coronation Park in Port Glasgow when I visited the park this morning.

These works are part of a £200,000 investment in Port Glasgow's most prominent public park by the Council. Officers are currently progressing proposals to upgrade the boat slipway in the park and carry out some environmental improvements.

I'm sure Port Glasgow residents will welcome this investment in 'Corrie Park'.

The new sea wall looking east to Ferguson's yard

Supporting local apprenticeships...

I am delighted that the Council is continuing to support apprenticeships in a range of local businesses including at Ferguson Marine in Port Glasgow.

Working with Inverclyde Community Development Trust, the Council has been able to provide Modern Apprenticeship opportunities for local businesses throughout the area. As a Council funded local organisation, they provide people in Inverclyde with advice, support with applications, specialist training and matching clients with job vacancies.

Ferguson's  have had a modern apprenticeship programme going back many years, with the number increasing every year. The Council played an important part in the rescue of Ferguson's last year and we are continuing to work with the new owners to help ensure that the yard has a sustainable long-term future and one way we are doing that that is by investing in the workforce of the future.

Two of Ferguson's current modern apprentices

New housing for Woodhall...

As both a Board Member and local ward Councillor it is great to see families moving into the new River Clyde Homes properties in Woodhall, Port Glasgow.

The Association has built 20 new properties at Woodhall Terrace at a cost of £1.24m under the Council's local housing strategy. The houses are a mix of 1, 2 and 3 bedroom, semi-detached and cottage flats with on-site parking facilities.

The tenemental blocks that once stood have now been replaced by modern, energy efficient homes, in line with River Clyde Homes’ Green Strategy, that are suitable for varying needs and disabled access. 

This project is the second phase of RCH's redevelopment of social housing in the estate. A third and final phase of 16 houses is currently under construction on Brightside Avenue. It is hoped that future new build housing in Woodhall will be for sale by a private developer. The timing for this will be dictated by housing market conditions.

Woodhall is one of three major housing developments in Port Glasgow since the association was established in December 1997 following the stock transfer from the Council, the other developments being at Oronsay and Moray Road.

The association has recently acquired two key sites in the town for future new build schemes at Bay Street in the town centre and the former St Stephen's High School in upper Port Glasgow. I am hopeful that both sites will be developed within the next few years providing further much needed new homes for local people.

Down but certainly not out...

I was re-elected as Leader of Inverclyde Council Labour Group tonight for the thirteenth time at our annual general meeting and I would like to thank my colleagues for their continuing support and confidence in me.

I was first elected Leader in May 2003 following our crushing defeat to the Liberal Democrats in that year's Council elections. During the next 4 years we rebuilt our reputation and support, proving to be a very effective opposition, with the result that we won back control of the Council at the 2007 elections.

Tonight we had a wide ranging discussion about how the party both locally and nationally should respond to our defeat to the SNP in May's general election. While we do not underestimate the scale of the challenge facing us, there is a renewed determination among our Councillors to do all we can to win back the support of many of the voters we have lost and to engage with those who voted for the first time at the referendum and turned out again at the general election. In doing so we can draw on the lessons of 2003 and how we campaigned during the following 4 years. There is no substitute for hard work.

We believe that we have a strong record of delivery for the people of Inverclyde that we can put before the electorate in 2017. In the meantime we still have many more things we want to deliver in the remaining two years of this Council to make a real difference to the lives of the communities we represent.

We may be down but we are certainly not out. Inverclyde Labour still has much to offer the people of Inverclyde and we aim to play a big part in the next Council elected in 2017.  

Port Glasgow Regeneration Forum...

I was pleased to attend the first meeting of the new Port Glasgow Regeneration Forum yesterday. The Forum has been established to oversee the regeneration of Port Glasgow Town Centre.

The first meeting was very positive with representatives from the Council, Riverside Inverclyde, local traders and the community all keen to play their part in improving the vibrancy of the town centre to give it a sustainable future. The Forum will meet initially on a quarterly basis to oversee the implementation of the regeneration plan for the town centre.

My Labour colleague Michael McCormick, who is one of the ward councillors for the town centre, as well as being Convener of the Council's Environment & Regeneration Committee, was unanimously agreed as the first chair of the Forum.

Members of the new Port Glasgow Regeneration Forum

A new gateway into Port Glasgow town centre has moved a step closer.

Inverclyde Council has acquired the car park opposite Port Glasgow Town Hall to allow roads officials to consider a new exit off the A8 leading directly onto Princes Street.

The car park was originally sold by the Council to Gallagher Developments as a site for a restaurant  but this project never happened. Following the recent acquisition of Gallagher's remaining interest in Port Glasgow by the Strathclyde Pension Fund the Council has re-acquired the site with a view to opening up a new spur road into the traditional town centre off the 'Tesco roundabout'.

If the new road gets the go ahead it should encourage more traffic into the town centre providing a boost for local shops and other businesses.

Mindless vandalism to new play park..

Part of a new £67,000 children's play park in Port Glasgow has been destroyed in a mindless act of vandalism a few weeks after the park was completed.

The climbing wall in the play park at Barrs Brae is believed to have been set on fire on Friday night. I would urge anyone with information on who may have been responsible to contact Police Scotland on 101.

The Council is continuing to invest huge sums in improving outdoor play facilities for children and young people across Inverclyde and such acts of vandalism are extremely depressing. They also deprive the children who use our play parks of these important facilities and at the same time place an additional financial burden on the Council at a time we can ill afford it.

The destroyed children's climbing wall

The week ahead...

A busy week ahead:

Monday
Most of the day is taken up with induction for the new Inverclyde integrated joint health and care shadow board. In the evening I will be attending a joint meeting of the two Port Glasgow Community Councils.
Tuesday
In the morning I have a pre-agenda for the next meeting of the full Council followed by my weekly meeting with the Chief Executive. In the late afternoon I will be attending the inaugural meeting of the Port Glasgow Regeneration Forum. In the evening I have a surgery in Kilmacolm Community Centre and a meeting of Park Farm Tenants' and Residents' Association.
Wednesday
In the morning I am attending the annual general meeting of the Peter Stanton Memorial Trust. In the afternoon I have the Inverclyde Alliance Board pre-agenda followed by meetings of the Members' Budget Working Group and the Labour Group. In the evening I have a meeting of the Kilmacolm New Community Centre Board.
Thursday
I am at a meeting at the DWP in the morning and have a meeting of the new Inverclyde joint health and care shadow board in the afternoon.
Friday
I will be through in Edinburgh for most of the day at the COSLA Leaders' Meeting.

Great morning at Kelburn environmental makeover...

I was delighted to join my fellow Ward 1 Councillors James McColgan and David Wilson at the Kelburn Terrace environmental makeover this morning.

While David stood around like a gaffer James and I mucked in, taking turns at cleaning play equipment, litter picking and filling planters. It was great to see so many youngsters from the Terrace and their parents pitching in too.

Great credit is due to River Clyde Homes' Greener Cleaner Team who organised the day with support from the contractor Wates and Parklea Branching Out. Thanks go as well to other staff from River Clyde Homes who came along to support the initiative and the Council's Community Learning & Development Team who also gave their support, including bringing along the youth services trailer.

Local residents are hoping to build on this initiative by securing funding for a new children's play area for the Terrace.

Lots of fun in the sun making a difference in Kelburn this morning...

Council to demolish fire-damaged pub...

I am delighted that the Council has finally acquired the derelict shell of Monty’s Bar on Bay Street, Port Glasgow, which was gutted by fire in March 2009.

I have been doggedly pursuing this matter for a number of years and I am pleased that my perseverance has paid off at last.

Monty’s Bar is located on a corner of Bay Street opposite the junction with Court Road at the heart of Port Glasgow town centre. Its appearance has detracted from our efforts to improve the town centre.

The building will now be demolished and the area landscaped by the end of the summer pending a decision on the long term future of the site. This will be considered by the new Port Glasgow Regeneration Forum - comprising Councillors and representatives from both Port Glasgow community councils and the traders association, as well as Council and Riverside Inverclyde officials - which meets for the first time on Tuesday afternoon in 71/2 John Wood Street.

Monty's Bar

Demolition of Kilmacolm Institute underway...

Work has commenced on the demolition of the Kilmacolm Institute - comprising of two vacant shop units and the former village community centre - to pave the way for the construction of a new three-storey development with two ground floor shops units and 13 flats on the upper floors. Ten basement car parking spaces will also be provided. The development was granted planning permission in June 2014.

It is intended that existing Co-operative Food store in the village will relocate to the larger of the two units.

The Kilmacolm Institute was sold by the Council to a developer to help fund the new village community centre and library and its redevelopment should enhance the amenity of the village centre. The expanded food store will be welcomed by villagers as the size of the existing Co-op store restricts the range of products on offer.

Demolition work underway...

What the new development will look like...

The week ahead...

Monday
In the afternoon I am meeting with Lord Willie Haughey, the Chair of the Glasgow and Clyde Valley Economic Leadership Board, regarding Inverclyde's input into the City Deal initiative. In the evening I have a meeting of the Kelburn Action Group.
Tuesday
In the afternoon I have a briefing on the Council's new website and a meeting of the Policy & Resources Committee. In the evening I will be chairing a meeting of the River Clyde Homes Audit & Finance Committee.
Wednesday
In the afternoon I have my weekly meetings with the Chief Executive and Labour Group.
Thursday
In the evening I will be attending a meeting of Slaemuir Tenants' & Residents' Association.
Friday
No Council commitments at this time.

Resignation from Unite the Union...

It is with deep regret that after 24 years of continuous membership (previously as a member of the Transport and General Workers’ Union) I have decided to resign from Unite the Union in protest at the ongoing attacks by union officials on the Leader of the Scottish Labour Party, Jim Murphy. I find these public attacks distasteful and contrary to the interests of the Scottish Labour Party and the wider Labour and trade union movement.

The week ahead...

Monday
In the late afternoon I will be attending a meeting of the Council's Strategic Leadership Forum followed by a meeting of the Clune Park Task Group in the early evening.
Tuesday
In the morning I will be attending a meeting of the City Deal Cabinet in Glasgow and in the afternoon a service to celebrate the life of former Labour Councillor Sir Simpson Stevenson. In the early evening I have a surgery in Boglestone Community Centre followed by a meeting of St Michael's Primary School Parent Council.
Wednesday
In the afternoon I have my weekly meeting with the Chief Executive and a meeting of the Labour Group.
Thursday
In the afternoon I have a meeting of the Council's Policy & Resources Executive Sub-Committee and a meeting with the Chamber of Commerce.
Friday
No Council commitments at this time.

The week ahead...

Monday
No Council commitments due to the bank holiday.
Tuesday
In the afternoon I have the Policy & Resources Committee Pre-agenda; a briefing on educational attainment; and the Education & Communities Committee.
Wednesday
No Council commitments at this time.
Thursday
No Council commitments at this time.
Friday
Due to be through in Edinburgh in the afternoon for a COSLA meeting.