At a special meeting of the Policy & Resources Committee on Tuesday I will be proposing that the Council increases its funding for our Urban Regeneration Company, Riverside Inverclyde, by £487,000 more in 2010/11 than we previously agreed in February 2009 when we set the 2010/11 budget. This will bring the Council's total contribution to RI in 2010/11 to £2.1m.
This additional funding for RI should strengthen the ability of the area to respond to the challenges of the economic downturn and I am sure will be very much welcomed by Bill Nicol and his team. It has been made possible by our effective financial management of the Council and our focus on identifying efficiencies.
To date the Council has allocated funding of just under £9m to RI out of our total commitment of £24m by 2017.
Saturday, 6 February 2010
The meteoric rise of Innes Nelson
I see that the local SNP have chosen Councillor Innes Nelson as their candidate for this year's General Election.
I have to say that I am a bit surprised by this decision. After all Innes has hardly been a Councillor for five minutes and a member of the SNP for ten.
Either he has hidden depths that I have yet to discover or the SNP were really struggling to find someone to stand against sitting Labour MP David Cairns.
While not complacent - you can never take voters for granted - I am quietly confident that Innes won't be swapping the Council Chamber for the House of Commons.
Mind you he certainly has had a meteoric rise.
I wonder what's next for him?
Will he stand for the Scottish Parliament next year against Duncan McNeil?
Will he be looking to replace Jim MacLeod as the SNP's Group Leader?
I suspect that Jim has a bit more to be worried about than Duncan!
I have to say that I am a bit surprised by this decision. After all Innes has hardly been a Councillor for five minutes and a member of the SNP for ten.
Either he has hidden depths that I have yet to discover or the SNP were really struggling to find someone to stand against sitting Labour MP David Cairns.
While not complacent - you can never take voters for granted - I am quietly confident that Innes won't be swapping the Council Chamber for the House of Commons.
Mind you he certainly has had a meteoric rise.
I wonder what's next for him?
Will he stand for the Scottish Parliament next year against Duncan McNeil?
Will he be looking to replace Jim MacLeod as the SNP's Group Leader?
I suspect that Jim has a bit more to be worried about than Duncan!
Friday, 5 February 2010
New schools have wow factor
I had the opportunity to look around Inverclyde's latest new schools this afternoon when I toured the new All Saints and Aileymill Primary Schools.
While they are not quite finished -the contractor is working flat out to have both schools ready for opening on 16 February - it was very evident that they are going to be fantastic facilities to work and learn in.
These two schools are part of the Council's Public Private Partnership project, which also includes the new Notre Dame High School and Clydeview Academy.
PPP is not without its critics and over the years that the Council has been developing its schools estates strategy Labour Councillors have been attacked by other parties for being prepared to support the use of PPP. We have always argued that as long as it represents best value to the Council taxpayers of Inverclyde, PPP had a role to play in helping us deliver the best possible learning environment for our young people.
When I see these new schools I know that the criticism - and on occasion abuse - we faced has been worth it.
While they are not quite finished -the contractor is working flat out to have both schools ready for opening on 16 February - it was very evident that they are going to be fantastic facilities to work and learn in.
These two schools are part of the Council's Public Private Partnership project, which also includes the new Notre Dame High School and Clydeview Academy.
PPP is not without its critics and over the years that the Council has been developing its schools estates strategy Labour Councillors have been attacked by other parties for being prepared to support the use of PPP. We have always argued that as long as it represents best value to the Council taxpayers of Inverclyde, PPP had a role to play in helping us deliver the best possible learning environment for our young people.
When I see these new schools I know that the criticism - and on occasion abuse - we faced has been worth it.
Thursday, 4 February 2010
Population projections
I see that the Registrar General for Scotland is projecting that Inverclyde's population will decrease by around one fifth by 2033.
This prediction underlines the scale of the challenge that the Council and our partners in the Inverclyde Alliance face if we are to achieve our objective of stabilising the area's population.
Making Inverclyde an attractive place to live is central to our social and economic regeneration strategy. We want to retain the people we have and at the same time attract new residents from other places.
Equally we want to tackle poverty and health inequalities that contribute to too many Inverclyde residents dying prematurely.
This prediction underlines the scale of the challenge that the Council and our partners in the Inverclyde Alliance face if we are to achieve our objective of stabilising the area's population.
Making Inverclyde an attractive place to live is central to our social and economic regeneration strategy. We want to retain the people we have and at the same time attract new residents from other places.
Equally we want to tackle poverty and health inequalities that contribute to too many Inverclyde residents dying prematurely.
Wednesday, 3 February 2010
Parklea pitch given planning permission
I was absolutely delighted to hear that the Council's proposed new 3G synthetic pitch at Parklea received planning permission at today's meeting of the Planning Board.
The £640,000 pitch is the first phase of an overall development costing £6.4m, which will also see the construction of a new community stadium incorporating changing accommodation and the upgrading of 8 grass pitches, making Parklea one of the best football centres in the country.
The £640,000 pitch is the first phase of an overall development costing £6.4m, which will also see the construction of a new community stadium incorporating changing accommodation and the upgrading of 8 grass pitches, making Parklea one of the best football centres in the country.
Port Town Centre plans moving ahead
I had a sneak preview of plans to improve Port Glasgow Town Centre today when I met with Geoff Gregory of Riverside Inverclyde who is overseeing their implementation.
The plans include the upgrading of the main entrance to the Town Centre off the A8; deep clean power washing to remove graffiti, moss, etc; new signage and shop fronts; enhancements to visually prominent buildings, such as stone cleaning, painting and improved lighting; and various other landscape works.
The total cost of the proposals is £970,000, funded from the Town Centre Regeneration Fund (£600,000), Riverside Inverclyde (£270,000) and the Council (£100,000).
Riverside Inverclyde will be consulting with the local Traders' Association and the Community Council before finalising the plans. Work should hopefully start within the next couple of months and be completed by the summer.
The plans include the upgrading of the main entrance to the Town Centre off the A8; deep clean power washing to remove graffiti, moss, etc; new signage and shop fronts; enhancements to visually prominent buildings, such as stone cleaning, painting and improved lighting; and various other landscape works.
The total cost of the proposals is £970,000, funded from the Town Centre Regeneration Fund (£600,000), Riverside Inverclyde (£270,000) and the Council (£100,000).
Riverside Inverclyde will be consulting with the local Traders' Association and the Community Council before finalising the plans. Work should hopefully start within the next couple of months and be completed by the summer.
Tuesday, 2 February 2010
Funding for pothole repairs
The Council’s Policy and Resources Committee today agreed to pump an extra £200,000 into emergency pothole and pavement repairs.
The money will allow roads teams to act now to tackle damage caused by the exceptionally cold winter weather over the past couple of months.
We felt that it was important we acted quickly to minimise what potentially could be a major issue for drivers and pedestrians.
The money will come from the Council’s Insurance Fund and will be spent before the end of March.
The money will allow roads teams to act now to tackle damage caused by the exceptionally cold winter weather over the past couple of months.
We felt that it was important we acted quickly to minimise what potentially could be a major issue for drivers and pedestrians.
The money will come from the Council’s Insurance Fund and will be spent before the end of March.
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