The week ahead...

Monday
At work until 2.00 then down to Greenock to chair the Inverlcyde Alliance Board at 3.30. I have a surgery in Clune Park Resource Centre at 6.00 followed by a meeting of the Kelburn Action Group at 7.00 in the same venue. The Kelburn meeting clashes with meetings of St Francis Primary School Parent Council and Port Glasgow West Community Council. Unfortunately even I can't be in three places at once!
Tuesday
At work until 1.00 then down to Greenock for my weekly meeting with the Chief Executive at 2.00. I will be chairing - possibly for the last time - a meeting of the Council's Policy & Resources Committee at 3.00. I have a meeting with Rankin Park Bowling Club at 5.00 and will be attending Kilmacolm Community Council at 7.30.
Wednesday
At work until 2.00 with meetings at 3.30 (with Chief Executive of Riverside Inverclyde), 4.30 (Administration Group) and 5.30 (Labour Group).
Thursday
A day off work as I am involved in interviews for the new Director of Inverclyde Community Health and Care Partnership. In the evening I have a meeting of Kilmacolm New Community Centre Company Board.
Friday
Ar work all day.

Welcome for Housing Investment Plan...

The Council's Policy & Resources Committee is being asked to approve the Inverclyde Strategic Housing Investment Plan for 2012-2015 on Tuesday.

I am pleased to see that the plan makes the Clune Park area of Port Glasgow Inverclyde's number one housing priority. The plan also gives a high priority to Phase 2 of the redevelopment of the Woodhall Estate - which will be good news to residents waiting on a new house - and other housing developments in Port Glasgow which could provide new housing for residents from Clune Park, which the Council plans to demolish.

How much of the plan can be delivered over the next 3 years will be dependent on the amount of housing grant awarded to Inverclyde by the Scottish Government. This is not known at present but we are told that an announcement will be made in mid April.

Hopefully the Government will allocate this funding on the basis of need and not, like other recent funding announcements, on the basis of the greatest political advantage to the SNP two weeks before the Council elections!

I won't hold my breath however.

Labour to stand 11 candidates in Council election...

Inverclyde Labour Party has lodged nomination papers for 11 candidates for the Council elections on 3 May. It is believed that Labour will be the only party to stand sufficient candidates to win outright control of the 20 member council.  

Labour Election Agent Joe McIlwee commented: “I am delighted to be acting as agent for this election. We are putting forward a very strong team of candidates who will be going all out to secure a Labour victory on 3 May. We have a good mix of sitting councillors and new candidates in Martin Brennan, Vaughan Jones and Colin Jackson who bring with them a wealth of experience from the worlds of education,  social care and business respectively.  We also have a fine new young candidate in James McColgan, who would be an excellent addition to the Council and at the same time significantly reduce the average age of members. ”

Labour’s candidates are:

Ward 1 (Inverclyde East): Stephen McCabe and James McColgan

Ward 2 (Inverclyde East Central):  Michael McCormick and Robert Moran

Ward 3 (Inverclyde North): Martin Brennan and Jim Clocherty

Ward 4 (Inverclyde South): Vaughan Jones and Joe McIlwee

Ward 5 (Inverclyde West): Terry Loughran

Ward 6 (Inverclyde South West): Gerry Dorrian and Colin Jackson

Labour's Team for Inverclyde 2012

Start date agreed for new £180,000 Boglestone play park...

I am delighted to report that a start date has been agreed for the Council's new play park at Boglestone in Port Glasgow. Work will start on the £180,000 project on 16 April and take around 9 weeks to complete.

The play park will include a Multi-Use Games Area (MUGA), similar to the one in Birkmyre Park in Kilmacolm; a children's play area; and a large aerial swing.


I am sure that young people in upper Port Glasgow will be delighted with the new facilities when they are ready.

A plan of the new play park to be provided at Boglestone

Letter to Minister on Youth Employment Strategy Funding...

Ms. Angela Constance, MSP Minister for Youth Employment T3.25 The Scottish Parliament EDINBURGH EH99 1SP Dear Minister Youth Employment Strategy Funding I wish to raise several concerns with the methodology, transparency and outcome of the current allocation of additional funding to support Local Authorities in tackling youth unemployment. I understand that the available £9m is the balance from an initial allocation of £30m originally announced for this activity.  It is worrying that this allocation has been diluted over recent months, particularly since I have learnt that funding has been diverted to Further Education and the Community Jobs Fund. I am sure that you are aware that Inverclyde remains one of the most employment deprived areas of Scotland with a significant jobs gap.  Indeed, from your own labour market information, it is recognised that the claimant count rate for Inverclyde is the 6th highest in Scotland.  This anomaly is not unique to Inverclyde, with other areas having equally high claimant count rates and being excluded from additional funding.  Accordingly, the methodology for allocation of award between authorities seems arbitrary and discretionary on the one hand, whilst there is a perceived lack of fairness and transparency on the other hand.  Please clarify who agreed the Local Authority allocations, as it appears there has been no consultation through SLAED, which is the primary economic development engagement forum for all Local Authorities below COSLA. Please clarify the justification for additional funds for the Community Jobs Fund which has underperformed, both in participation and outcome rates since the allocation of funds to SCVO.  I think it is worthwhile to note that Inverclyde currently has 905 young people aged 18-24 in receipt of JSA, the 31 posts provided through the Community Jobs Fund programme will not even begin to tackle youth unemployment in Inverclyde. You will appreciate that Inverclyde Council through the Single Outcome Agreement and Community Planning procedures has allocated resources for employability and has been successful in programme delivery, including targeted initiatives with young people from care leavers to graduates.  Nevertheless, the Local Authority alone cannot solve all of the historical and deep rooted labour market challenges we face, we rely on support from partner agencies and indeed we would welcome much needed support from the Scottish Government. Finally, this decision has been made when it appears that Inverclyde has been disadvantaged in other areas of economic development as a result of the decision making process of Scottish Government.  There have been significant cuts to the budget associated with our Urban Regeneration Company, Riverside Inverclyde, which put at risk our efforts to regenerate the area and develop the business base.  Inverclyde has been excluded from the award of Enterprise Area status whilst neighbouring authorities have been included and are, therefore, more attractive destinations for inward investment.  The net effect of all the above is that the physical regeneration of Inverclyde is stalling and is increasingly reliant on the singular funding of the Local Authority.  If the area becomes less competitive in attracting new companies, unemployment will continue to increase in the area which is something none of us aspire to. I welcome your response and certainly the opportunity to sit down and discuss this situation further. Yours sincerely Stephen McCabe Leader of the Council

Port Glasgow Shared Campus Update...

I chaired a meeting of the Port Glasgow Shared Campus Working Group tonight in the Enterprise Centre.

Eddie Montgomery of the Council's School Estates Team gave an update on progress with the new shared campus. He advised the Group that the demolition works are complete, with groundworks, drainage, piling and formation of the new roundabout on Kilmacolm Road all at an advanced stage. The steelwork for the sports wing will start emerging from the ground very soon.

Members of the Group were pleased to hear that the contract is on schedule for completion in July 2013.

The Working Group were advised that agreement had been reached between the Head Teachers of the secondary schools on the wings of the main block that each would occupy. Port Glasgow High School will be located in the wing nearest Kilmacolm and St Stephen's High School in the other wing.

The Working Group also agreed to consult parent councils on a proposed name for the campus, which will also house the new Craigmarloch School. The name proposed is "Port Glasgow Community Campus" reflecting the fact that the campus will be a community resource for all of Port Glasgow.

The next meeting of the Working Group will take place on Monday 28 May.

Work is progressing well at the new 'Port Glasgow Community Campus'

The week ahead...

Monday
At work until 2.00 then down to Greenock for a meeting with the Inverclyde Tourist Group at 3.00 and the Chief Executive's appraisal interview at 4.30. I will be chairing a meeting of the Port Glasgow Shared Campus Working Group at 6.30.
Tuesday
Again at work until 2.00 and then down to Greenock for a meeting on the Gourock Town Centre development at 3.00. In the evening I hope to attend a meeting of Port Glasgow High School Parent Council.
Wednesday
At work until 11.00 before heading to Port Glasgow for the unveiling of the new 'Endeavour' sculpture at 11.30. I have another meeting at 3.00 on the Gourock Town Centre development, the Administration Group at 4.30 and the Labour Group at 5.30. In the evening I hope to attend the Inverclyde Tourist Group AGM.
Thursday
At work until 2.00 before returning to Kilmacolm to pick my kids up from school. I have a Labour Party meeting in the evening.
Friday
A full day at work.