This weeks letters from the readers

I would also be interested in how much did these new machines cost when A&B Council are cutting essential services like school crossing patrols, would this money be better spent on ensuring these services when there is already a traffic warden employed to enforce these parking restrictions? Can you imagine a small child being knocked over and injured and at an enquiry A&B Council having to explain the fact that no school crossing patrols where available because the budget had been spent on new parking machines.. Personally I think this council needs to get it’s priorities in place before wasting anymore money.

G Walker

Helensburgh

I LIVE in Argyll & Bute which is a prime example of a dysfunctional local authority and tonight I attended the launch of a new campaign to do something about it. The main speakers were Lesley Riddoch and Robin McAlpine at a meeting in the Kinning Park Centre in Glasgow. The location was symbolic as it is a rundown building that was saved for the community by direct action by local people some years ago in the face of intended closure. We, the people, all too often have to put up with what is a top down system of what is laughingly called “local” government; we have little or no say in what is done on our behalf. We vote for councillors that have little or no power to change anything in the face of decisions mostly made by officials.

In recent times, we had a refurbishment of central Helensburgh. This took two years to deliver and during its course I spoke to several of the elected councillors about aspects of what was going on; they had as much idea of what the plans were as I had. The life blood of the town, the esplanade, was ripped up and closed for 18 months, busy junctions were changed from two-lane to one causing traffic mayhem that still continues long after completion of the works. The numbers of highly paid managers increases year on year but every request for action is refused by these officials as impossible due to funding or deferred indefinitely for the same reason. We cannot get bins where there are none, in many of our streets; we cannot get pavements, where there are none, on busy bus routes; the skating pond that cost a lot of money some years ago is now a swamp through lack of maintenance. Speak to the councillors and they are just as helpless as we are. All decisions are taken by a small clique, based in Lochgilphead. This group have management control of one of the largest local authorities in Europe, stretching from Helensburgh on the Clyde coast across Loch Long, Loch Fyne down to Campbelltown and up through the inner Hebrides to Coll & Tiree. While Argyll & Bute is an extreme case almost every council of the 32 in Scotland is in a similar position.

These are clear symptoms of a system that is broken. We need smaller councils with volunteer councillors rather than armies of paid managers and career politicians running the show. We need a “local” council in Helensburgh that is responsible for what goes on in our area. There are numerous other places within Argyll & Bute that have equally valid claims. Why do Campbelltown, Dunoon, Oban and the islands not have separate councils that know what is going on rather than the one size fits all approach

There is no need to duplicate all of the bureaucracy that we presently have; I believe this is where we are going wrong. We employ these officials and managers and in the end they tell the elected councillors what can and cannot be done. Let the officials do the sums and the administration and let the councillors make the decisions. We do not need full time councillors, each representing huge areas and very many people. There are lots of local volunteers that would work for their own community unpaid, on a part time basis. Yes we would need many more of them but their duties would be less onerous and the cost would not break the bank.

Let us hope that we can start a real campaign to reclaim decision making for local people. They know what is wanted in their area and let them face up to the real challenges of getting the best results based on need.

Dougie Blackwood

Helensburgh

I’m still trying to understand what Norman Muir was trying to say in his letter of 10/11/2016 on behalf of the Community Council in response to mine of 3/11/2016 in which I questioned the commitment of the UK government to encourage our service personnel to live in and become part of our community.

At no point was I critical of the service people. I have a great respect for our armed forces not least because of my late father’s experiences in the Burma Campaign during the Second World War and his active involvement in the Royal British Legion. Indeed my call for the UK government to provide relocation packages to enable our service personnel the option to move to Helensburgh was all about providing a real welcome to them and the considerable economic benefits which would be delivered for our area.

Mr Muir’s letter suggests that as a civic leader is curiously dismissive of the economic and social benefits such an initiative would bring. On this evidence his ambition for our area is sadly lacking.

The SNP both nationally and the Dumbarton Constituency Association which I convene are delighted that service personnel are part of the community council even if these members are a part of a very small number of service personnel who actually live in our midst.

One would have thought that the very fact that they are members of the community council while serving in her Majesty’s Service would have impressed on Norman Muir his responsibility not to compromise the political independence of not only the community council but also serving officers of the Royal Navy. Did he have the approval of the community council and specifically the Naval members before he went to print?

If he is so aware of the contribution the service personnel make to this area one would have thought he would know that under Queen’s regulations serving officers cannot be party to a public demonstration against a political party, in this case the SNP. Either Mr Muir must resign and the community council has to disassociate itself from Mr Muir’s remarks or the service personnel will have to withdraw from membership of the community council.

It is most regrettable that the community council has compromised the strict political neutrality of her Majesty’s defence personnel in this community and sought to politicise Her Majesty’s Forces.

Graeme McCormick

Convener

SNP Constituency Association

Scottish Transport Minister Humza Yousaf must be extremely tempted to respond to Scottish Labour Leader Kezia Dugdale’s strident demands for his resignation over problems with Scotland’s railways by saying “Fine. I’ll go if you’ll take the job and we’ll see if you are any better”.

The truth is: the Scottish government operates under financial and legal constraints set by Westminster. That won’t change soon. Even if Ms Dugdale were to become Transport (or First) Minister tomorrow, she would have the same civil servants in post to advise her and the same contractors or service deliverers involved on relatively long term contracts so any decisions she could make would be little different to those taken by the SNP.

Whilst Ms Dugdale has always seemed to me a happy bubbly person who would be great company in the pub, her tribal opposition to anything and everything the SNP does makes her seem a total boor..

John Hein

via email

We ALL know the importance of being physically active to improve our overall health but despite this, many children and young people in Scotland aren’t achieving the recommended target of 60 minutes of activity each day.

Encouraging children to be as active as possible can help maintain a healthy weight, increase energy levels and reduce their risk of developing heart and circulatory disease.

British Heart Foundation (BHF) Scotland is offering all schools across the nation a chance to win a once-in-a-lifetime workshop with a BHF Scotland-funded researcher

To enter, all schools need to do is sign up to one of BHF Scotland’s schools fundraisers; Jump Rope for Heart or Ultimate Dodgeball before midnight on February 28 by visiting bhf.org.uk/schools.

. Not only will it raise money for BHF Scotland’s life saving research into the fight against heart disease, but schools get to keep 20 per cent of the money raised

BHF Scotland is currently funding 124 research grants to the value of over £61.66 million to help end the devastation of heart disease. With your school’s help, we will be able to fund even more ground-breaking research to help prevent, treat and one day cure these conditions.

Jessica Rose

Schools Programme Manager, British Heart Foundation Scotland