PDE Column, 7th September 2009 – Community Councils, Serving Ferguslie, Barshaw Park, Station Car Parking, Land Reform, Apprentice Jobs

In praise of Community Councils

I was delighted to take part recently in the West of Scotland meeting for all Community Councils held in the beautiful surrounds of Paisley Abbey. Too often our Community Councils get a hard time for being busy bodies, do gooders or troublemakers.  But this is unfair. If community councils did not exist we would have to invent them. 

The voluntary contribution locally of people like Joe Hill in Gallowhill or Iain Wilson in Linwood is well known in their communities. From monitoring crime, to local planning and roads issues Community Councils do a job on behalf of us all. And they deserve our thanks.  Across Scotland local consultations are underway on the future of community councils. Next year will see elections to local community councils if enough people come forward. If you want to get involved in your local community council contact Anne.McNaughton@renfrewshire.gov.uk

Serving Ferguslie

I was happy to support the application by Ferguslie Park Housing Association to the Big Lottery Fund for the refurbishment of the Tannahill Centre. Their ambitious plans include new training, health and leisure facilities – as well as new small business units, a new café, music rooms and a new community space. It is an imaginative bid which I am urging the Big Lottery to get behind.

Barshaw Park

Barshaw Park rightly commands great affection amongst Buddies. So I am delighted that the renovation works to the toilets are near complete. The reduced provision of public toilets in Renfrewshire is something that comes up regularly in my postbag. As a mum of toddlers I have more sympathy with these complaints than I might have had in the past! Back at Barshaw the campaign to restore the bowling green and pavilion area goes on.

Station car parking

Surprisingly, there is no standard approach to car parking at Scotland’s railway stations. So the Scottish Government is seeking views on the future of station car parking: do we need more of it? What should the charges be? Should some parking be reserved for off-peak time travellers?  If you have views on these issues send them to Sharon.wood@transport.gsi.gov.uk by 25th September.

Land Reform

One of the good things in the early years of devolution was communities taking control of the land they lived on. Today Assynt, Eigg, Gigha, South Uist, and Harris are all largely owned by their residents. But recently progress on community ownership has slowed because of cash constraints. The Land Reform Act is currently delivering an average of less than one community buyout per year.  And with no new funding in place to support communities who want to acquire assets, Scotland’s reputation for being ‘ahead of the curve’ in relation to community assets is fast becoming a thing of the past.

Apprentice Jobs

In tough economic times there is always the temptation for employers to cut back on training and apprenticeships. So it is vital we use the “power of the public pound” to keep investing in training. The Scottish Government spends over £8 billion on goods and services every year. I am calling on the Scottish Government to make investment in training and apprenticeships a condition of major government contracts. This is one way Scottish Ministers could ensure that young people don’t lose out on skills and training during the recession. I will keep readers posted on progress.