Councillor reports

Ward 11

Cllr James MacLaren

The group which I tentatively called Blooming Bishopton have agreed to call themselves Bonnie Bishopton and work has begun to transform the land at the edge of Greenock Road in front of the Community Centre, where in a few days, there will be a delivery of top soil and we will be there planting bulbs and shrubs. Membership is growing fast and new members are coming on board to help. You may have seen them at work tidying up the bushes around the library. Funding from the community council and the Co-op has been welcomed. Future projects, including Christmas lighting, are being considered.

It is anticipated that this work to upgrade the existing Bishopton Health Centre will commence early 2022 and be completed in the summer 2022. The work on a new build facility in Dargavel is anticipated to begin summer 2023 with completion spring 2024. Then we will have one health centre in two buildings. Dargavel Primary School will open on Thursday 6th January. To support transition both schools will finish the term on Monday 20th December 2021.

The council have allocated £1.2 million of the annual roads capital budget over three years for communities to decide on how it is spent. The funding is split across Renfrewshire so not all the funding can be spent in the one place. You have until 14th November to submit suggestions. Here are some of my suggestions: Bridge of Weir: - i) Resurface part of Mill of Gryffe Road. ii) Add additional Gullies to Houston Road (this should mean less puddles on the road meaning children walking to school stay drier, and the road lasts longer. iii) Upgrade the footpath through The Glen and Horsewood Park.

Bishopton: - i) upgrade and adoption of footpaths such as Yarrow Crescent to Kingston Rd, and those in Dargavel, etc.

Langbank: - i) Repairs to the footpath and its adoption at the west side of Station Road Park. ii) Additional gullies at the bottom of Station Road and on Main Road. iii) A barrier between the A8 and the cycle track leading to Hatton Brae. iv) A pedestrian bridge over the A8. All suggestions are welcome.

From February 2022 all homes in Scotland must be fitted with interlinking smoke and heat alarms. In addition carbon monoxide alarms are required if there is a carbon-fuelled appliance or flue. All alarms must be powered either from the mains electricity circuit or by a sealed battery lasting the full life-span of the alarm. Smoke and heat alarms must either be interlinked by cable or by wireless radio-frequency interlink. Whilst nobody will be prosecuted, this is a safety measure, and it is hoped most people will see the benefits of it.

So far only my Bridge of Weir surgery is available - the others are still to be agreed. Tel: 0300 300 1291 or you can email me: cllr.james.maclaren@renfrewshire.gov.uk Working with you and improving our local area. Please feel free to contact me with any of your concerns, and I am happy to meet with you at a mutually convenient time.

Ward 10

Cllr Audrey Doig

I am pleased to report that the last full meeting of Renfrewshire Council passed a motion which committed the Council to expenditure for specialist Locator equipment which will complement the lifesaving equipment on the River Gryffe. This equipment provides for exact co-ordinates to be provided which will be of enormous assistance to emergency services when trying to locate the exact site of an incident, this was a serious issue in the recent tragic case of the Linwood boy who died swimming in the river Gryffe, so this is a tremendous step forward in health and safety terms.

I am pleased to report that council officers have contacted me this week to confirm that all the tenders for the Rural Safe Walking Initiative have just been received, and the contract as to who the consultant is will be awarded in November this year. Following that a report will be provided so that community consultation can begin with communities in Howwood, Kilbarchan, and Houston. This initiative has ‘to consult with Elected Members, Police, Community Councils and other local resident groups to understand the nature, severity and location of the issues’, before and after the installation of the traffic calming measures. I am very excited about this as this will be a solution made in Houston for Houston, not the usual situation where Paisley-based Council Officers dictate to Houston what they will get.

At long last, after a Covid ban of 18 months, Councillors are being allowed to resume face to face surgeries once again. Whilst most enquiries can be dealt with by either phone or email many council enquiries can be of a sensitive and discrete nature so a face to face discussion can be much better.

I am delighted to report that my new advice surgeries will be held on Thursday 21st Oct in Brookfield Village Hall at 6.30pm, Thursday 28th Oct in Linwood TESCO Café at 6.30pm, and Thursday 18th November in the Carrick Centre, Houston, also at 6.30pm.

Contact Details for Cllr Audrey Doig: Councillors are now resuming advice surgeries again, but in addition you can also email me on cllr.audrey. doig@renfrewshire.gov.uk or call me on 07768 130935 if you have a civic matter you wish to raise with me.

Ward 9

Cllr Andy Doig

I am pleased to report that at the last full meeting of Renfrewshire Council I moved a motion to get the pesticide, Glyphosate, banned for use across Renfrewshire where it has been used by the Council for decades in parks and other public area. In 2015 the World Health Organisation said that Glyphosate was “Probably carcinogenic”, and it was widely used by local authorities. My motion was thankfully approved and I am indebted to constituents from Kilbarchan who lobbied me on the matter and brought this issue to my attention. Renfrewshire Council is now the 31st Council in the UK to ban Glyphosate but it will be on a phased basis so the Council can put in place other, safer, alternatives.

I am delighted that my anti-speeding initiative which I persuaded the Council to adopt is speeding ahead, if I can say that. The Rural Safe Walking Initiative is a pilot in three villages, two of which are Howwood and Kilbarchan, and by the beginning of 2022 a report will be provided so that community consultation can begin with communities in Howwood, Kilbarchan, and Houston. This initiative has ‘to consult with Elected Members, Police, Community Councils and other local resident groups to understand the nature, severity and location of the issues’, before and after the installation of the traffic calming measures. I am very excited about this as this will be a solution made in the Villages for the Villages, not the usual situation where Paisley-based Council Officers dictate to the Villages what they will get.

The final motion which I got passed at the last full council was to call on the Scottish Government to devolve the power to local authorities to introduce 20mph zones in residential, village, and town centre areas where they see fit. Currently this has to go through the Traffic Commissioner and many constituents from Lochwinnoch and the surrounding villages have lobbied me to say they feel that 20mph is essential for public safety and not just desirable. This is not the end of my campaign but only the beginning as 20mph zones have to be statutory to be effective and I hope Holyrood listens to the united voice of Renfrewshire Council.

Contact Details for Cllr Andy Doig –

My constituents can see me at my advice surgeries on the second Wednesday of the month at 6.30pm, Lilybank Bowling Club, Johnstone, and 7.30pm the Old Library, Kilbarchan. On the fourth Wednesday of the month they are at 6.30pm, Howwood Bowling Club, and then at 7.30pm in Lochwinnoch Bowling Club, all excluding July and December.

Constituents can also email me on cllr.andy.doig@renfrewshire.gov. uk, call me on 07534 148224, facebook me on Independent Voice/ Ward9JohnstoneAndVillages, or tweet me on CllrAndy4Ward8, if you have a civic matter you wish to raise with me.

Ward 1 - inverclyde

Cllr Stephen McCabe

The Council allocated £260,000 in grants to community groups last month. Among the local groups to benefit were Colourful Kilmacolm, Kilmacolm Horticultural Society and Birkmyre Rugby Club.

There is growing concern in Kilmacolm about the potential closure of the village post office as the general store that hosts it is up for sale. This issue of course is not unique to Kilmacolm. Local post offices are closing across the country as they are often not financially viable without cross-subsidy from other business income. It would be a major blow to the village to lose its post office as it is well-used by local residents and businesses. I have asked the Council’s Chief Executive to arrange a meeting with the national Post Office to discuss the post office network in Inverclyde as there are other areas where the local post office has closed or is in danger of closing to see if there is anything that can be done arrest the decline.

Following the recent theft from Glebe Court sheltered housing complex I contacted River Clyde Homes to ask them to review security at the complex to see if it can be improved. They have taken a number of actions in response.

The annual fireworks display organised by the Council has been cancelled. The event was due to take place on Saturday 6th November at Battery Park in Greenock, but has been called off due to a lack of stewarding staff required to keep people safe and carry out Covid-19 vaccination checks for those attending. Most stewarding companies are under contract to support the COP26 climate conference in Glasgow, which runs from 31st October - 12th November, meaning there is a lack of available staff to work at other events.

Birkmyre Park has been allocated £80,000 from the Council’s Covid Recovery Fund for improvements. I have asked Council Officers to consult the Community Council on their proposals for utilising this funding. Funding has also been allocated to renew the surface of the multi-use games area in the park and Council Officers are considering the best time to carry out this work given the approach of winter. It may be that the work is delayed until spring next year.

With the Council elections due next year I am keen to hear from constituents on what they think the Council’s priorities should be for the next five year term. Details of how to contact me are given below.

I have an advice surgery in Boglestone Community Centre on Tuesday 23rd November from 6.30pm -7.30pm. In the meantime you can contact me directly to discuss any matters that are of concern to you by telephone on 01475 712020 (during office hours) or by email to Stephen.McCabe@Inverclyde.gov.uk. Alternatively you can write to me at 10 Victoria Gardens, Kilmacolm PA13 4HL.

Cllr David Wilson

It will be strange this year not participating in the Kilmacolm Bonfire and Fireworks. Many villagers have grown up with this event and let us hope an alternative site can be found for next year.

As Depute Provost I will be laying the Council wreath at Port Glasgow this year. The Church service of Remembrance on the 14th is followed at 12.15pm by a parade through the town terminating at the War Memorial. There are bands from the Port Glasgow Boys Brigade and the St Columba’s School Pipe Band. Veterans, town clubs and societies, youth organisations and the Army Cadets make up a considerable parade. As in previous years we will observe the 2 minute silence on the 11th with a short act of remembrance at the Memorial Board in the Cargill Centre.

A Clyde River Foundation water Bailiff has confirmed that a Smolt (a young Atlantic Salmon) has been found in the upper Gottar Water above Quarriers Village. This means that the recent salmon ladder at the weir in the village is doing its job and facilitating the movement of mature fish to the spawning grounds. Many were involved in this exercise, but the Bridge of Weir Angling Club members deserve special mention for their enthusiastic support and initiation of this significant environmental project. The young fish will soon begin their migration to faraway parts of the Atlantic.

The application for a 20 metre 5G Telecommunications pole at Craigbet Road in Quarriers has caused displeasure in some quarters. As Chair of the Planning Board I cannot comment as the determination may end up in front of the Board.

Inverclyde has 3 existing Glasgow City Region City Deal projects ,the £19.2m Greenock Ocean Terminal, Inchgreen and Inverkip Power Station. Scottish Office Minister Iain Stuart spoke to me recently regarding direct investment in Councils from Westminster. I endorsed this as an excellent idea with funds now not forthcoming from the EU and council budget cuts in recent years.

In my SPT and Glasgow Airport roles I am involved in COP26, when the World will come to Glasgow. Transport is a major user of hydrocarbons and there are many schemes to reduce the dependence. First Bus will run the 15 minute shuttle buses around Glasgow, all electric. Similarly McGills Buses have purchased 65 electric single decker buses which we are hoping will be on Inverclyde routes. Bus patronage is slowly returning to pre pandemic levels but is still well behind. Recent surveys by Transport Focus found that 80% of travellers felt that bus travel was safe.

We continue the development of Cornalees and Lunderston Bay as significant leisure and tourist attractions. We will engage and work together with the newly formed Friends of Clyde Muirshiel Regional Park.

Our excellent community Policeman Constable Jamieson apprehended a shoplifter in the CO-OP who hid three bottles of spirits on his person while standing beside him. Collar felt.

I can be contacted at: david.wilson@inverclde.gov.uk 01475 741969 and 712975 and 07766 992294. My surgery is 27th 10am - 11am in the Cargill.