ward 1 cllr david wilson

At an SPT Operations Committee meeting on the 20th January a temporary contract was awarded to McGill’s Buses until the 15th July to continue the 530 service from Kilmacolm to Port Glasgow Retail Park. The cost of the subsidy is £988 per week (total contract cost £24,000). Patronage will be closely monitored during this period and the potential subsidy per passenger trip will be determined. I consider this service to be a lifeline for some constituents, but we are dealing with tax-payers monies and it is vital that the service is used. The bus market is in long term decline and has not recovered from the pandemic. Something will have to change. I favour the Transport for London model. The one success in public transport in the West is the SPT owned Glasgow Subway which has reached 95% patronage.

I invited Chief Inspector of the West Command Roads Policing Unit to give a presentation to the Police Scrutiny Committee. She emphasised their role in accident and crime prevention. The Greater Glasgow, Renfrewshire and Inverclyde base has one Inspector, six Sergeants and 64 Constables. We are updating our traffic calming Priority List. Currently we have two areas in the top 20. A761 Bridge of Weir Road from Porterfield Road and Silverlake and the A761 Port Glasgow Road between Wateryetts Drive and Auchenbothie Gardens. Finlaystone Road between Leperstone and Yetts Avenue is at number 53.

There have been objections to the Traffic Regulation Orders for the village and the TROs will now be examined by a reporter. I will give evidence as I objected to the removal of parking places outside the Doctor’s surgery in Bridge of Weir Road. I have asked for the notices to be removed from lamp posts.

The new Sluice by the Moss will have no access over the new structure, but the existing sluice is still there to walk over.

The 20 affordable houses as part of the Quarry Drive Application, subject to planning permission, will provide family homes for mid-market rent or low cost home ownership and retirement/amenity homes for social rent and new supply shared equity.

We will have a public holiday on May 8th to mark the Coronation of King Charles III. Like others I remember the excitement of his mothers Crowning and look forward to celebrating this unique event.

Surgery: Cargill, 18th March 10am - 11am

Contact info: 07766 992 294 or 01475 741 969 / 722 975 david.wilson@inverclyde.gov.uk

Angel Voices Choir

The Angel Voices Choir performed at the Inverclyde Music Festival and retained the Peter Pan Cup.

Rehearsals on Fridays at 6pm in St Fillan’s Church Hall, Moss Road Kilmacolm

Special Events in March

Mini First Aid - 11th, 10am – 12noon

Horticultural Society Talk - 15th, 7pm – 9pm

Sound Bath - 15th, 7pm – 8pm

Art Exhibition - 24th/25th, 10am – 4pm

Centre Opening Times

Monday – Friday: 9am to 10pm

Saturday: 9am to 3pm

Sunday: Closed

Enquiries & Room Hire: 01505 873994

Cafe Opening Times

Monday – Friday: 10am to 4pm

Saturday: 10am to 3pm

Director of Music: Mrs Anne Lawrence and Accompanist, Mr Michael Hepburn.

Angel Voices is now in its 10th year! New members welcome! (boys and girls from 4 upwards) Contact: Maureen Russell: maureenmrussell@hotmail.com or on mobile: 07905 950028.

Kilmacolm Easter Collection for Inverclyde Women’s Aid

VINo13 Kilmacolm Wine Bar will be holding an Easter Collection for the women and children staying safe in the Inverclyde Women’s Aid refuge this Easter.

We will be happy to receive your donations from Wednesday 22nd March to Wednesday 5th April

Our Easter Bunny Gift List:

• Easter Eggs, Creme Eggs, Mini Eggs etc

• Soft Toys (brand new) – Rabbits, Chicks, Lambs

Reservations & Takeaway: 01505 874663

Sunday: Closed www.cargillcentre.com

• Easter stickers, games, colouring in books, Easter books

We look forward to receiving your kind donations for Inverclyde Women’s Aid this Easter – Davy, Michelle & Jenny. I can be contacted JennyMeadows10@outlook.com

£65k Kilmacolm park improvements

Improvements worth £65,000 are due for Birkmyre Park in Kilmacolm following a public consultation.

It comes after Inverclyde Council carried out an outdoor spaces consultation seeking people’s views on potential improvements for the area. Almost 300 responses were submitted and helped influence the improvements that will be made in the coming months.

Based on the feedback from the consultation, the following works are now planned:

• Extension to the children’s play area

• Additional seating and picnic tables

• Wildflower displays

• Additional tree planting

Councillor Michael McCormick, Inverclyde Council’s convener of environment and regeneration, said: “Birkmyre Park is one of the many wonderful assets we have in Inverclyde and these improvements will enhance this area even further.

“I look forward to work commencing over the coming weeks and months and seeing the planning improvements delivered.”

St Columba, Kilmacolm

Kilmacolm Civic Trust

Have you ever wondered what life was like originally, in Kilmacolm, in the early and middle twentieth century? The village was a self-sustaining community with six bakeries and a creamery. All the produce was sourced locally from nearby farms.

The Civic Trust have been collecting photographs and documents as well as many stories from the older residents of Kilmacolm and now effectively hold the unofficial record of Kilmacolm history. The stories are available on video or in written form on our website www.kilmacolmcivictrust.org.

To access these use the drop down menu ‘About Kilmacolm’ and go to ‘Search our videos’ or ‘Village stories’. We are always looking for more stories and insights. If you or anyone you know would like to help with the videos, it is a painless and enjoyable exercise, please contact by email archivist@kilmacolmcivictrust.org. Alternatively things can be recorded or written down.

We also continue to collect Kilmacolm’s historical information in the form of photographs, pictures and documents, to add to our huge collection. If families do not wish to lose important local history we can add these to our archive of over 1500 items, most of which is now digitised and will be available soon. Contact the archivist as above.

Morning Worship conducted by our locum Rev Morris Coull continues throughout March at 11am. On Sunday 12th March Holy Communion will be celebrated.

Following the Service on Sunday 19th March a Soup and Pudding Lunch will be served in the Large Hall. Wednesday Break resumes - sadly without our beloved Muriel Ellis - in the Large Hall, Bridge of Weir Road.

1st March at 10.30am. At this Meeting the inter-church village World Day of Prayer Committee will present the World Day of Prayer Service prepared by Christian Women of Taiwan on the Theme, “I have heard about your Faith.” All are welcome.

8th March 10.30am : Rev Kenneth Gray Freeland Church Bridge of Weir

15th March 10.30am: Rev John Craib Bearsden Baptist Church

22nd March 10.30am: Rev Morris Coull locum Minister, St Columba Kilmacolm

29th March 10.30am: Glasgow City Mission

St Columba’s School will hold Assemblies for the Senior School in our Sanctuary each Monday from 9.30am to 10.15am

The Ladies Badminton Group meets on Wednesdays at 1.30pm in the large hall.

Playgroup meet in small hall from 9.30am to 11.30am each Monday, Tuesday and Thursday for children from 2 years 4 months to 5.

Mothers and Toddlers meet Wednesdays 10am - 10.45am in small hall for children 3 months to 5 years.

Weight Watchers meet on Wednesday evenings in the Large Hall. (For information regarding contacts for any of these Groups please telephone Wilson Hogarth 01505 872564)

Kilmacolm Art Class Annual Exhibition

Community Centre

Kilmacolm

Friday 24th March, 10am - 5pm

Saturday 25th March, 10am - 3pm

Over one hundred colourful paintings for sale, great eclectic mix of subjects and mediums. Abstract, animals, local scenery, seascapes, street scenes and gorgeous flower paintings. Sale is only on for two days, so please mark in your diary now.

We would be delighted to welcome new members to our group - if you are interested, please leave your name and telephone number at the art show. Entry and catalogue £2, children under 5 free. Photograph attached by Allison Reid, one of our new artists.

Open Monday to Friday 10 AM - 3 PM , Kilmacolm Community Centre Tea/Coffee available. For details, speak to a member of staff