Thursday and Friday activity

Thursday was the public hustings meeting in Kirkwall, organised by the Kirkwall Community Council and hosted by Bryan Taylor.  But before that I was in the Scapa Road and Glaitness area delivering leaflets and speaking to people.  Dog dirt came up again, on more than one occasion, as did garden refuse collections.  One suggestion was for a single collection at the start of the year and another at the end of the year.  I have sympathy with the people who do need help to manage their gardens (people who are getting frail or people without a vehicle) however I have also witnessed wealthy fit people with cars and trailers putting out loads of stuff they could and should dispose of themselves.  How to get the right balance will be tricky, so the folk that need the help get help but those that should be doing it themselves - don't.
I visited Old Scapa Road, where residents are experiencing parking problems from vans and works vehicles blocking drives.  Someone called in to the radio hustings programme about the problems so I thought I would like to see it and speak to residents.  The problem was not bad on Thursday morning and I didnt see any residents to speak to, however it was very bad one other day I drove past.  Phoning the police is the immediate answer and we will need to monitor it after the works stop and the residents move in to check the site parking is adequate.
The Hustings on Thursday night went well.  There were 9 candidates and about 30 in the audience.
I nailed my colours to the mast on a couple of issues - rather than a change to the Deballasting Policy for tankers in Scapa Flow, I would favour a reduction in the size of the Orkney Towage operation - to help reduce the huge losses the Harbours operation is making every year.  With less than 30 tankers a year entering the Flow it is crazy having 3 fully staffed tugs doing very little 24/7.  The changes to the deballasting policy is meant to bring in more ship to ship trade, but even if it poached all the trade over the last year in Shetland (12 transfers) there would still be a half a million loss.  I am not prepared to back a change to the deballasting policy that could lead to deballasting of foreign waters and organisms into Scapa Flow, and possible jeapordising of other local fishing industries when it will have a negligile impact on the Harbours losses and just prolong the inevitable cuts a bit longer.  What the Scapa Flow towage operation needs is a part time service that can respond to need (when a tanker is booked to come to Flotta) rather than a 24/7 service that is doing very little and lossing a fortune.
I also said I would ask for a review of the decision to spend £1.3million on wheelie bins and new recycling lorries, as I am convinced what is proposed is not the most workable or economic option.

Then on Friday I visited Wellington Street and the Queen Sonya Kloss to Glaitness Park area.  Many of the houses are OHAL houses.  I know there are still problems with dampness and heating bills in some of the OHAL houses with the underfloor heating - and this came over as largely uresolved in conversations with residents.  However what also came over is the lovely setting and how close it is to everything (e.g. shops, Picky Centre, Glaitness School).  Several people I spoke to commented on how lucky they were to be living in this area.  One lady commented on how helpful the OHAL staff had been.  Some gardens in the area are lovely and easily the best shared space in a block of flats is in Glaitness Park (lovely flowers arranged in pots).
Two people asked how they could recycle more - and I expained the proposal to change from black bags to wheelie bins will lead to more recycling, however I also explained that I believed there may be better ways to achieve it, than spending £1.3m on bins and lorries.

This is always an enlightening eperience, geting out and speaking with residents, I regret not doing it more often.  It will be a "New Years Resolution", if I get in, to visit different residents across the ward every year.

Wednesday activity

It was a better day for walking the streets today and I managed to deliver to the new houses at Pickaquoy Loan and from there around and up Hatston Brae to Grainbank. Also Ayre Mills.
Road safety and further housing developments in the Grainbank area were topics on the agenda.
Someone phoned today too and specifically asked about why the council doesnt register how councillors vote on each decision. I am happy enough for people to know how I voted, and most votes do get done in public but the extra admin of recording how everyone votes has just not been put on paper as it will take a minute to do and it has never been an issue. Anyone in the public viewing gallery could see how councillors voted by the show of hands - but I accept that the wider public dont know that. I dont think there is any intention to be secretive, just practically getting on with the business without too much delay. If I get in I will raise it at council.

Hustings Dates

Kirkwall Hustings has been announced as Thursday 19th in the St Magnus Centre. Orphir has also announced their one for the following Thursday at the Orphir School. With 11 candidates it will require good control to keep them from dragging on too long but still giving everyone a fair hearing. I thought the radio coverage has been good, and the Orcadian pieces good too. Our slot in the Orcadian comes this Thursday.

Campaigning in St Ola and Kirkwall

Been out campaigning today in St Ola and Kirkwall. Raining hard. Spoke to a few people. Road safety and speed limits were raised in the Hatston, Old Finstown Road and Sunnybank area. Other issues raised were traffic management at the supermarkets (roundabout at Tescos entrance). The need for more free parking in the town centre to encourage shoppers to the town centre. Also support for pedestrianisation of the street from a street front trader. I was also told I was two faced but after a discussion we managed to figure out it may have been a misunderstanding of what happened in a private meeting at the OIC. Also praise for Homecare and Crossroads and the positive effects they are having on a disabled persons life, and the carers life too. The new team working system at Homecare has come under some criticism when it was introduced but for this couple it was working very well. Back out again tomorrow.

Dont buy an Epson printer

Well at the risk of getting sued I can safely say I will not be buying another as it only prints about 40 pages from a new cartridge and at £6.80 a pop that is not good enough. So dusted off the old HP and the old pc (because the old HP is so old that the new pc doesnt recognise it!) and it chunters off leaflets happily.

A list of some of the KWaO ward issues I have been involved in over the past 5 years

I passed on to officials several public worries about speeding in the Quoybanks area (I never expected it to turn into the major project that it did - and the major headache for the residents and council alike). I fought and failed to stop the width restriction for vehicles in St Catherines Place. Mr Brogan raised the issue of the Oil Tanks. I fought to get the OIC to stop sitting on redundant properties and start selling surplus properties (it has now sold dozens of redundant properties and raised over £1.3m). S Heddle and I fought to keep the new KGS on the KGS site and not have it migrate to the Picky Centre. There was a storm over public drinking and a new bylaw. Kirkwall Town Centre Retailers took out a 20 point action plan to help improve the town centre and I was keen to back it. There was a lot of concern over Tesco coming and the impact it would have on the Town Centre. I helped the Orphir Community Council resurrect the Clowally Viewpoint project. I was keen to see OIC treat Direct Payments properly as part of the service budgets. The review of the Planning Policies. Helping staff and the Parent Council chase up improvements in the Orphir School heating system. Contributing regular columns to the Orphir Community Council parish newsletter. While I was sad to see people lose their jobs, I was in favour of the restructuring of the tugs in response to the downturn in work. I worked with tenants and shared owners to pressurise OHAL to do more to help people living in their faulty new houses in the Wellington Street developments. After a public outcry I worked with residents in the Quoybanks / Warrenfield area to challenge the new traffic calming bollards and layouts constructed in the area. I worked with the new owners and the planners to secure a public footpath through the Wideford Reservoir development. I have engaged in the ongoing debate and consultation over speed limit alterations on the Orphir Road and the Old Finstown Road ( I am in favour of lower speed limits). I have been constantly on the case of officials regarding the works done to improve the operation of the Peedie Sea and the flood protection sstems for Kirkwall. Lots has been done around the Peedie Sea and lots has still to be done. I was also very active in achieving funding for a new sea defence along the harbour front, following research that shows we are in danger of having a big flood from the sea too. I was successful in redirecting funding to get improved paths at the Peedie Sea and latterly to help with tree planting in the area.

The last 5 years

It was going to be a 4 year term but it changed to 5 years, and it has felt like a long time.
Its good to get an election and a renewing of vigour and focus and mandate.
It started off well, with plenty of money and a new multi member ward system. We 4 in KWand O got along quite well and maintained our monthly ward meeting every month for the 5 years. This helped us keep up to date with the public concerns that each of us had received over the month. It also gave us the chance to work together on issues we felt needed further pushing.
Fights about the KGS location and the addition of a theatre, and the start of turbines at planning came early on. Then international financial turmoil, then tough times and OIC restructure and laterly friction amongst staff and councillors and an unhappy end to a council that has achieved a lot.
Thankfully we have had a lot more fun at home with 2 more kids coming along (see the photo) and a flit to a new house near the airport.

2012 - Write a new one or dust off the old one?

Write a totally new one and it stands clean and new for a new election. Or dust off the old blog from the last election and use it as an interesting link to the past?
Well I thought the reflective option of dusting off the old one and giving a link to the past 5 years as well as discussing the issues I intend to focus on for this campaign would be the best, most complete option.
Hope you agree.