Monday, March 02, 2009

Could a Tory campaign help Nairn town centre?

We’ve already had the LibDems starting a Nairn by-pass campaign and now there are suggestions that we should make use of a Scottish Conservative campaign site. Iright has already commented about the site but anyway here is a suggestion from Samantha:

Hello everyone,

I have been asked by John Mackie to contact as many people as possible to garner support for this initative. Scotland has been given £60 million to refurbish the high streets of small towns and villages. By clicking on
www.HelpOurHighStreet.com you can give your ideas and also vote for our town to receive some of this money. Our community council will also be involved in this process and are keen to hear the ideas from the community and to get the community to vote in this scheme.

For those of you who attended the Prince's Foundation workshop last year, you may like to think about the ideas which surfaced for our Town Centre on the final night. The ideas and opinions expressed there may spark something for you to suggest.

I have had a look at the voting site and it asks why our town should get the money, not necessarily what we want and I think the Government will also be looking for strength of numbers i.e. how interested and committed is the community of each town to voting for a share of the £60 million. So....... it is up to each of us. Please pass this on to as many people as possible and spread the word. If someone does not have a computer, there are P.C.s at the local library for public use at no charge.

Please take this opportunity to show that we, the community, can come up with something better for our town centre than a Supermarket .

Samantha Bacon

Well the Gurnmeister can see no harm at all in this initiative and if we can come up with enough original ideas then all well and good the politicians will hopefully take them up on our behalf. Let's get the whole lot of them working for us, then we can base our decisions at the next election on results and not the usual beauty contest.

9 comments:

Anonymous said...

How about a "Public Stocks" where members of the township can take retrobution (spelling ?) on those handling the supermarket carbunkel - come to think of it I can think on a lot more blunderers for the stocks..!

Anonymous said...

In its current state what could be better for Nairn than a supermarket?!

Anonymous said...

Anon, you are right, but the issue of a supermarket is already being looked at one way or the other. I think that this initiative gives us, the people of Nairn, a wide- open opportunity to voice our ideas, to the Government in particular and the Community generally. Many of us have been saying for some time that our Elected Representatives do no listen to us, and I do not notice any one of the Fab Four jumping up and shouting about this opportunity, so obviously they are holding fast to their believe that Developers will be the saviours of our High Street/Town centre. Remember, Sandy Park has been holding out this carrot to us for years but I for one, do not like being held hostage to the whim of a Developer and the paucity of lateral thinking from our Councillors. As well as voting on this High Street Web site for a share of the money, why not also post our suggestions on the Gurn site. Why not voice our opinion and ideas on an open site, brainstorm even, to see what ideas from one person could spark in others. We have been lulled into apathy over the years by the inaction of our council and their lack of regard for any objections or suggestions we, as a community, have put forward. Developers have been allowed almost free rein to build what they like, where they like. objections have been dismissed, material considerations not considered or supported by our elected representatives. Our Councillors do not seem to be doing anything about pitching for this money. Its up to us don't you think?
Samantha

Anonymous said...

Royal Burgh of Nairn Conservative Community Council (RBNCCC) You never know.?

Graisg said...

Hi Maggie, is Gordon still having your round for tea at number 10?

The Gurnmeister has never voted Tory and most likely never will, however your comment brings to mind one convservative councillor on the old HRC as it was (pre HC). He had a lot in common with all of Nairn's existing and previous community councillors. He never claimed a penny in allowances or expenses during the whole of his service on the Highland Regional Council. A lot of people didn't like his politics but the late Bob Farrow enjoyed tremendous respect well beyond the frontiers of the local Conservative Party.

Anonymous said...

No Iam afraid not Graisg.Says he cannot really afford it at the moment,and feeling the pinch like everyone else.Fair miss my bikkie tho.

Anonymous said...

Maggie, I, like many others in this disenfranchised part of the country, do not care where the money comes from, at least it is available and just in case you are querying my politics, I am not affiliated to any one party. My vote goes to the person (not the party) who can do the most for the causes, opinions et al that I support which generally and specifically relate to where I live (Nairn, the Highlands) and what I would like for my area, my town, my environment, my home and my life generally. Gone are the days when I ran with just one party. All parties, in my view change their spots just to garner votes. I reserve the right to vote for whomever I please and espouse whatever cause I please and I support the right of others to do exactly the same, whatever their choice. This Council is knee deep in urdure of one kind or another and could do with dispensing with party politics and show some cojones by establishing cross-party approaches to the problems that are so obvious, as well as taking up and supporting the interests and opinions of the electorate, which, as you know, they are amply paid to do.
Samantha

Anonymous said...

Qoute - "Remember, Sandy Park has been holding out this carrot to us for years but I for one, do not like being held hostage to the whim of a Developer and the paucity of lateral thinking from our Councillors"

I agree with you Samantha - To many of the Highland Councillors have been "Institutionalised" by the ethics of trying to get developers to fund major infrastructure in return for planning permission - Thats okay for a major town (0opps) city like Inverness where there is major footfall for the investment.

Clearly Nairn has missed the boat here, obviously due to our Highland Councillors putting all their eggs in one basket.

Look at the Nairn Comm Centre they are still short of the 100,000 squid promised from the Deveron Goldfield sell off!!!

Fishertoonloon

Anonymous said...

Highland Council just want to get their hands on the Sandown money so they can invest even more in the tobaco industry.