Sunday, June 17, 2012

Notes from the West CC – Rosemary missing Graham

At the West CC meeting last week, the chair, Rosemary young expressed her regret that Graham Vine had not been re-elected in November 2011. Rosemary was giving her annual AGM address, she said:
“I sadly miss Graham Vine and as he so stoically pointed out to me at the time, “It was democracy at its best”.  
She continued: "It was really quite good to see the residents of Nairn turning out and voting because we weren’t elected so to speak originally - so we definitely are elected this time.”
Rosemary outlined her council’s wish for a single CC but expressed that it was unlikely to happen now, she said: “…but we are very pleased that we are working strongly with the other CCs. I think this is healthy working together.”
The chair then outlined some of the issues that the group are working on: “We’re still working very hard on issues such as the town centre, traffic flow, pavements, traffic lights, litter and seagulls – we have challenges ahead obviously.”

Later the watchdogs discussed a multitude of traffic issues, including the West End rat run. Top tier boys Colin MacAulay and Michael Green were present and both of them thought that a 20 m.ph. limit in the rat run zone would be a good interim measure with Colin wishing to see the 20 m.p.h. limit elsewhere in Nairn too. River’s Tommy Hogg was also present and he responded to Cllr Graham Kerr (very prominent in traffic matters) when he said they should get feedback from other areas. Tommy said: “We’ve actually had the 20 m.p.h limit in the Fishertown for the last ten years and nobody takes any heed of it whatsoever!”

There was much more debate on traffic matters and, as the Westies welcome all comers, their meetings remain a good venue for anyone in the town with concerns to flag them up in front of Highland Councillors and the press who are usually in attendance. Gurnites will also be welcomed with such points at West and River too but the Westies really know how to talk traffic.

On this particular night Graham Vine was not to be missed and he told the meeting: “I would like to see somebody do an experiment where we put shrouds on every traffic light in Nairn and see if the traffic gets better or worse because I will lay money it gets better without the lights.”

Colin MacAulay pointed out that he and Liz would like to see the Community Centre site come off the market sooner rather than later. There are those that would like to see a permanent car park on the site, a change of policy by Highland Council would be most welcome here. The rush to sell the site is preventing the community coming up with its own long-term solution for this important town centre area. Good luck to Liz and Colin in their efforts to get the new administration in Glenurquhart Road to listen to Nairn on this one.

 Well done Rosemary and the Westies for once again providing a dynamic public arena for debate.  

3 comments:

Not ever missing Graham said...

Driving the correct was along Sandown Lane whilst it was temporally made one way, I was taken aback to meet a well known face who resides in the West end driving the wrong way along the one way street. Some animals are more equal than others? But it brings to the fore the question of policing for any new road policy that the West CC manage to drive through. As Tommy points out, the 20mph limit in the Fishertown is often ignored by drivers although signage is not that great

More disturbing though was the comment "20 m.ph. limit in the rat run zone would be a good interim measure"

Interim?! before what happens, the Access Only becomes law. The West CC continue to utter ideas that alienate the rest of Nairn, maybe they just don't care

Anonymous said...

I think 'interim' means ...till someone fixes the traffic lights or maybe till we get a bypass. Alienates the rest of Nairn ..that will only happen when you get people who are overcome by the green eyed monster making suggestions that they would be alienated.
Why should people be driving more that 20mph anyway.
Just to clarify I don't live in the west end.

Anonymous said...

Solution make the whole town 20 mph, except the A96 and that would solve a lot of the problem. Then again probably too sensible a solution.