Nairn Highland Cllr Colin MacAulay yesterday voted with his administration colleagues to shut 22 service points throughout the Highlands. The vote split along group lines with the SNP/Lab/Lib alliance's tally at 13 and the Indies with 9. Colin voted for the closures and Laurie voted against. Nairn wasn’t on the hit list but Ardersier was. In a local weekly newspaper based in Leopold Street the Editor wrote in this week’s edition prior to yesterday’s vote:
“But there is something very gung-ho about this move, suddenly announced last week. Nairn is not affected but Ardersier is. However the worrying aspect is knowing just where this may end.”
The Independent leader on the Council later put out a message to the region’s Community Councils stating that her group would be putting a Notice of amendment to take the issue back to the next Council meeting on the 13th of March. Click read more to see what she wrote:
"Thank you to all of you who have done so much work in making submissions regarding the service points. Unfortunately although I asked the Chair, he would not agree to a recess during the meeting to allow the committee members time to consider what you had written. I feel this is somewhat of an own goal as we will be able to use that in the future. However the outcome of the meeting was that all the political party Members of the Administration voted 13 against the 9 independent members to shut all 22 service points.
We have submitted a Notice of Amendment to take the item back to the next Council Meeting on 13th March. We would ask you to help us if possible by contacting your local Members and making your views about the service points you are concerned about. Even more uncertainty remains after the meeting today, we need to clarify some of the statements made at the meeting today by the Administration.
Once again thanking you for all your help and support,
We did our best.
Carolyn Wilson"
Would it not be better moving the Nairn library over to the old Social Work buildings rather than spending thousands on a building that doesent belongs to them. The old Social work building wouldnt take much to put it back into public use again. I do not agree with them wanting to turn it into a Whisky visitor centre. Who is going to pay for the staff plus the cost of a Manager to run it. If they can afford to do this they can afford to put it to better use ie The people of Nairn.
ReplyDeleteThey cant do that NICE isn't going get it for a knock price never mind the deficit
ReplyDeleteI would like to propose a vote on the Gurn with permission of the Gurnmeister to have a vote either yes or no. Should the old Social Work building be converted into a library for the people of Nairn for it to be put to good use for which iam sure it would be for any orginisations or groups in Nairn. If we let them sell it or give it away for a song we will never get the chance again. If the owners that own the library decided they wanted to sell the building where would we go and would they open another library for us.The building should be for the people of Nairn. I would like to hear from any of the Councillors reading this why not.
ReplyDeleteHi Captain Sencible, that's one other option for the Old Social Work buildings, there may be others out there with ideas too - perhaps NICE have some detailed proposals they are going to present at the charrette in April.
ReplyDeleteFurther complications to the library scenario include the fact that the owners of the library building also own the large car park behind it.
Maybe we could have a vote sometime on this but perhaps people might have alternative suggestions for the library too. What do Gurnites think of Captain Sencible's idea?
The building housed the police and other families.NAIRN needs homes and every proposed building sight meets with disapproval and reverting back to much needed housing for this building will no doubt meet the same fate.
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