"Can I start by addressing the question raised again in the GURN about diverse groups in Nairnshire and the excuse rolled out by HC and HIE that they cannot work with Nairnshire because of this"

 Last night at the Nairn West and Suburban Community Council meeting, Alastair Noble, the interim chair of the CC spoke of the content of a recent Gurn article in which we asked: " In the depths of one Highland Council candidate's latest blog post is their something we should all pay serious attention to?" That article is available here. 

Here is Alastairs opening address to the meeting: "Welcome to this NW&SCC meeting

We are getting ever closer to normal meetings- so a warm welcome to all and many thanks for attending

Can anybody declare any conflict of interests before we start

Welcome to members of the public and in particular to some of the candidates for the HC elections. As Chair I will try and be as fair and impartial as possible

Can I therefore ask the candidates not to use this meeting as a husting and mainly just listen

Can I also ask members of the public to keep their questions to the space at the end of the meeting.

Can I ask everybody just to introduce themselves?

Also, we welcome Phil Stewart who is interested in becoming a co-opted member. The start of many more I hope.

Can I start by addressing the question raised again in the GURN about diverse groups in Nairnshire and the excuse rolled out by HC and HIE that they cannot work with Nairnshire because of this.

In my extensive experience, Nairnshire has some of the best joined up working anywhere in the UK.

We have as examples

the Community Centre an amazing example of local management and control

the Sports Club again locally exceptionally well run and used

The Integrated Hospital site rated as the best model in the UK for health and social care

Cantraybridge College a unique college for students with disability

Keep Nairn Colourful quietly working away to keep the town looking attractive

Hydrotherapy pool

NICE /Team Hamish with massive popular support/Splashpad etc

Music Nairn/ Cinema Nairn/Book and Arts Festival

Golf /football/ athletic/rowing /sailing/boxing/ swimming/cricket/bowling/angling clubs etc

2 world class championship golf courses

Internationally important wetlands and woodlands

Wonderful historic buildings and history

Allotments/apple growers

Sustainable heating projects around the Lido and swimming pool

Apologies if I have missed you out

So, who is spreading this rumour and most importantly why?

Could it be because Nairnshire is not getting its Fair Share Budgets and is seen as a cash cow for HC?

Could it be that the CCs are asking the right questions about the Common Good, Developer Contributions, closed secret meetings, SPSO Finding, bad planning, lack of infrastructure, poor school property -I could go on

Nairn Residents Concern Group played a massive role supporting HC decisions in the appeals at Sandown and Nairn South. They still provide invaluable input around planning issues. We have our own population / Common Good /housing needs Guru!

The Local Jobs network has been led by members of both CCs and has been a very useful information source.

It clearly has identified that Nairnshire needs more local jobs and working with the big local businesses and employers we must prioritise industrial sites and deliver more local jobs. The way forward is the Economic Development Forum and Nairn getting its Fair Share recurrent revenue budgets from HC and NHS Highland. HIE must play its part in Nairnshire moving forward

We have a shared vision of Nairnshire as a green sustainable place to live, work, retire to and holiday in.

We can deliver this exciting way forward. Working together we can use the Local Place Planning mechanism to deliver our priorities in sorting our infrastructure first -This must be locally driven with NICE as our Community Enterprise Body leading

Priorities are well known and essential before any new additional housing

by-pass -essential now we need fixed time scale for delivery and cost

Flood risk/Sewage/Harbour need doing now

Town centre regeneration including housing and more businesses and jobs

School properties starting with a New Academy and new primaries as needed

We must now work with our New Councillors and deliver for Nairnshire

Both CCs and I am sure the other Nairnshire CC s are very happy to do the work and deliver this exciting future

We have a very clear set of priorities and so much work has already been done.

Let’s just now deliver it together

Dr Alastair L Noble MBE

Interim Chair NW&SC"