Movers and shakers meet for economic summit
An economic summit on Sustainable Economic Growth in Argyll and Bute was held in Inveraray last Friday.
The summit brought together a wide range of public, private and voluntary sector stakeholders to discuss the opportunities for economic growth in the area, and included a keynote speech from Argyll and Bute MSP Jim Mather, Minister for Enterprise, Energy and Tourism.
The day’s proceedings opened with a welcome speech by Argyll and Bute Council’s newly-installed Provost, Bill Petrie, who set the tone, saying: “Our traditional industries are important, but we all need to move ahead in today’s scientific age. If we sow the right seeds, then we’ll reap a rich, golden harvest.”
Council Leader, Councillor Dick Walsh, said: “The Scottish Government recently published its economic strategy which sets out clear and ambitious targets for sustainable economic growth in Scotland. Argyll and Bute is an area which has significant economic challenges, many related to its narrow economic base and remote, peripheral and island geography.
“However, it is an area with significant potential for growth, with high levels of educational attainment and entrepreneurial activity. This conference will enable stakeholders to discuss the constraints facing the economy in Argyll and Bute and map out a positive way forward to achieving growth in the area.
Argyll and Bute MSP, Jim Mather, said: “This is very much a process, not an event. We have been gathering information in communities around Argyll and Bute during the summer, and we look to build on this with today’s event.”
The summit, held at the Argyll Hotel, was aimed at teasing out issues which affect business and economic development across the region, and the range of interests represented at the meeting guaranteed a wide variety of points.
There was, not surprisingly, a good deal of overlap in concerns raised by the commercial and social enterprises present.
Some of the main cross-cutting themes were:
•The serious lack of affordable housing, and the need for housing to be allocated for economic purposes as well as social. This was seen as a major constraint to recruiting and retaining staff in Argyll and Bute.
• Planning constraints - in the widest sense. A ‘lack of a joined-up approach’ between government agencies was seen as a hurdle to development. Attitudes to co-operation displayed by senior management within the council had not, it was claimed, yet filtered down to middle management and officers in planning and other departments.
• Argyll and Bute’s transport system. A co-ordinated approach to planning and investment in roads and ferry links were seen as critical to the area’s future development.
• Marketing of the region. It was felt that Argyll and Bute does not make the best of its many natural advantages. In particular, farming produce and tourism could be better marketed, to prevent the flow of value to other parts of the country.
• Lack of labour. There is difficulty across all industries in finding skilled labour -from youngsters coming into primary industries (farming, fishing, forestry), to recruiting middle managers. The link with housing shortages was highlighted, along with the need for technical training in schools linked to apprenticeship schemes.Jim Mather MSP said: “This is an important first for Argyll and Bute in bringing together many of the private, public and voluntary organisations that help to serve the needs of the local people.
“We are offering them the opportunity to be more effective and to allow them, in turn, to help achieve higher levels of economic growth and prosperity across the constituency. This event will hopefully be the start of a new approach and lead to greater co-operation and collaboration in the future which will benefit the people of Argyll and Bute.
Peter Timms, Chairman of HIE Argyll and the Islands, added: “Argyll and Bute has much to contribute to the Scottish Government’s economic ambitions and already has strong operators in the life science, tourism and food and drink sectors.
“To lever the full potential from this very diverse area will require close partnership and co-operation between all of its stakeholders.”
In this spirit of partnership and co-operation, the next step will be to draw together the range of issues raised at the summit, before circulating these round the various stakeholders. A future meeting will then decide who can contribute towards solutions in each area of concern.
Council Leader, Dick Walsh, added: “The council is responsible for delivering a wide range of services which are very important to the business sector, therefore I am delighted that Argyll and Bute Council has worked together with HIE Argyll and the Islands to host this event.
“Doubtless, there are challenges ahead in changing attitudes, but this process is all about creating a climate for improvement.”


WESTFIELD Public meeting
As reported in last week’s Observer, the Younger Hall in Kilmun was the venue for a packed public meeting on Wednesday, December 12 in which residents of Strone and surrounding areas were invited to discuss the proposed extraction of timber via Westfield, the small street in Strone.
The meeting had been organised by Councillor Bruce Marshall as a result of the much publicised, public anger and frustration brought on by Forestry Commission Scotland’s (FCS) decision to use Westfield as the exit from the Kilmun Hills above the villages on the shore.
Also in attendance were Cllr Ron Simon, two members of FCS, Paul O’Farrel of Argyll and Bute’s Roads Department and Ian Arnold of the Strategic Timber Transport Fund.
The meeting began at 7pm prompt when one member of the audience, Allan Fraser, thanked Cllr Marshall for setting up the meeting and the other top-table members who had given up their free time to come along and discuss the matter.
Not just NIMBYs
Mr Fraser went on immediately to say, however, that the members of the audience were not just NIMBYs (a NIMBY is someone who objects to siting something in their own neighbourhood but does not object to it being sited elsewhere; it is an acronym for ‘not in my backyard’); there is genuine concern over health and safety, as well as many other fears should the proposal go ahead.
Cllr Marshall responded by thanking everyone for turning out before saying that he, like everyone else, feels strongly about the whole issue and everything that has been said previously, both privately and publicly had been taken on board.
He then went on to introduce those at the top table and outlined their role, before giving a brief overview of past history, when Westfield was previously used for the same reason as is proposed now, the extraction of timber.
Gordon Donaldson of FCS then took to the floor, thanked Cllr Marshall and praised those who had turned out for the discussion.
Mr Donaldson said that FCS had gone through all the options, looking in depth at them all before deciding that Westfield was the most viable.
Too steep
He said that the Midge Lane option had been ruled out as the road that would have to be built would be far too steep for timber lorries.
He also said that they: “have to be seen to use taxpayers’ money in an environmentally sensitive way,” adding; “other options would have been used from the start if they had been less expensive.
“The last thing we want to do is upset the community, but we were inevitably left with no options, as we were unable to use any other route in this situation.”
Mr Donaldson then stressed, however: “We believe that we have gone through all the options but we are willing to listen to alternatives.”
Funding
This sparked the first question from the floor: that of funding from the Strategic Timber Transport Fund (STTF).
The question raised was with regards to why the funds that were available were not being used, given that the STTF was specifically set up for projects like this.
The response from Mr Donaldson was that STTF is not hugely supportive of individual owners (of which FCS is one), who would be the only ones to benefit from funding. Mr Donaldson also pointed out that the most they could hope for was 50/60 per cent of the total amount required, which still left a lot of money to be found, should another option be preferred over Westfield.
A later question revealed that although enquiries had been made by FCS, no application for funding had actually been submitted.
Another point raised was that the sum to upgrade the car park at Westfield would now be £30k as opposed to the £7k originally quoted. This, Mr Donaldson pointed out, was due to the fact the residents did not want the top of the road to be made into a new car park, instead preferring the existing one to be extended.
This prompted a thought from Strone resident John Astley. Mr Astley pointed out that 60 per cent of £200k (£192k has been quoted for another option, Kilmun Arboretum) is £120k, and if you add this to the £30k already put aside for Westfield, then FCS would be required to find less than £50k, which in the grand scheme of things is not a lot of money.
Solution
Mr Astley iterated that everyone had turned up to try to come up with a solution to the problem rather than just talk about the problem itself.
Mr Astley then raised a proposal which was seconded by Mr Fraser. “With immediate effect we need to form a steering group, made up of all the stakeholders, who will come up with a way to raise finance to make one of the other options possible,” he said.
This was greeted by applause from the floor and acceptance by Mr Donaldson.
Many others from the floor voiced thoughts and opinions on a host of topics. Some were extremely eloquently put across, others more bluntly. All of them, however, came from the heart.
Rashfield
One option that until now has not been discussed was using Rashfield as the gateway. Cllr Marshall received acknowledgment from the floor when he made this recommendation.
Mr Donaldson went on to concede that money is an extremely big issue and although he will certainly appeal to his bosses for funding should a suitable option be put to him, he admitted that it will be hard to change the decision to use Westfield.
Throughout the course of the hour-long meeting several more concerns and suggestions were raised and a petition that had been signed by local residents was handed to Mr Donaldson.
Steering Group
Cllr Marshall concluded the meeting by confirming that a steering group was to be put together and offered Mr Donaldson the chance to say a few words. This he did, thanking everyone for turning up before making it clear that he is happy to sit round the table with a view to discussing a workable and acceptable alternative to Westfield, which he would put to his bosses.
After the meeting Cllr Marshall said: “With eloquence and conviction the residents of ‘The Shore’ let Forestry Commission Scotland know exactly how they felt about heavy timber lorries passing through their village and have forced FCS back to the table. I sincerely hope we can achieve a workable solution to this long- running problem.”
Afterwards Mr Donaldson said: “I am happy that the meeting has concluded with a clear next step and FCS welcomes the opportunity to sit with a steering group, representative of the community, to discuss and consider the suggested Rashfield option as a possible alternative to Westfield.
“I have to be honest, however, and say that I have a real concern that this option will be difficult to achieve, but FCS will certainly go in with an open mind.”
Mr Astley said: “The aim of the steering group will be to ensure that funding is raised to enable FCS to look at other options. There is funding available, we just need to find it.”
Lip service
Mr Fraser added: “Whilst I would like to thank the people who turned up I felt that some of those on the platform were initially there only to placate and appease the locals.
“It was quickly apparent that they could barely conceal their irritation at having to be at the meeting.
“They were taken aback by the emotion and informed comments from the floor. Even so, it was apparent to me that there was no ‘authority’ round the table and the best they could do was pay lip service to the audience.”


Homes left without water over weekend
Normal water supplies were restored to 36 properties on Monday after Scottish Water worked throughout the weekend to locate and repair a burst mains pipe.
A small number of houses in the Stron, Blairmore and Ardentinny areas and a local hotel were without a water supply from Friday night as a result of the burst pipe in the Kilmun area.
Because the water from the burst pipe was running into a sewer and was not coming to the surface and clearly visible, locating it proved more difficult than had been expected.
Scottish Water made attempts on Saturday to backfeed the water supply from another area which proved unsuccessful and caused some other properties to have poor pressure for a short time. This was soon rectified.
The mains pipe on which the burst occurred supplies the Dunselma service reservoir and the supply to the reservoir had to be shut down on Monday morning to allow Scottish Water to carry out the repair to the burst.
As a result of shutting down the supply, about 30 properties and the local primary school were without water from Monday morning until mid-afternoon when the burst pipe was repaired and normal supply to all the affected properties was restored.
To minimise any inconvenience to customers, Scottish Water confirmed it supplied bottled water to all householders and businesses which were affected by the loss of supply.
Helen Lennox, Scottish Water’s Head of Corporate Affairs, said: “This was a complicated burst and took some time to locate and repair. We apologise for any inconvenience caused to our customers who were affected and appreciate their patience and understanding during our work to restore normal supplies as quickly as possible.”


Local man admits child porn charge
A retired policeman has admitted downloading images of children as young as two having sex with adults.
The High Court in Glasgow heard that the photographs stored by 63-year-old Alexander Crawford on his computer were described by a child protection expert as “some of the worst” he had seen in his career.
Crawford, of Main Road, Sandbank was caught after he put his computer in for repair.
Graeme Jessop, prosecuting, said that an employee at a local IT repair shop ran a diagnostic check following routine repairs.
He added: “This identified a number of thumbnail images which depicted graphic images of children being sexually abused.
Considerably affected by the discovery, the employee immediately telephoned the police, who attended and viewed the images.
In a report prepared for the court, Dr Michael O’Keefe said that the images he was required to view were “some of the worst still images I have came across in my career.”
Crawford admitted having the images in his possession, having downloaded them from the internet.
The offences were committed at his home between August 8 and November 14, last year.
Crawford told police that his grown-up son had given him the computer six months earlier.
He admitted he was downloading pornography and said he first viewed the images by accident, entering the websites via “pop-ups” that appeared on his e-mail.
He then started to save the images on the websites, telling police that it became an obsession.
The court was informed that Crawford, who has two adult children, is understood to have separated from his wife.
Judge Lord Mackay of Drumadoon deferred sentence on Crawford until next month for background reports.
Tony Graham, defending, will give his plea in mitigation then.