Tag Archives: For Argyll political challenge

George White: Economic development strategy for Argyll

Posted on by newsroom

George White

The geography of Argyll & Bute makes it essential to have regional objectives of a short term , medium term and long term nature to ensure economic growth across the entire area. As Argyll & Bute is larger than several European countries , there is much work to be done.

There should be a Central Region Fund (Argyll & Bute Inc.) established to allow access to Scottish , British and European funding streams. Prudential borrowing could then follow with a range of capital projects being put forward to improve life in Argyll & Bute , create jobs locally through regeneration initiatives and be a building block for future economic recovery.

Campbeltown & the Kintyre Isles

There is an urgent need for Campbeltown to have a trans-Clyde ferry service , either directly to Ardrossan or via Brodick. This would allow Kintyre direct access to the central belt and its populations , as well as the motorway network.

The potential ‘shot in the arm’ for tourism and businesses could kick-start the Kintyre economy at a badly needed time. It would also create jobs locally.

Benefits would result for much of Kintyre , right up to and including Lochgilphead which is also in need of an economic boost.

The introduction of RET on the ferry networks would also assist the regeneration of the economy; a real tangible benefit for the Kintyre Isles.

If a ferry service to Northern Ireland was to follow , Campbeltown would be ‘a travel hub’ for the area with obvious benefits to the town and surrounding area.

The A83 upgrade would also need to be part of the economic regeneration jigsaw; again this would create jobs locally and benefit the local communities and visitors alike.

Oban , Lorn & the Isles

The Oban waterfront regeneration would be the priority project in this area to boost tourism and create jobs locally. This entire area has real opportunity to create wealth from its waterfronts, lochs and islands.

The A85 upgrade is also essential to create jobs locally and benefit both communities and visitors to the area.

The West Highland line is also a critical factor in the regeneration of Oban and its neighbouring communities , linking central Scotland to remote areas of Argyll.

I believe additional services could be supported from Glasgow which again could boost the tourist numbers to the area and bring economic benefits accordingly.

RET should be put in place for all local ferry services to encourage economic growth.

Dunoon & the Cowal Peninsula

The introduction of regular sailings from Dunoon town centre to Gourock town centre carrying both vehicles and passengers using the new linkspan will result in the regeneration of Dunoon and its neighbouring villages.

Once in place , this will allow a significant regeneration of the Dunoon waterfront surrounding the area of the current pier ; this will result in millions of pounds of building works in Dunoon and will create jobs ; funding for this waterfront is already in place and is ring-fenced , but it won’t be forever.

Dunoon and the Cowal Peninsula depend heavily on tourism , but also needs frequent and regular ferry services to allow residents access to jobs , education and hospitals.

Rothesay

I firmly believe that the Isle of Bute has the skills and people to support a Science Park; with good ferry and road links to the mainland , well paid jobs could be secured to assist with the regeneration of Bute.

The new marinas at Rothesay and Port Bannatyne are a welcome upgrade to the seafront locations on Bute.

Again the ferry services are vital to the Bute community and RET should be considered to allow access to the island for extra tourists and their disposable income.

Helensburgh ( I know it is not in the Scottish parliamentary seat)

I believe that a new car ferry link to Gourock would allow Lomond residents to access major employers such as T-Mobile , RBS and Amazon.

It would again provide a trans-Clyde service to promote tourism and the interaction between both sides of the Clyde.

The funding of all of these suggestions could be funded from

  1. Taking more money from the banks
  2. Prudential borrowing
  3. Rescheduling debt
  4. Reviewing payment schedule for new Forth Road Bridge
  5. Increasing income tax for those earning more than £ 100,000 per year.

George White

George White is the Liberal Party’s candidate for the Argyll and Bute seat in the Scottish Election 2011 which will be held on 5th May.

The photograph above has been copyright cleared. It shows:

  • George White with one of the Rothesay ferries.

Mick Rice: Economic development strategy for Argyll

Posted on by newsroom

MIck Roce wiht the Connell Football Team who came to support him when he spoke in Oban

We are faced with cuts and austerity at every turn. Inflation soars to over 5% as pensioners and those on fixed incomes count the pennies. Our young people are in danger of becoming another “lost generation” as job opportunities disappear. Those in the public sector fear for their jobs with swingeing budget cuts.

We are vulnerable in Argyll and Bute:

  • High proportion of pensioners
  • Our young people are forced to leave to find jobs
  • 38% of all local jobs are in the public sector – much higher than the Scottish average of 24.9%.

I do not believe that it is inevitable that all of us must learn to put up with a lower standard of living. Those who believe that nothing can be done seal their own fate.

We need a Scottish Government that will:

  • Counter the impact of cuts
  • Stand up for Scotland against the Tory-led UK government
  • Introduce a public investment strategy

We need the Council and the Scottish Government to work together to secure a prosperous future.

In 2010, the UK public debt was estimated to be about 52% of gross domestic product (GDP) and reached 60% in February 2011. Comparative figures are:

  • Italy 115%
  • Germany 77%
  • USA 71%
  • Japan 225%

It is worthwhile recalling that debt stood at 238% of GDP in 1947 – just when the UK embarked on a massive programme of social reconstruction. Growth produced prosperity that produced the tax returns that lowered the debt. (Figures from Professor Prem Sika and Wikipedia)

Mick Rice in Lochgilphead , outside The Stag Pub which is being refurbished.The budget cuts are only just beginning to bite – more jobs will be lost and more people thrown on to the scrapheap unless we do something. There is a better way and this is through government investment in infrastructure.

The borrowing powers in the new Scotland Act provide up to £2.5 billion – Argyll and Bute MUST GET a fair share of this for OUR priorities.

I want our Council to invest in OUR future. Highland Council, our immediate neighbour, has borrowed £603.6 million. Argyll and Bute Council has £48 million in reserves. Surely, Argyll and Bute ought to be able to borrow to invest in the future!

This investment will help keep job levels buoyant – and will, in due course, produce a return.

I am not suggesting that the Council becomes an irresponsible gung-ho borrower. But where an income stream can be identified, and there is a solid business case, the Council should underwrite capital borrowings. The Council should do this for its own projects and act as guarantor for business loans as it can secure cheaper commercial deals.

In order to encourage Council prudential borrowing, ALL new business rate growth should be returned to the Council.

My proposals are a contribution to a citizen’s debate. Our future is not guaranteed by the emergence of some ‘know-it-all’ politician who has written the master plan that is the blueprint for our glorious future. Our future will be determined by using the talents of all to address the needs of all.

It is for this reason that I am proposing the creation of an Economic Development Council for Argyll and Bute. (ABCEDC). The Council could provide a small secretariat to facilitate meetings and minutes. ABCEDC should have sector representation, be open to the public, and meet bi-monthly. It should receive sector strategy proposals on a rota basis. These should be available for public comment through a web site that would act as a focal point for debate.

This body needs local interested citizens who agree to act as community champions for sector regeneration – not paid consultants.

I set out below some ideas that could be considered.

Mick Rice on the Mull Ferry - drawing attention to the Gourck Dunoon ferry needsTransport

Effective transport communication is the lifeblood of rural communities.

  • I am pleased that the Council has now agreed to implement a roads improvement strategy and is to invest £15.6 million over a 3-year period. BUT IT IS NOT ENOUGH. I want the Council to at least double this. Potholes are one of the biggest issues in Argyll and Bute.
  • Trunk the A83 from Kennacraig to Campbeltown – thereby reducing the burden on the Council and increasing the road fund for our non trunk roads.
  • Road Equivalent Tariff for all ferry fares in Argyll and the Clyde (where these produce cheaper fares).
  • Secure build costs for 2 Ferries (either from Scottish Government borrowing powers or the Council) to operate on the Dunoon / Gourock service.
  • Campbeltown needs a ferry service to the Ayrshire coast to reduce the travel time from Glasgow.
  • Re-examine the Campbeltown / Ballycastle Ferry to see if it can be reinstated.
  • A regulator to reduce fuel costs for rural communities.
  • A Transport Hub at Oban linking the Train Station, Bus Terminus and Ferry.
  • Speed up the train (Scotrail has confirmed that the train could go faster on existing track) from Oban to Glasgow.

Tourism

Tourism accounts for 13% of employment in Argyll and Bute and rises to 18% in Kintyre.

  • VisitScotland should be more accountable. A proportion of VisitScotland fees should be retained as local campaign funds for local Marketing Groups made up of local tourist related businesses. This can then be used to attract funding for locally determined promotions.
  • I was interested in the proposals from the Trump organisation for a Golf Holiday complex in North East Scotland. Notwithstanding the environmental issues that have arisen, I will do all I can to help attract capital to Argyll and Bute for major tourist projects. These should be taken forward in conjunction with existing tourist businesses and be sensitive to local feelings.

The Portavadie Marina project holds out a promise both for its own success and as an exemplar for others to follow.

Renewables and Sustainability

I support the retention of the Skykon. I also backed KOWAG who have successfully campaigned against the proposal for (500 – 700) massive turbines just one hundred metres offshore!

  • I want to see ‘Planning for Real’ community engagement initiatives to identify potential sites for wind and tidal power. The Council should take the lead and consider creating municipal enterprises to develop renewable energy. These must be community sensitive. The establishment of Argyll & Bute Renewable Energy Alliance is a step in the right direction.
  • I support the development of bio fuels – particularly using algae technology. In this regard the Scottish Association of Marine Science should take the lead.
  • Enhanced local recycling and sorting of waste.
  • Bulk transport of fresh water to drought stricken countries.

Regeneration

I support:

  • Creating business improvement districts (BIDS) to help regenerate our town centres. I am pleased that these are being taken forward in Dunoon, Rothesay and Oban.
  • The Rothesay Pavilion Renovation Proposals and Town Heritage Initiative.
  • Rural Pubs should be protected and be given a rates holiday if turnover is less than £250,000.
  • Creating a mobile abattoir service – thereby reducing transport of animals.
  • Setting up Enterprise Zones for the CHORD towns.

Creative Industries

Our location and quality of life are deal makers for people who can work anywhere.

  • In this regard we need to liaise with creative workers – artists and writers – to see what can be done to attract others to live here. Perhaps the Glasgow School of Art could be persuaded to hold summer schools  ‘doon the water’ and we could create a significant exhibition space. The Tate runs a successful facility in St Ives, why not a Dunoon Rennie Mackintosh?
  • I was interested to hear of the success of Argyll Telecom, a company based in Dunoon, which has become a brand leader in health and safety support for lone workers. We need to encourage similar high-tech entrepreneurs and assist with start-up costs.
  • Of course, central to attracting new high-tech business is having super-broadband connectivity. This is another infrastructural investment to be made via the Council and/or Scottish Government.
  • We must also demand relocation of government agencies. New technology means that it is perfectly viable to relocate quangos and government departments to Campbeltown, Rothesay, Oban and Dunoon. Just imagine what a Government department with 200 jobs would mean to the economy of Bute!

Young people and training

I was appalled to discover that young people cannot undertake more than 16 hours per week of college training if they are to retain unemployment benefit. I shall try to obtain agreement that where young people are genuinely seeking work that they can train full time.

  • I support the establishment of 10,000 apprenticeships to suitably qualified school leavers over the next 3 years from the Scottish Future Jobs fund.

If we work TOGETHER and use ALL our TALENTS we can make a DIFFERENCE in Argyll and Bute.

Mick Rice

Mick Rice is the Labour Party’s candidate for the Argyll and Bute seat in the Scottish Election 2011 which will be held on 5th May.

The photographs accompanying this article have been copyright cleared. They show:

  • Mick Rice with the Connel Football Team who came to support him when he spoke in Oban.
  • Mick Rice outside the Stag Hotel in  Lochgilphead, now being refurbished.
  • Mick Rice on the Mull ferry, making the point abut the ferry needs of the Dunoon-Gourock route.

NOTE: Some very modest editing has been done to this article to bring it into line with the rules of Engagement for this challenge.

Jamie McGrigor: My Argyll

Posted on by newsroom

Jamie McGrigor

Argyll for me started at the age of 6 when my family moved from Stirlingshire to a hill farm on the banks of Loch Awe.

My early memories of Cladich School and my exceptional school teacher, Mrs Keith, are still vivid. Breaks from lessons were spent guddling and poaching trout out of the burn behind the school. Like the trout, I was hooked for life by this land of wonderful, unspoilt nature and happy, smiling people. What I remember most was the way our family was so warmly welcomed by the local community into which we had migrated; I had so many new friends, young and old.

I marvelled at the freedom Argyll allowed a child. I climbed waterfalls and fished the peaty pools and with my father roamed the moorlands and fished the endless hill lochs. Much time was spent in rowing dinghies on Loch Awe and I learned to sail. Those days spent on rivers and lochs engrained in me a love of the flora and fauna of beautiful Argyll.

Then came the wonderful discovery of the islands, the hidden jewels of Argyll, the well kept secrets of the glorious sunny weather of Tiree and Coll where the majesty of the shimmering sands and sparkling blue sea was breathtaking; where swimming amongst the seals in the waves and exploring the rock pools was mixed with the excitement of helping a local Coll lobster fisherman with his creels and listening to his tales of past and present island life, some tragic and some hilarious. My lobsterman was called Neilie John and he had a 1949 Fordson van with the handbrake attached to the back door by a rope and there was a blackbird’s nest in the glove compartment.

The winds and waters and magical scenery of Argyll inspire romanticism and produced the famous story-tellers of Argyll. The monument to Duncan Ban MacIntyre, the great Gaelic bard who wrote Ode to Ben Doran, stands above the village of Dalmally and there is also the monument to Neil Munro standing beside the road to Inveraray, the writer of serious books like the New Road and John Splendid, but above all the creator of Para Handy, the Argyll skipper of a steam puffer who personifies the pride, humour, doggedness and also the passion of the Argyll person.

Later, when I became a farmer, I was welcomed into a world where Argyll people judged you by what you did and what you could offer rather than by who you were. They had an unusual attitude of tolerance. I always remember the notice above an Argyll family’s hearth: “There are no strangers here, only friends we have yet to meet.” That struck me as a world saving sentence, one to which many national leaders should pay heed in these troubled times.

I had previously worked in the big cities of Glasgow and London, where the notion of not knowing my neighbours by name or at least by sight was a new and strange sensation and when I returned to Argyll I realised the benefits of being part of a society and community which cared about each other’s welfare and did not always look for financial reward for jobs done to benefit others.

It was also a society that revered, to some extent, old age and experience and where the impatient young had to wait their turn but this seemed to me to ensure that every dog would have their day. At any rate, it was a happy society where nearly everyone played a useful part and when I think back maybe that paints a picture of the Big Society which David Cameron would like to reinspire nationally.

As I grew deeper rooted I became more aware of the Scottish culture, particularly the dancing and accordion and fiddle music bands made up of people from different walks of life who shared their talent, probably inherited from  the Gaels of old.

I watched primary industries change the face of the area and saw forestry villages filled with forestry workers who created their own amusements and culture but over the years have watched the local workforce dissipate as the forestry commission put more of their work out to contract and former forestry houses became the homes of people often from other areas of the country.

This is just one of the changes in the windows that open and close. Once upon a time Argyll was heavily populated and the great lochs, especially Loch Awe, used as waterways, first by the hunter gatherers and then by the farmers who followed them.

People in Argyll have always lived on the edge and have adapted well to hostile weather and climate conditions and the hardness of life has fashioned the character which like the scenery is welcoming and open to new ideas. When new windows open Argyll folk are quick to utilise the new opportunities.

Returning to farming, I have so many happy memories of attending auction markets in Oban and particularly Dalmally where the conversation or craic, as it is sometimes called, grew merrier and merrier as the day wore on. The barman was referred to as the man from Del Monte as he always said yes!

I witnessed many years when prices were so disappointing that those in other industries might have turned off the lights and walked away but these Argyll farmers would always treat success and failure in terms of yesterday and tomorrow. Like Kipling’s poem “If” they would ‘meet with triumph and disaster and treat those two impostors just the same’.

In 1999 to my great joy I was elected to serve the people of the Highlands & Islands in the new Scottish Parliament and living in Argyll & Bute, the most southerly constituency of this wonderful region I could at last do something positive for the people and land I had grown to love. My main aim is and always will be to support our local firms, our individuals and our families and to reinvest in Argyll’s roads and ferries and front line services.

Jamie McGrigor

Jamie McGrigor is the Conservative Party’s candidate for the Argyll and Bute seat at the Scottish Election 2011 which will be held on 5th May.

The photograph above shows Jamie McGrigor at a meeting in Lochgilphead.