Requests from Uist and Barra representative to join strategic forum denied by Comhairle

Requests to join an important strategic member officer working group discussing issues such as Community Wealth Building and Repopulation Zones have been denied to Representatives from South Uist and Barra.

Having had support for local abattoirs withdrawn, attempts to reinstate that much needed support voted down and now attempts to represent communities in South Uist and Barra in discussions on issues hugely important to their communities denied, is the Comhairle an inclusive democratic entity, maybe but not for those in South Uist and Barra.

Deputy leader of SNP Group resigns

 

Deputy leqder of the Comhairle nan Eilean Siar SNP Group, Cllr Calum Macmillan representing Barra, Vatersay, Eriskay and South Uist has resigned from the group and joined the ALBA Party as of today 30th March 2021.

Cllr Macmillan was elected in 2017 and was recently elected to the position of deputy leader of the group.

Group leader, Cllr Gordon Murray commented :" Obviously, I am very disappointed to be losing Calum from the group. he was an excellent councillor, wonderfully astute and supportive and a great team player. His contributions to the group and also in the council chamber were invaluable and I am very fortunate to have worked alongside him. We all wish him the very best in the future and hope to continue to work with him on issues   that benefit our communities in the Western Isles."." 

Comhairle SNP Group seek council support for Local Electricity Bill

 At full council on Wednesday 31st March , Comhairle SNP Group leader, Cllr Gordon Murray has tabled the following question

Would the Convenor agree with the Comhairle SNP group’s long held aspiration to harness our God-given energy resources by converting these to carbon free energy and thus replenish our coffers annually to help address funding deficits and capital projects?

and following the question, I have tabled the motion below.

That Comhairle nan Eilean SIar  

(i) acknowledges the efforts that this council has made to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and promote renewable energy; 

(ii) recognises that councils can play a central role in creating sustainable communities, particularly through the provision of locally generated renewable electricity; 

(iii) further recognises • that very large financial setup and running costs involved in selling locally generated renewable electricity to local customers result in it being impossible for local renewable electricity generators to do so, • that making these financial costs proportionate to the scale of a renewable electricity supplier’s operation would create significant opportunities for councils to be providers of locally generated renewable electricity directly to local people, businesses and organisations, and • that revenues received by councils that became local renewable electricity providers could be used to help fund local greenhouse gas emissions reduction measures and to help improve local services and facilities; 

(iv) accordingly resolves to support the Local Electricity Bill which, if made law, would make the setup and running costs of selling renewable electricity to local customers proportionate by establishing a Right to Local Supply; and 

(v) further resolves to instruct the Chief Executive to:- • inform the local media of this decision, • write to local MPs, asking them to support the Bill, and • write to the organisers of the campaign for the Bill, Power for People, (at 8 Delancey Passage, Camden, London NW1 7NNor info@powerforpeole.org.uk) expressing its support. 

Cllr Murray stated: "This is a hugely important bill for our situation here in the Western Isles and I hope that the Comhairle will support our motion n the strongest possible terms."

Uist and Barra councillors fight for their abattoirs

 A proposal by the council to withdraw support from the Uist an£ Barra abattoirs is being opposed by Uist and Barra councillors Calum Macmillan and Donald Manford.

The two SNP councillors are to put forward an amendment to a report proposing that the Comhairle 

“include funding support for the abattoirs in Uist and in Barra to bring parity to the abattoir provision across the Islands in the CnES authority area through the provision of twenty thousand per facility, funding to be provided from balances previously saved on loan repayment charges.”

The councillors are trying to save the abattoirs which would struggle to survive without the support proposed. 

Campaign for fixed link from Benbecula to Skye

 Cllr Calum Macmillan and Cllr Donald Manford have called for a special meeting of the Comhairle last week to include the Benbeula - Skye Fixed-link into the Local Transport Strategy. 

The matter will be discussed at the full council meeting of March 31st and Cllrs Macmillan and Manford will hope that the long term aspirations of the comnuity are realised. 

In his request for the fixed link to be added, Cllr Macmillan continued :"The fixed links from Barra to Eriskay then Harris to Berneray are to be included in outline as extensions to connect the Long island from Ness to Bhatharsaidh with the Benbecula-Skye fixed link."

Comhairle Budget and Non-Competent Items

 As Councillors, we seek election to Comhairle to improve standards, bring work and implement changes to governance which facilitate constituents to work, invest their time, money and effort to create prosperity and generate incomes for their families. A help up, not a handout and this needs competent budgeting.

Comhairle is legally required to set a balanced competent budget for the next financial year with items given a portion of finance otherwise the Budget is not competent. One councillor wanted to delay the Budget Setting for a few months to see where we were. He was indulged and the work to set the Comhairle Budget continued.

The SNP Comhairle Group tabled three amendments to the Budget which applied across the whole of the Comhairle area, to devolve benefit to all Islands and all constituents. These amendments are legally correct, administratively competent and financially prudent. 

Donald Manford and JohnA tabled an amendment directing money to road surfacing from savings on money previously committed by Comhairle to the Bernera Bridge replacement. Funding for the Bernera Bridge is now being provided by the SNP Scottish Government. The amendment sought reinstatement of the historic 60:40 portioning to Lewis and Harris: Uist and Barra. This amendment was rejected 23:8.

Rae Mac Kenzie and John Mitchell tabled an amendment to provision Winter Gritting by two hundred and fifty thousand pounds from Balances to avoid the annual overspend currently projected for this year at nearly seven hundred and fifty thousand pounds. This amendment was rejected 19:12.

Gordon Murray and I tabled an amendment in five parts. Directing money previously committed for Bernera Bridge to surfacing unadopted roads (60:40), an all-weather play area at Stornoway Primary to replace the all-mud play area, a dental chair for the dental facility in Daliburgh currently missing the dental chair, concessionary fares on inter-island ferries and support for abattoirs in North Uist and Barra as support for the Stornoway Abattoir was included separately. This amendment was rejected 19:12. 

The failure of Councillors to support this amendment has caused controversy with some Councillors stating that they couldn’t support the Stornoway Primary as other areas and islands would also benefit. 

The amendment would have allowed work to start at Stornoway Primary with immediacy and hopefully be finished by June 2021. The option voted for, requires a report to committee in June ‘with a view to securing finance’ yet this is being touted as being the better option.

The Comhairle Budget requires to be financially competent with each budgetary item being given a spend limit. We are now told that there is no upper spent limit on this financial revenue item which would make the Comhairle Budget financially non-competent. Comhairle voted through a non-competent budget as there is neither financial provision nor spending limit on what can be expended on the improvements to replace the current all-mud play area at Stornoway Primary.

When I am then told the Council Leader said ‘...’ I simply reply ‘remember what the Council Leader said to Calum Mac Lean at the Comhairle called to consider RSHP. We voted on the issue per his precise words, yet then recall, we were told that the writing on the paper is what counted’. The words on the papers to Budget Setting Comhairle state ‘that a Report be submitted to the June 2021 series of meetings with a view to securing finance’. A ‘Report be submitted ... with a view to securing finance’ must therefore now be the starting point when considering how the all-mud play area is being progressed. 

This can be compared with Gordon Murray’s amendment which had proper financial provision and a real time as soon as possible start date. The fact that a decision to not start work but to get a Report to committee is being hailed as the better option shows a lack of empathy with the parents who send their children to school where they play in the mud and with the children who have to play in the mud.

As to the dental chair provision in Daliburgh Cllr Roddie MacKay stated ‘that ship has sailed’ which encapsulated the attitudes and perceptions that we must set out to change and replace with community empowerment and community embedded facilities. The Scottish Government’s OHIP sets out the aspiration to continue Childsmile in the community and the complimentary role of the Public Dental Service in providing domiciliary care for our ageing population.

Work continues to deliver all the proposals in these amendments. Every opportunity to provision road surfacing, winter gritting, replacing the all-mud play area at Stornoway Primary, providing a dental chair in the dental facility in Daliburgh, concessionary ferry fares and supporting all abattoirs across the islands to promote a croft to customer product, continues.

Yous sincerely,

Calum Mac Millann

SNP Councillor,

Uidhist aghus Barraidh.

Comhairle SNP Group leader budget speech and how your councillor voted

 

“Thank you convenor. I would like to sincerely thank senior accountant Norman Macdonald, Robert Emmott, Malcolm Burr and Derek Mackay for their assistance in drafting this amendment.

Lots of emails have been exchanged and I thank them for giving up their time so freely.

I'd like to also thank the Scottish government for giving the Comhairle an increase in funding.”

Unadopted Roads

1)   the SNP Scottish Government is providing special funding for the replacement Bernera Bridge, and it is therefore proposed that any of the £450,000 of funding, previously allocated by Comhairle for replacing the Bernera Bridge but no longer required due to the special funding, be reallocated on a ring- fenced basis to surface dressing of unadopted roads; with this being allocated on a 60:40 split (L&H:U&B).     

“Unadopted roads is a much-neglected part of our infrastructure. I have seen in the minutes of many a community council spanning our islands, the issue of road maintenance and unadopted roads being raised time and time again.

This amendment would address these issues and thus help meet the aspirations of communities across all our islands.

There is a clear need here identified by many of the people we represent and we should help them by meeting this need today.

Stornoway Primary All Weather Pitch

2) to meet the undisputed need for school children to participate in outdoor exercises and sports activities all year round and to provide a much needed community resource, the council provide an all weather pitch at Stornoway Primary at a cost of £350,000 to be financed by a) mainland placement underspend (100k/100k) and, should the mainland placement underspend not be realised, that the £100k (or part thereof) be funded from balances and b) Saving on Loan Charges (250k/350k)

“We have all now been briefed to the fact that Stornoway Primary is the third biggest primary school in Scotland.

However, the facilities for such a size of school fall way short of the standard I’m certain we would all wish to provide – this has been acknowledged by many members of the council on several occasions, over a number of years.

So many of our children have gone through primary, year upon year, playing on sloping, unmarked tarmac, in muddy patches of ground resulting in children sitting in wet, dirty clothes during lessons - this is not acceptable anymore!

The money has been identified. Now let us act today and allow our children at Stornoway primary to play on a decent surface and participate in organised sports.

Children who haven't had it easy over the last few months.

Children who deserve a chance tom play outside and realise all the benefits that sport and play can offer them.”

Dental Provision

3) to provide a dental chair in Taigh Cridhe Uille Naobh, to make a ring-fenced contribution to the IJB Budget specifically for TCUN Dental facility within the surgery space at Taighe Cridhe Uille Naobh, to establish local provision of dental care. To embed dental provision within the care home at the Health and Well-being Hub in Daliburgh, ring fenced provision to IJB of £50,000 to be financed by allocation of Savings on Loan Charges (50k/350k), such funding only to be available for this purpose and otherwise reverting to the Comhairle.

“With regards to the dental chair, a very important, hugely important issue.

The communities in Uist on this issue, I believe, have been severely let down.

I'm sure every member here would like to show their support for the communities in UIst who have identified a reasonable need - that they should have the dental provision they deserve. Evem from Stornoway, I recognise that.

Surely we want to would getting bogged down in a bureaucratic argument about budget process, again I say to you, members, we have the opportunity to act positively today and we should seize that opportunity.”

Concessionary Fares

4) to meet the vital need to provide a long stated aim of the council to link all of the Western Isles for all those living and working in the Western Isles that the Comhairle reinstate the concessionary fares in the sound of Barra and sound of Harris crossings at a cost of £10,000 financed by allocation of Savings on Loan Charges (10k/350k).

Abbatoirs in Uist and Barra

5) to support abattoirs in Uist and Barra to assist the quality assured production of local supply into the food chain to facilitate producers in Uist and Barra having a croft to customer product, provision of £40,000 financed by the allocation of Savings on Loan Charges (40k/350k).

“In terms of abbattoirs, I'd like to address the proposalk to support the abbattoirs in Uist and Barra.

We all know that there will be challenges ahead. We need resilience in the crofting communities to enable them to provide the local produce we need, our communities need, safely and efficiently.

Given all the uncertainty surrounding Brexit our crofters will want us to show we understand the difficulties they could face, and take the necessary action to support them.

This is our chance to reassure our crofting communities in Uist and Barra that we are listening to them.”

 

“I don't want to get involved today in arguments of the process about the setting of the budget - I feel that demeans the debate.

What we all know is that the council is setting its budget for the next financial year. Every member must be allowed to have a say today, all those who put us here expects it.

To reduce this to a bureaucratic argument serves no purpose other than  avoid debate.

Yesterday, Monday, the council leader said there was virtue in this amendment, and I couldn't agree more - I agree wholeheartedly.

That's why I am moving this amendment and I urge you, members, to support this amendment.

Let's do the right thing, by our communities, they are waiting to hear from us, that's for sure.”

Voted for amendment

Cllr Gordon Murray (Stornoway North)

Cllr Calum Macmillan (South Uist, Barra, Vatersay and Eriskay)

Cllr Donald Manford (South Uist, Barra, Vatersay and Eriskay)

Cllr Grant Fulton (Harris and South Lochs)

Cllr John Mitchell (Harris and South Lochs)

Cllr Ranald Fraser (Uig, Bernera and North Lochs)

Cllr Charlie Nicolson (Stornoway South)

Cllr Rae Mackenzie (Stornoway South)

Cllr Calum Maclean (Locha Tuath)

Cllr John A Maciver (Loch a Tuath)

Cllr Kenny Macleod (Ness and West Side)

Cllr John Norman Macleod (Ness and West Side)

Voted against amendment

Cllr Norman Macdonald -m Convenor (Uig, Bernera and North Lochs)

Cllr Roddie Mackay - Leader (Stornoway North)

Cllr Alasdair Macleod (Point)

Cllr Norman Macdonald (Point)

Cllr Finlay Stewart (Point)

Cllr Keith Dodson (Stornoway Soutb)

Cllr Angus McCormack (Stornoway South)

Cllr Iain M Macaulay (Stornoway North)

Cllr Neil Mackay (Stornoway North)

Cllr Donald Crichton (Loch a Tuath)

Cllr Kenny John Macleod (Ness and West Side)

Cllr John Mackay (Ness and West Side)

Cllr Paul Finnegan (Harris and South Lochs)

Cllr Uisdean Robertson (North Usit and Benbecula)

Cllr Roddy Mackay (North Uist and Benbecula)

Cllr Iain M Macleod (North Uist and Benbecula)

Cllr Paul Steele (South Uist, Barra, Eriskay and Vatersay)

Cllr Iain Macneil (South Uist, Barra, Eriskay and Vatersay)

Cllr Angus Morrison (Uig, Bernera and North Lochs)