Here at the Gurn we have offered the candidates the opportunity to say a little bit about themselves and the reasons they have for standing. We will add the statements to the list below as we receive them so please bookmark this page for future reference if you are a voter in the NRCC election.
It'd be cool if there was a massive turnout for this election – good for Nairn, good for democracy and good for telling the world what this community thinks and desires.
Hamish Donald Bain
I grew up in Shanghai or as others might know it Queenspark. I was educated at Millbank & the Old Academy (now Rosebank Primary). I howked tatties; picked rasps & berries delivered papers and delivered groceries by bike, from the local shoppies, traditional money earners in this part of the World, those of us that did it will know it to be hard work too. Leaving school I worked as a print machine operator at 'The Nairnshire Telegraph' producing the paper with all the gossip, general information and local News. I am well versed in the opinions of the Town then and now.
I joined NRCC at the 2015 election. Since then there has been many upheavals, mostly caused by the
Planning department ignoring local needs; one example being approval of large houses where local needs are for small one or two bedroom properties.
I do object to the seemingly continuous creep of housing along Lochloy Road creating issues at the A96 junction, issues with the Town infrastructure and lack of superior building control, without the anticipated School or shop being provided. I object to housing being imposed on Nairn that will result in creating more issues than are solved. Nairn needs housing of the right type, in the right healthy, safe places - that I do support. Why build houses in Nairn when it then empties, like a drain, along both sides of the A96 to Inverness, Forres or Elgin for work only to fill back up again at night? Thats part of the 18000 vehicles passing along Marine Road every day. Nairn needs jobs and then housing. NRCC declared a ‘climate emergency’ before Highland Council did so.
I challenged the Highland Council and our Councillors, on their more unsavoury plans for Nairn, imposing Parking Charges; Common Good Issues - apparent disappearing assets; lack of proper consultation; Links Development processes, resulting in some heated discussions. I am open to working with them for the Towns benefit with the new Community Empowerment Act, the NRCC, must be consulted on all planning or licensing applications and on any new policy proposals.
The High Street needs rejuvenated and that must be pushed on. We need more Tourism that local businesses are able to capitalise on. I will continue to fight to get the High Street cleaned and up-kept. I will fight for improved facilities in the Town: mobile home facility away from the Harbour; maintenance to the Harbour; new well maintained Public toilets; supporting attractions like the historic guided walks; nature walks; beach entertainments.
NRCC has a reputation as an Environmental group supporting local green and wild areas, this I want to pursue and promote, there are funds available to do so, through the Rural Development Fund, only the Highland Council can apply for these on the Towns behalf. The NRCC in recent years has never been a politically divisive forum as can be witnessed by the good relationship that was built up across the different Communities represented and I will work to keep it democratic without fear or favour for the membership.
Steven James Bain
I have been a member of Nairn River Community Council for the last 4 years and very much hope to become elected again.
I have lived in Nairn all my life firstly staying in Boathpark before moving to Queenspark both areas are in the Nairn River boundary.
I attended Millbank primary school and the present Nairn Academy before starting my training in Accountancy and Auditing at a firm in Inverness before moving back to Nairn after 12 years, to take up the position of Tax Manager at Ritson Young, Chartered Accountants on Nairn High Street.
I have been involved in many clubs in Nairn including over 30 years on the committee of Nairn County Football Club where my position is in the area of fundraising, during this period I was also very instrumental in two rescue packages to safeguard the club’s future, I also enjoy kayaking and have served on the committee of Nairn Kayak Club for the last 7 years, I also played cricket for Nairn County in my younger days.
Living and working in Nairn has made me very aware of the people of Nairn views, problems and aspirations for our beautiful town, I am very much aware of their concerns and really want to try and make Nairn a better place. For this to happen both Nairn River and Nairn West & Surburban Community Councils need to work closely together. Although both community councils in Nairn have different areas of the town we must at all times work together for the benefit of Nairn
During my previous 4 year term Nairn has faced many problems such as the decline of the High Street, housing and at present potential car parking charges. We must all work together and listen to the voice of our community. The Community Empowerment (Scotland) Act 2015 will allow communities to have a greater say and we really need to grasp this.
The Nairn Common Good Fund is also an area that interest’s me and it is important the residents of Nairn are aware of this fund as it was set up for the benefit of the people of Nairn. If elected I would continue to ensure these assets are available to the people of Nairn for future years to come.
I am personally delighted that 20 names have come forward to contest the Nairn River Community Council election and I find it heart-warming that so many people care about our town.
Good luck to everyone involved.
Paul Cutress
Originally born in Forres and “dragged up” on Findhorn Bay, after a sojourn south of the border I returned as one of the senior management team at Sainsburys before moving on from there to Inverness BMW a couple of years ago.
Originally born in Forres and “dragged up” on Findhorn Bay, after a sojourn south of the border I returned as one of the senior management team at Sainsburys before moving on from there to Inverness BMW a couple of years ago.
Previously residing in Fishertown and now on the Lochloy development, I am keen to ensure Nairn retains its local identity and status as one of the best places to live in and visit in the Highlands
We live in arguably the most beautiful part of the highlands and we are blessed with superb beaches, a diverse and thriving wildlife, a key salmon/dolphin habitat and most of all a fantastic community.
All of these must not just be protected, but be at the heart of our future policies and action plans.
With increasing financial pressures on county councils placed on them by government departments, it is vital we ensure Nairn does not fall prey to non-sensical ideas such as parking charges or any other revenue generators just to top up Highland council coffers.
We must collaborate to encourage more tourists and therefore external revenue sources; support and encourage the re-livening of our high street, our “shop window”, whilst at the same time leading the drive to a sustainable and environmentally sound neighbourhood.
It’s easy to say I will do this or I will do that – it’s not so easy to actually get it done given the constraints and challenges the bureaucracy places on the community councillors. So rather than make empty promises, what I will say is that given my experience of dealing with figures in senior positions and ability to see through the smoke and mirrors I will ensure that at the very heart of my actions will be the common good of the Nairn community and environment.
And I don’t just mean the community and environment of today – our children are currently set to inherit a whole host of issues, none of which they are responsible for – They deserve our – MY- best efforts to improve the situation going forward so all policies should look to the future and not just be short term fixes.
Just like you this town is my home. I plan to retire here and spend the rest of my life here and therefore it is in my interest to do the best for our community that I can.
Ann Fuller
Stephen Kenneth Fuller
Peter Gibson
Ian Ramsay Gordon
I was born in Edinburgh and educated at two schools there including Boroughmuir, I attended the College of Commerce (now Edinburgh Napier University). I became a member of the Association of the Institute of Work Study Practitioners) and started work as a work study engineer with George Waterson and Sons – they printed stationery and among other things banknotes. It was a fascinating place to work and I took a stationery apprenticeship simultaneously to gain more knowledge of the shop floor.
My father was in
printing too and a Father of the Chapel for his workplace, he always
told me “always watch the spine of the book, you break the spine of
the book, you break the book.”
I went to Scottish and
Newcastle Breweries to continue in the work study field and later
became a manager of a large Edinburgh city centre establishment. It
was a learning process and very hard work, one day a week off. I met
my ex-wife in June 1977 just after I changed direction and started work at
the Inland Revenue and we were married in 1979.
I had a tremendously
interesting working life but the best was still to come when I became
a hotelier in Nairn and I cherish the friendships and many, many
happy memories that this community has given me. Our family move to
Nairn was a very fortunate and rewarding one.
I'm not a Boris, if you
ask me a question I will give you an answer.
Nairn has been
sidelined – just look at what Dingwall has had out of Highland
Council. It's always been thus. I get despondent when I look around
and see the beauty of what we can give, not take give, but everything
is dealt with from other places – Nairn needs its' autonomy back.
I'd give Murd his
bridge, I've got a lot of time for Murd, if there were more people of
Murd's type then there would be far more scrutiny of how proposals
affect individuals and communities – this watchdog element is an
important task for community councils and vigilance must be
ever-present.
I remember the old
Provost of Nairn Nigel Graham: I was a million miles away from his
party political politics but remember how he didn't take fools
gladly, he had gravitas, he would simply have said no to the
ridiculous folly that is parking charges and the idea would have
vanished. The present day autocratic moves that are inimical to
Nairn would not have been tolerated by him. Fast forward to the
present day and is hard for our elected representatives at Highland
Council level to achieve much in the current institutional climate of
the 80 member chamber at Glenurquhart Road, but we have to assist them
in being as assertive and as inventive as possible in achieving the
maximum for Nairn, be it through the confines of their institution or
through a multi-agency approach or with “out of the box thinking”
to find new solutions for Nairn.
I admire the current
chair of River Community Council, Tommy Hogg, I don't always agree
with him but his heart is in the right place – it is all about
Nairn and there's no self interest with Tommy. If elected I would
look forward to working with Tommy to do everything I can for the
Common Good of all in our community.
Helena Harcourt
I came to this beautiful and friendly place in 1991, initially staying in Piperhill and am now settled with Stevie the bullterrier in Fishertown. I worked for UHI, Doctors without Borders (MSF) and Ashers amongst others but always did voluntary work for such organisations as Association of Probation workers, The Red Cross, Reach out Highland, Rape and Abuse Line, Victim Support, Citizens Advice Bureau, Nairn 101, WEA, the Scottish Regional Advisory Group for the Northern Periphery, Highland Domestic Abuse Forum and SSPCA. I left Greenhive with Corinne Ferguson to start Nairn Eco( to be found on Facebook) where we are working towards a cleaner environment with Surfers Against Sewage on the Plastic-free Coastline project to reduce single-use plastics in and around Nairn. In collaboration with BID and Nairn businesses, we try to assist in finding alternatives to single-use plastics.
Reducing single-use plastics is important to me and I want to work on a strategic level, changing
daily habits while making this easy to achieve. Highland Council took the motion in 2018 to promote environmental awareness and encourage people to pick up 3 pieces of rubbish which is a good starting point. I also wish to look after the town of Nairn, building on Alan Barron’s work in capturing the rich heritage. It would also be good to find a way of reviving the High street and make the town as appealing to tourists as possible for the short season.
My background is a law degree from Sweden and I proceeded to take diplomas and exams in Languages and Communication, French, as well as in Remote Learning. I did several Harvard courses on Humanitarian Aid and Action.
I have a lot of experience of collaborative projects and partnerships to further social justice, community cohesion, and development. Along the way I acquired good communication and networking skills, being able to bring the human dimension to problem-solving and can think out of the box. I consider myself as having a keen social conscience and wish to work towards social equality and integration.
Tommy Hogg
Mandy Lawson
I have been a member of Nairn River Community Council for the last 2 years. I am a Nairnite, who left in the 1980’s and returned in 2016 to live in Fishertown. I love this town.
I have worked in local government, adult training, and community partnerships. If elected I will be an accessible and vocal representative for Nairn River communities and will work hard to help local residents have a proper say in Highland policy and planning decisions which affect our town. I believe that the people who know best what Nairn needs are those who live here and use local services.
Many problems Nairn faces today are a consequence of 20 years of ‘remote’ management by Highland HQ in Inverness, since Nairn District Council was disbanded in 1996.
Highland Council Planning decisions have frequently ignored local concerns, in favour of Inverness HQ’s corporate interests.
The last thing Nairn needs is more Highland Council resources wasted on ill informed plans or damaging policies like parking charges which chase shoppers out of town, or traffic lights that no one asked for.
Building 850 new homes at Lochloy, with no school, shop or community facilities has stretched Nairn’s infrastructure to the limit and failed to address local demand for social housing.
By law Community Councils must be consulted on all planning and licensing applications and new policy proposals, especially those which affect use of Nairn Common Good lands at the Links, Maggot, Riverside, Viewfield and Sandown which were gifted to the former Royal Burgh for sole benefit of its citizens.
I will push for a new community led Locality Plan, to be designed in Nairn to reflect local needs and priorities, and ensure that we don’t become just another suburb of Inverness.
I will fight for free local parking, clean and accessible public toilets, parks, paths and streets, housing to match local needs,and more local jobs to keep Nairn nice for locals as well as visitors.
I welcome the commitment of Highland Council’s new management to greater local control over local services. This means full community consultation on everything.
It also means Highland Councillors and officers must work more openly and collaboratively with communities as they are accountable for how local taxes and developer contributions are spent. No more decisions behind closed doors. Last year the 5 Nairnshire Community Councils secured one seat on our local Community Planning Partnership. As the Nairnshire Local Area Committee will have more decision making powers for the area, including on Nairn Common Good matters, I will campaign for a community voice there too. Proper local oversight of Nairn’s Common Good Assets is vital to maintain these amenities for future generations
The last two years have been a tough apprenticeship with Nairn River CC. The next four years will present further challenges for sure but I am well prepared and ready to continue to serve my community as a proactive Community Councillor.
Veronica Mackinnon
I have lived in Nairn all my life, born in Nairn Town and County Hospital. I grew up in Fishertown and attended the Links School, moving on to Millbank and Nairn Academy. I support the Natural World in my daily life and have contributed to the preservation of several wildlife and forested areas in and around Nairn. I have a wildlife garden to encourage birds and small mammals, hedgehogs love it. This summer we had quite a few hoglets, so they appear not to be in decline in our area.
My home is in Boathpark, close to the Riverside. Most days I meet folk while walking my dog, Bear, and often as not have a chat with old and new acquaintances along the way.
Joining Nairn River Community Council, I soon became aware of how important it was that we locals should have a say in what happens in our town.
We, NRCC, have been given the nomenclature "Watchdogs" as a result of ensuring the correct processes have been followed by The Highland Council, the elected representatives and the HC Officials. This sometimes puts us at odds with these people but that is only for the good of Nairn. NRCC have a reputation of being an Environmental Group and earned this well before the Highland Council declared the current Climate Emergency. Hopefully this will continue with the next Council.
Louis Anderson McIntosh
Paul Carlo McIvor
Linda Morton
Simon Noble
Jim Ross
My wife and I have lived in Nairn for 14 years, though my connections to the area go back a lot further. My mother’s maiden name was Nairn and my great-great-grandfather was married in Cawdor in 1816! My wife, Pauline, is already involved with the local community as secretary of the local U3A group.I am now retired, having spent over 40 years in the oil & gas business in both technical and managerial roles. My background is strongly science-based with a PhD in geophysics, though I also have a Master’s degree in petroleum law and policy.
I have not served as a Community Councillor previously, but have attended a couple of NRCC meetings. That experience, together with encouragement from one of the Community Councillors from the previous NRCC, has led me to apply for such a role. I was surprised at those meetings to witness evidence of significant discord between some of the Community Councillors and our representatives on the Highland Council. Meaningful communications and even trust appeared to be lacking. Hence, I see it as an absolute priority to ensure a closer and more collaborative relationship between NRCC and our four Highland Councillors in the future. Of course there will be differences of opinion, but there must be a recognition that ultimately we should all be working for the benefit of those who live within our community. Compromises will always be necessary, especially with limited funds available. This means the NRCC should be focussed on identifying practical solutions to addressing the local needs (as expressed by the locals!) and avoiding at all costs politically-driven agendas.
Where interests overlap, which is surely much of the time, close coordination with Nairn West and Suburban CC (and potentially other adjacent community councils) is essential. My understanding is that this has been the case in recent times and it should continue to be strongly supported.
NRCC should be developing proposals on behalf of the community that it represents, which can then be progressed by our Highland Councillors. At the same time, however, NRCC must also be prepared to call out the Highland Councillors if they are making decisions that directly affect our community without first consulting with NRCC. Good communications, pragmatism and respect are essential from both sides.
Stewart Hunter Stansfield
David Fraser Thomson
Katrina Ann Woods
--> -->
