Old Community Centre - Start date 5th March

Gurnite Rob recently reported a conversation with a contractor mannie taking pictures of the old Community Centre prior to his firm (Morrisons) starting demolition. We hear now from Liz that the official start date is the 5th of March and she hopes there won't be too much disruption to parking in the town centre during the work. Liz tells us that talks are in hand with the Co-op over the former petrol station. Liz has an updated leaflet out now see it here.

If you are standing in the Highland Council elections in May and have any leaflets or other information that you are putting out then please forward them to the Gurn and we will offer you the same treatment for your material.

Co-op close to Petrol Station demolition deal with Highland Council

Colin reports on Facebook: "Formal update from the Co-op HQ this morning!

"We are keen to resolve the matter and are involved in ongoing discussions with Highland Council about the site. We are currently awaiting clarification of the costs and, detailed specification of the proposed works – matters which have ongoing implications for The Co-operative – and, both parties are hopeful of reaching agreement within the coming weeks." "

Almost blogging?

Colin Macaulay has settled into a regular pattern on his Facebook page with daily articles. Another Nairn citizen, Stuart Davidson - the Highland Youth Convenor, has also started to use the facebook platform to publish posts but you will need to be logged in to facebook to see this page.

Facebook election? Snp4nairnshire

Earlier today this observer mentioned the SNP beginning their campaign for the May elections in earnest with a leaflet drop. These days there's an internet side to politics however and Liz has had a prescence on Facebook and twitter for sometime. Now Colin Macaulay joins her in cyber campaigning. Here's Snp4nairnshire Colin J Macaulay. Will the other candidates join them knocking on the virtual doors?
Could Oor Sandy, Graham, Laurie or the unknown Labour mannie show up in Nairnshire cyberspace too? If you are a prospective candidate or a sitting councillor standing again for the Nairnshire ward and have an internet presence please tell the Gurn. We now have a wee box in the sidebar to link to you all.

Liz's Latest Leaflet

It's over three months to the Highland Council elections in May but the local SNP have hit the ground running in what promises to be a long campaign. Liz is a very effective campaigner on the doorstep and Colin MacAulay is an impressive mannie too, even if you are not an SNP supporter you might enjoy a chat with this prospective candidate to hear some of his views on what can be done to protect the identity of Nairnshire. This observer had the opportunity to talk to him during the Sandown Charrette and was impressed by what he had to say. Click here to see a copy of the leaflet pictured in this article.

All the candidates will no doubt be wishing to tell us what they want to do for us and for the for sitting candidates it will also be about what they claim they have done for us. Local politics isn't what it used to be however, with three highly active community councils in the town and others in the hinterland beyond, many folk in Nairnshire are up to speed with the issues and will have questions to ask on their doorsteps. It will be interesting to see how far the candidates go in what they offer the community - will anybody come out and offer to return the Common Good Fund to local control? By that this observer would say simply to the control of the four elected Highland Councillors after May and say two or three chosen representatives from each of Nairn's community councils who would all sit on a local Common Good committee. It is just nonsensical that it's all 80 Highland Councillors have control of our Common Good

Yes Gurnites, let's ask them all what they can do to return a bit of local control to Nairnshire. We know there's no extra money but there are other ways of doing things (Dick Youngson's proposal to mobilize volunteers for snow clearing in times of extreme bad weather for example) so perhaps with a bit more control back in Nairn and the imagination of local people we could do things that we perhaps can't at present. This observer feels that the electorate want quick and lasting change in our relationship with Glenurquhart Road. Our poll in the side bar indicates that over 52% would consider voting for a candidate standing as "Freedom for Nairnshire End Inverness Rule" on the ballot paper.