Ward Forum becomes Youth Forum - The Courthouse comes to life with new blood

Nairn Youth Forum came to the Courthouse on Wednesday night and stole the show. A bunch of young people passionate about their objectives outlined what they are doing to make Nairn and the Highlands in general a better place. They are actively engaged in campaigns on health, transport, crime and anti-social behaviour.
Did you take part in the Highland Council budget cuts consulation? Well the pupils at Nairn Academy did, there were over 800 submissions from the 846 young people at Nairn Academy. Some of those submissions/suggestions made to the council earlier in the year were passed around as the youngsters made their various presentations on the behalf of Nairn Youth Forum and Highland Youth Voice, Nairn’s members of the Scottish Youth Parliament were even present to tell us about their role in recent debates in that Parliament.
Overall those present came away with an impression of a confident, dedicated, well-informed and organised group of younger citizens who are out to make our community a better place - an impression of youth that goes against the grain of the stereo-typical negative image that more mature citizens can sometimes have.

The Ward Forum - Archie Tect's view

We will bring you more soon we promise - insights into how Sandy and Laurie see the process but in the meantime here's some comment from Archie Tect who was obviously an eye-witness to the proceedings:

"Well, the Ward Forum at least revealed what Council officials think consultation on the HwLDP consists of...and it certainly isn't a two-way dialogue!

First, a Powerpoint presentation telling the audience that the planners have taken on board all the comments made by the public on the Main Issues Report. Yeah right! Odd, then, how little the latest draft plan differs from the earlier version.

Then, short questions from the audience on familiar and predictable points of detail, which led to long explanatory responses.

First up: how many houses, and why don't the figures add up? Answer: the figures are indicative, estimates, aspirational... (Does that sound familiar?)

Next: why build on prime agricultural land at Broadley/Balblair? Answer: because the plan says so!

Best of all - what about increased Cawdor Road traffic under the railway bridge? The brilliant solution proposed ..... make it narrower, as that will slow the traffic down and protect pedestrians (Yeah, right!). As a member of the public pointed out, if you create worse bottlenecks, you create more back-road rat-runs.

All good entertaining stuff. The meeting was even told that yes, the Council had a vision and a plan for the regeneration of the whole of Nairn town centre. What was it? Answer: well, we plan housing on the King Street site, and we have the Streetscape. And, um, that's it, folks.

After this, the lack of further audience questions was perhaps unsurprising. But when a member of the public sought to offer comments on the Plan, this threw the top table into a tizzy. Comments on the plan were certainly not welcome at a public consultation meeting! Any comments would have to be submitted in writing (it's so much easier then, y'see, to file them away in the WPB without other people noticing). If comments were allowed, then we might (shock, horror!) have a discussion, or even a debate.

And who knows where that might lead? "

Wouldn't be a Ward Forum without torture by Powerpoint would it? A member of HC staff reading out what we are all capable of reading for ourselves, c'est la vie.

Murd’s question at the Ward Forum

Murd made a very good point about saving money at the cuts meeting. It was a question that caught the mood of the meeting. The Chief Executive Mr Dodds said he thought it was a very good question too.

Murd told the meeting:

“I reported a tree at the river, it was in a dangerous condition. I had to be consulted to go and show them where the tree was. There were two reps from Highland Council that went there. I asked them the question, ‘Why are there to of you here?’

‘Different departments.’ One was forestry the was the tec services. Why was there two men that had to go and see this.’

Ward Forum Budget Cuts meeting - still to be held in the Courthouse?

I not from the APT blog that there is a list of Budget Cuts meetings on the Highland Council website. I see the meeting for Nairn is still to be in the Courthouse - might be a bit overcrowded perhaps?

'Date and Time: Wednesday 30 June 2010 at 7.00 pm
Venue: The Chamber, The Court House, High Street, Nairn
Theme: Highland Council Budget Consultation'

Surely a larger venue will have to be arranged soon?

Nairn Ward Forum - What an agenda! What a night!

Good evening Gurnites, the best show in town was once again the ward forum, standing room only and the Courthouse debating chamber becoming very warm as the evening went on. Basically what went on tonight was that ordinary punters came and had their say and had their say emphatically. On 'Changing Community Care' there was forthright, articulate and outspoken comment. On the consultation for a single Community Council again there was forthright and outspoken comment and on the Nairn Swimming Pool issue there was forthright and outspoken comment to the power of ten. Other items were mentioned too as well as the material above. How much we report will depend on how well the Gurn low grade digital recorder performed and how much can be gleaned from notes or memory. We will do our best over the next day or two, starting with the swimming pool issue. It was a night to remember, we'll do our best to recreate it for you - it was fantastic to see so many citizens prepared to stand up and do their bit for our community. Thank goodness we live in Nairn!

More soon...

Nairnshire Ward Forum - Wednesday night 7-9.00 p.m. the Courthouse

Two items on the agenda that will be of interest to Gurnites:

4. Community Council Consultation (Louise Clark) This consultation is a chance to get Nairn a better deal by asking for a single Community Council - i.e. A Royal Burgh of Nairn Community Council.

7. Open Question and Answer Session
7.1 Question from Nairn Synchronised Swimming Club re Nairn Swimming Pool - we'll see if any debate is allowed on this subject.

See the full agenda here

Ward Forum fervour and Nairn Partnership passion!

It was a remarkable evening upstairs in the Courthouse and the Gurnmeister hopes he can do justice to what passed earlier, however keep that forty pence in your pocket for Monday evening/Tuesday morning beacause the local paper was, as usual, there to record the proceedings. Hopefully a fuller description of events will emerge on the Gurn in the morning but Water Lane events are unfolding at great speed and we have more material to publish and they will take precedence, I know the web is supposed to be a 24/7 resource but please be patient.

What was the the most startling part of the evening then? Sheena Baker and her list of Common Good Fund questions (the Gurnmeister must look at his notes but it seems that William Gilfillan is already investigating legal implications of some of them)? Iain Fairweather with his stats that point out that it has been a good tourist season so far - as good as the mid-90's in fact? Was it Rosemary Machen-Young who called for a 200 strong group of Nairnites to just go out and clean up the Regal, regardless of what Somerfield or anyone else might think or try and do to stop it? Was it the Inquisition of River CC's Margaret MacKintosh who relentlessly and succinctly asked Malcolm MacLeod of HC (he was presenting the Highland Development Plan Scheme) why we have to build on perfectly good arable land? Was it our indefatigable gaffer Sandy Park who indicated that people had to get involved because previous consultations could have been held in a telephone box on the High Street? Sandy that was a good point, top man! You are right, it's down to the citizens to participate.

It's hard to articulate really, you should have been there to see it for yourself, perhaps eventually they will webcast this too. The main point is perhaps, that we get a chance to input into the new development plan for the Highlands and the process has been promised to be open and transparent. Let's take them at their word Gurnites, as they say themselves we have to learn from the past. If we think the A96 Corridor Master Plan is the cause of all our woes for example, let's get involved on mass and chuck out what we don't want - let's develop planet Nairnshire in the style we want and not anyone else. If it's really a new planning world then let's make it ours. Make your views heard Gurnites. More on this tomorrow if time permits and keep up to date over on the APT blog too.

PS Gurnmeister opinion on Cawdor Delnies plan below

Nairnshire Partnership and Ward Forum 26th August 18.00 - 20.00, the Courthouse - an item for debate that Gurnites may wish to hear in person

Good morning Gurnites, here's the Highland Council webpage and the agenda in detail. A concerned Gurnite has drawn our attention to item 10:
10. Highland Development Plan Scheme – presentation by Malcolm Macleod, HC’s Development Plans Manager

Our correspondent tells us, 'the MIR (Main Issue Report) itself is now coming up for consultation with the general public. This HWDP will inform the development of the whole of the inner Moray Firth area for some years to come and is enormously important.' Our fellow Gurnite continues.' mention this only to highlight two things, people in Nairn need to be attending anything to do with the MIR now in order to acquaint themselves with it in an environment where there are people to answer their questions as is the case at the Forum next week. They should also take the opportunity to go online and look at the MIR on the H.C. website and here is where to go.......

This may all sound a bit dull but we have to show an interest because if we don't then the voices of ordinary citizens will be lost and we may get the kind of future that others want to impose upon us. If you care about your community and other communities in the Moray Firth and the Highlands then get involved in planning issues, make your views known, talk to your friends and neighbours about it and let's make the agenda something that is citizen led and not council, government or developer led. Sometimes we like to bitch about how we think things are going wrong and how we feel we are ignored but this time let's make 100% use of this new chance to have our say.

Keep an eye on the APT blog too for important news items about further meetings and chances to get your point of view across.