Recent News
Nestle site Public Local Inquiry
There will be a public local enquiry into the planning application for the old Nestle site in Barrhead.
The owners, Barrhead Gateway Ltd., put in a planning application for housing and shops on the site last year. The council didn’t make a decision on the application and the owners took this as a refusal of permission and have appealed to the Scottish Government.
The government has appointed an independent Reporter to hold a public local inquiry to decide on the appeal. The inquiry will examine the detail of all of the planning issues and will be open to the public.
It will be in Dalmeny Community Hall for four days from Tuesday 26 to Friday 29 August, from 10am to 4.30pm each day with breaks for lunch.
Assessing the Risk of Fire
Five East Renfrewshire Council employees last week became the first members of staff to complete an e-learning fire awareness course.
The course is part of the council’s commitment to raising awareness of what to do in a fire situation.
The five employees are the first to be trained up as fire risk assessors who are fully qualified to carry out fire risk assessments in low and specified medium risk premises.
Subjects covered on the course included fire legislation and enforcement, roles and responsibilities, elements of combustion and causes of fire spread. The five principles of fire were highlighted and the employees worked in fire assessment workshops and complement an assignment.
Gerry O’Neil, senior health and safety advisor, said: “Fire is one of the most significant hazards that we can all face, in work or in our home life, and we want to make sure that all of our employees are aware of the hazards and how they can be avoided”.
Norma Donaghy, liaison officer for community facilities was one of the first people to go on the fire risk assessment course. Norma is responsible for the upkeep of halls, their health and safety and day-to-day running.
She said: “The course was very beneficial and interesting. We watched a real-time video of a fire starting in Bradford football stadium. We saw how quickly the flames spread and damage was done, and how the people involved reacted.”
Course attendees were then tasked with carrying out a mock risk assessment of a council-run building.
Norma added: “It made us aware of hazards which could lead to a fire. I’d advice anyone to go on the course. Completing it means I can now go out and risk assess some of the halls.”
Photographs above:-
1. Inside: Grant Murray (housing); Jim Lochrie (sport and recreation); Norma Donaghy (community facilities); Scott Simpson (library services) Campbell Robertson (Eastwood Park Theatre) received their certificates from council health and safety manager Colin Nicol. Also in attendance was senior H&S officer Gerry O’Neill.
2. Outside with fire engine: Grant Murray (housing); Campbell Robertson (Eastwood Park Theatre); Norma Donaghy (community facilities); Scott Simpson (library services) and Jim Lochrie (sport and recreation) received their certificates from council health and safety manager Colin Nicol. Also in attendance was senior H&S officer Gerry O’Neill (far left) and firefighter Paul Murphy and watch commander Gary Jones (far right) from Strathclyde Fire & Rescue based at Clarkston.
From Pantos to Polis
The winter programme for Eastwood Park Theatre is, as expected, a rich tapestry of colourful events featuring operattas, gruffalos, polis, pantos and even sex and chocolate.
The first event of the winter programme is Scottish Opera’s production of the much loved operetta, The Merry Widow, which runs for two evenings, Thursday 4 September and Saturday 6 September.
Comic, author and poet Ian Billings will bring his Out of His Mind show to the theatre on the afternoon of Sunday 7 September.
And on Wednesday 10 September the NPL Theatre Company presents Des Dillon’s powerful comedy Singing I’m No a Billy He’s a Tim, the story of what happens when a Rangers fan is locked in the same prison cell as a Celtic fan.
The popular author events at the theatre continue this season with visits from Victoria Hislop, whose new book The Return is set in the beautiful Spanish city of Granada, best selling author Christopher Brookmyre and ex cop Harry Morris, who writes about the lighter side of the Scottish police service in his Harry the Polis series of books.
Laughter is sure to ring through the theatre when award winning comedian Janey Godley hosts the semi-final of the Scottish Comedian of the Year on Saturday 13 September.
Local theatre companies will take to the stage over the next few months with EROS performing The Little Shop if Horrors from Tuesday 16 September to Saturday 20 September. The Theatre South Productions will present Musical Revue from Wednesday 1 September to Saturday 4 October and the Giffnock Theatre Players will bring Willy Russell’s Blood Brothers to the theatre from Monday 20 October to Saturday 25 October.
The MsFits presents Rona Munro’s Sex and Chocolate on Thursday 16 October and on Saturday 15 November London Classic Theatre presents Humble Boy.
On the run up to Christmas there will be pantomimes by local theatre groups. Harlequin - Eastwood Theatre for Youth take to the stage with Babes in the Wood from Tuesday 25 November to Saturday 29 November and the following week from Tuesday 2 December until Saturday 6 December it is the turn of Eastwood Entertainers who will present Sleeping Beauty. Both shows will have matinee performances on the Saturday afternoons.
Runway Theatre Company, who were formerly known as the Glasgow Airport Drama Club, will perform Dick Whittington and his Cat from Monday 8 December until Saturday 13 December. There will be two matinees on the Saturday at 11am and at 3pm.
Music lovers are also in for a treat over the winter months with top Gaelic vocalist Karen Matheson visiting Eastwood Park Theatre on Thursday 9 October and Moishe’s Bagel making a welcome return on Sunday 26 October with their mix of Eastern European dance music, Middle Eastern rhythms and virtuoso performances.
East Renfrewshire Council and Bengali Performing Arts present an evening of Bengali folk songs performed by top singer Utpalendu Chowdhury on Sunday 1 November and on Sunday 16 November multi instrumentalist Fred Morrison and Friends will entertain with their inspired improvisations on Highland, uilleann and reelpipes.
Scotland’s ‘Ambassador of Song’ Peter Morrison will bring his annual Christmas show to the theatre on Friday 19 December singing a selection of songs from Broadway classics to Christmas favourites.
Listed in the programme as ‘family’ shows are The Puppet State Theatre Company who will on Sunday 2 November present the environmental classic The Man Who Planted Trees which blends puppetry, storytelling and comedy. On Sunday 16 November award winning children’s author Julia Donaldson will act out her stories and sing songs from her various books including The Gruffalo’s Child.
Lovers of dance will be treated to a selection of wonderful dance styles including Bharata Natyam, Kuchipudi and Odissi when Dance Ihayami bring their Vismayaha show to East Renfrewshire on Saturday 22 November.
Eastwood Park Theatre’s gallery has a full schedule for the winter months beginning with Just Like Us – The Heritage of Slavery and Abolition an exhibition of artwork produced in local schools and public workshops which reflects an understanding of the way of life of Africans taken from their homelands and into slavery. It runs from 13 September until 3 October.
East Renfrewshire Art Club occupy the gallery space from 6 October to 18 October and from 21 October until 15 November there will be an exhibition of the work of the Society of Scottish Artists.
Celebration of the Figure brings together the work of prominent Scottish artists which runs from 18 November until 4 December and East Renfrewshire’s largest community art exhibition the Festival of Colour will highlight the work local artists.
From 7 – 22 December the gallery will host an Art Fair of original paintings from local groups.
An extensive art workshop programme takes place over the winter months. Classes are on offer to adults in a variety of subjects including, watercolour painting, life drawing, oil and acrylic painting and there are various arts and crafts classes for children.
For further information on any of the events listed above call the box office on 0141 577 4970.
Copies of the programme can be picked up from Eastwood Park Theatre, libraries and from council HQ in Eastwood Park. If you visit the council website, you can sign up to have a copy delivered to your home address.
Photographs above:
1. Popular Gaelic songstress Karen Mathieson
2. Dance Ihayami
Council welcomes £1.3m for greener travel
Barrhead residents will be able to improve their health and shrink their carbon footprint by ditching the car and walking and cycling more thanks to a £1.3m Scottish Government cash boost announced today by Stewart Stevenson MSP, Minister for Transport, Infrastructure and Climate Change.
Council chiefs successfully bid for the Smarter Choices, Smarter Places fund cash. They’ll now plough the Scottish Government cash with match funding to give the £1.3m total, it into a paths network, cycling facilities and public transport improvements in Barrhead to add to the £100m better Barrhead regeneration drive already underway in the town.
The community and schools will be closely involved in the projects and families will be able to work out individual travel plans designed to cut their carbon footprint and car use. Road safety is also expected to improve with pedestrians and cyclists being able to use more dedicated off-road paths. One will link the town to the new Dams to Darnley Country Park.
The council plans to set Barrhead firmly on an environmentally-friendly road have the backing of a variety of bodies including Strathclyde Partnership for Transport, Strathclyde Police, Cycling Scotland, Sustrans, the Energy Saving Trust, Go Greener, East Renfrewshire’s own environmental group and Voluntary Action East Renfrewshire.
Minister for Transport and Climate Change Stewart Stevenson said:
“With more cars on our roads, increasing levels of congestion and rising emissions, it is time for us all to look at our travel behaviour. We need to look at new ways to persuade people to consider more sustainable forms of travel. The proposals for Barrhead are impressive and have the potential to improve travel options for thousands of residents.
“Activities planned for Barrhead are based around the theme of promoting a healthy and active lifestyle and are being developed alongside a ten-year, £100 million regeneration of the area. The town already has extensive areas of green space, and is well served by transport links. The new Dams to Darnley cycle link is being created within the green belt next to Barrhead and this project will provide links between the town centre and the country park.
“This initiative could also be used as a template for other local authorities to follow, showcasing the very best examples of sustainable travel initiatives from across Scotland, resulting in a catalyst for change throughout the whole country. ”
East Renfrewshire Council leader Councillor Jim Fletcher said: “We are very pleased to have made a successful bid to boost green travel in Barrhead and we are especially delighted that the Minister has chosen our town to announce the national scheme. The cash will allow us to help boost health by encouraging walking and cycling, and cut carbon emissions by encouraging people to take the bus and train. The news comes at a time when we are already moving forward with the regeneration of Barrhead and the projects will help boost that as well.”
Photograph above: Transport Minister Stewart Stevenson gets on his bike to examine the green travel plans for Barrhead as East Renfrewshire Council leader Councillor Jim Fletcher, deputy leader Councillor Douglas Yates and community leaders look on.
Neilston Road Closure
East Renfrewshire roads chiefs are closing Neilston Road, Barrhead, from tomorrow, Thursday 14 August, between Donnie’s Brae and the A736 Lochlibo Road/Kelburn Street junction in the town, after a sewer collapse took place today.
Diversions will operate via Lochlibo Road, Holehouse Brae and Neilston Main Street with temporary traffic lights on Holehouse Brae.
Roads chiefs are warning drivers using Lochlibo Road, which carries heavy through traffic to and from East and North Ayrshire, to allow more time for journeys through Barrhead.
The closure is scheduled to last until Thursday 4 September to allow Scottish Water to repair the sewer collapse.
East Renfrewshire’s roads chief Joe Devine said: “We apologise for the inconvenience but we have no choice but to close the road as an emergency measure. I ask all road users to use the diversions safely and to allow extra time for journeys through Barrhead and to and from Neilston.”
Work starts on new roundabout
Council bosses and contractors have broken ground at a new £370,000 roundabout designed to speed traffic to and from Barrhead’s Shanks industrial area.
Cash for the roundabout came from the Scottish Government’s City Growth Fund to boost jobs in the area and the work on Shanks Way should be complete by November to further boost a £100m regeneration plan already underway in the town.
East Renfrewshire Council leader Councillor Jim Fletcher, who joined deputy leader Councillor Douglas Yates, Fraser Brown of the council’s roads service and contractor Newlay’s project manager, John McKay at the site said: “The new roundabout will speed traffic in and out of the Shanks industrial area and is proof positive of real investment going into Barrhead. We are very grateful as it allows us to make this improvement a reality."
Photograph above: Hats off to the new roundabout, left to right John McKay of contractors Newlay, Fraser Brown of East Renfrewshire roads, Councillor Jim Fletcher and Councillor Douglas Yates.
Bin letter scam warning
Householders across East Renfrewshire are being warned to be on their guard if they receive a letter claiming to be from a company called Thompson & Lawyers saying that they are the beneficiary in a $22m dollar overseas will settlement.
The letter, currently being sent to houses in the Giffnock area, invites the recipient to contact David Thompson of the firm by phone, fax or e-mail to claim a share of the cash. But trading standards bosses are warning anyone receiving the letter to bin it fast.
East Renfrewshire Trading standards boss Steve Fox said: “This letter is a clear attempt to get people to reveal personal bank details so accounts can be raided. There is also a danger that personal details will be used for identity theft while if you do reply to a scam letter like this you are letting the sender know that you are a ‘live’ address and the sender will sell on your address to other scamsters. Be safe. Bin a letter like this immediately and don’t be tempted to reply under any circumstances.”
Trading standards have passed a copy of the letter on to the Office of Fair Trading, which is co-ordinating action against scams received from abroad.
New Superintendent for East Renfrewshire
East Renfrewshire police sub-division has a new superintendent. John McDougall replaces Superintendent Stewart Daniels who has retired after 30 years in the force with his last five as the officer in charge of policing in East Renfrewshire.
Superintendent McDougall brings 28 years of police service to his new post, starting as a beat officer in Glasgow’s Blackhill area before moving up the ranks into research, training and development work.
He comes to his new Giffnock-based post from a two-year secondment to Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary for Scotland which has given him a unique insight into policing across the country.
A history graduate of Glasgow University, 50 year-old John is married with four children aged from 13 to 22 and lives in Cathcart, just across the boundary from East Renfrewshire.
Superintendent John McDougall said: “I am delighted to have been appointed to East Renfrewshire and I look forward to working with my officers and with the council and communities to build on the already excellent work done by Stewart Daniels.
East Renfrewshire is one of the safest places in which to live in Strathclyde and my task is to make it even safer by further driving down crime. There is a first class relationship with East Renfrewshire Council which I look forward to developing and I also want to get to know our communities well.”
East Renfrewshire Council leader Councillor Jim Fletcher said: “I am very pleased to welcome John to East Renfrewshire where police and council work closely and effectively together for the benefit of our community and I know that he will build on the excellent work done by Stewart Daniels who leaves with the council’s every good wish for a long and happy retirement.”
Photographs :
Picture 1 - Head shot of Superintendent John McDougall
Picture 2 - John McDougall (left) being welcomed by Councillor Jim Fletcher, leader of East Renfrewshire Council, as retiring Superintendent Stewart Daniels looks on.
Five ‘A’ higher pupils up 25 per cent
A record ninety candidates have notched up five higher ‘A’ passes at East Renfrewshire Schools- a 25 per cent increase on 2007’s figures.
One third of the total has been achieved by St Ninian’s High School pupils with 30 hitting the five ‘A” gold standard. The numbers of pupils attaining five ‘A’ highers in the rest of the council’s schools are Barrhead High School, two; Eastwood High School, seven; Mearns Castle High School, 19; St Luke’s High School, three; Williamwood High School 19 and Woodfarm High School 10.
Highers performance is up across the board with the percentage of pupils achieving three or more awards at level 6 or better up by five points from 2007 to 45.5 per cent and those attaining five or more at level 6 or better up by four points to 26.7 per cent. Woodfarm High School, Thornliebank, showed the biggest increase, by boosting its five or more figure for 2007 by 2.5 times to 28.1 per cent for 2008.
Sixty-two per cent of fourth year pupils achieved five of more qualifications at intermediate 2 or above, the best ever figure for the council, up four points from 2007. And a record 24.4 per cent of sixth year pupils achieved one or more advanced highers.
Education convener Councillor Alan Lafferty said: “Once again our school pupils have performed tremendously well and I congratulate them all. The results are a tribute to the hard work they put in, to the professionalism and dedication of our teachers and support staff and to the encouragement that pupils receive from parents. East Renfrewshire schools are consistently improving performance. The highers and advanced higher results are proof positive of the wisdom of moving from standard grade to intermediates while all the results also show the value of our all-through tracking of pupils from primary to the end of secondary school.”
Neilston in the world
The fourth Neilston Live festival of culture and life will kick off on Friday 1 August and run through to Sunday 10 August.
This year’s theme will be Neilston in the world with music, activities, and events celebrating the village’s place in the world past, present and future.
Three free major exhibitions will be held in The Bank on Main Street during the festival. Artists in Exile will feature works from leading international artists currently resident in Scotland.
The Banking on Neilston display will show plans for the renovation of The Bank and Hidden Histories: Wartime Memories will highlight local stories of the war years.
Music lovers will be in for a treat with a jazz session in the Traveller’s Rest in the first evening of the festival, the popular opening ceilidh will be held in St Thomas’s Church Hall on Saturday 2 August and a singing workshop in The Bank on Sunday 3 August.
There will also be an evening of Scottish music, Roots and Hoots IV, in the Crofthead Bowling Club starring Mary K Burke and Finlay McDonald and his band.
Neilston Parish Church will hold a Classics in the Kirk afternoon on Sunday 10 August and that evening St Thomas’s will be the venue for a Night at the Musicals, a fundraiser for Lourdes Theatre Group.
Local studies librarian Amanda Robb is also hosting a session on Thursday 7 August in Neilston library on how to trace your ancestors.
From Monday to Friday there are various carnival workshops in both the Masonic halls and the leisure centre. A tea dance will also be held in St Thomas’s Church Hall on Tuesday 5 August.
Local librarian Joyce Wallace will tell the fascinating story of Neilston’s wartime Norwegian refugees who lived in a camp in the village on Tuesday 5 August in the library.
The ever popular parade takes place on Saturday 9 August and will start off from The Bank at 12 noon and make its way along Main Street, round High Street, down Station Road and back on to Main Street.
Barfest, the Neilston Live’s festival fringe will feature live music from local bands including the Scruffs, The Alans, Bad Medicine and Kazoo plus solo acts such as Andy Lindsay, Andy McGarvie and Chas Cunningham.
Festival convener Laura Carsewell said: “It is our aim through activities like the festival to enable people to thrive and have fun in Neilston, mix and enjoy each other’s company and share their talents. So please support the festival and help make that goal come true.”