Councillor’s Column

DOUGIE MACFADZEAN - KINTYRE AND THE ISLANDS

The Argyllshire Advertiser has kindly provided me with an opportunity to write a column for you to read.

This is the first time I’ve done this so forgive me if it is a bit raw.

Being new to all things politics, every day since I was elected in May 2022 has been like a school day.

Every day has been different and so far every day has been a working day, even Christmas Day.

The variety of issues I have been helping with have really taken me by surprise, from housing concerns, criminal acts, road safety issues, financial worries, food shortages, budget planning and consultation, ferries, buses, schools, voluntary groups, planning concerns and many desperately sad situations.

But that is why I wanted to be your councillor, to help and to make things better.

It has not been easy so far, but there have been some victories, some amazing Councillor Dougie MacFadzean, with Labrador pup Saoirse, is finding ‘every day a school day’ since becoming a councillor in May 2022.

letters of thanks and I believe already that I have helped make things a bit better for some.

My ward is huge, one of the biggest in Scotland and the amount of travelling has been incredible. I’ve been trying to serve the whole ward equally, which has resulted in loads of ferry journeys as I live on Islay and having to stay away from home overnight, but it’s been worth it so far.

I have met so many brilliant volunteers and community activists who have their communities at the centre of everything they do. They have been truly inspiring and I love working with them.

The inner workings of Argyll and Bute Council have been a bit of a challenge to get my head round. There are so many departments with very specific roles and they are all still trying to recover from the pandemic to varying degrees.

I have recognised that there are some amazing people within the council, but I have also recognised that some changes are needed.

I believe that our council should be people-focussed and listen to our communities all the time.

Our council should grasp the great ideas that come from our communities and work together to make things better. In these difficult financial times that is surely the way forward.

I am desperately trying to promote community empowerment and would love to see more members of our community attend the various council meetings, either in person or online.

If anybody would like to know how to go about attending please get in touch.

We urgently need new housing in Kintyre and the Islands and I will be doing my utmost to get new houses built and to bring back into use homes that have been neglected, are lying empty or are only used during a very few weeks of the year.

Our families need secure homes, we need to attract workers but they need a place to live and we need to grow our population instead of watching its continuing decline. We live in an amazing area, probably one of the most beautiful in the UK. Indeed I recently read a report outlining the 10 most beautiful villages to live in the UK with Tarbert and Portnahaven listed in the top 10, both in this ward.

So, life as a councillor so far has been interesting, challenging, demanding and rewarding.

If anyone would like a chat or feels their councillor could help them, please get in touch with me at Dougie. mcfadzean@argyll-bute.gov. uk.