Councillor’s Column
DOUGIE MCFADZEAN - KINTYRE AND THE ISLANDS
Now that we are well in to 2024, the festive holidays are a dim and distant memory. It’s been a hectic start to the year for me and some of my fellow councillors.
The last couple of storms have caused considerable damage across Kintyre and the Islands with houses being flooded, cars being destroyed, power cuts and vulnerable people being isolated from family and friends. I have been contacted by constituents who have relayed heart-breaking stories to me in their moment of need.
It’s always reassuring that people are happy to contact me and have the confidence in me that I will do my utmost to help, and help I have.
That’s by far the best bit of being a councillor, being able to help people when they need it most.
So January has been a challenging month so far, and the challenges continue. I am involved in budgetary planning for the 2024-25 council financial year and have recently attended a very informative seminar outlining the financial position we find ourselves in.
It’s no exaggeration to say that the UK economy is in a pretty dire state and the ripple effect of this is that our council has some very difficult decisions to make for the coming year.
In the next few weeks I will be attending lots of planning meetings trying to ensure that our council looks after our communities as best as we can.
I will always advocate for support for our voluntary sector, our most vulnerable, our families, our small businesses and our vital council staff. We must, as your council, support you, even in these difficult fiscal times.
I am very aware that we are still in the middle of a severe cost of living crisis and families are really struggling to make ends meet.
The use of foodbanks is increasing month on month and I want to thank everyone who donates to foodbanks, delivers for them and helps to fund them.
I want to thank the groups within my ward who are going above and beyond, trying to support our communities and make lives better. I am involved in a number of these groups, most of them run by volunteers, and see first-hand the great work they do. They are our unsung heroes and they know who they are. Thank you.
Whisky expansion concerns
On a different note, over recent months I have been contacted and have met with constituents who have expressed their concerns about the seemingly ever expanding whisky industry on Islay. Islay has a worldwide reputation for producing some of the best whiskies and Islay is considered a “brand” in itself by many people.
However residents on Islay, and beyond have been raising concerns with me about what is perceived as an over-expansion of the industry on Islay. There are nine distilleries producing whisky at present, plus other enterprises producing gin and rum, whilst a further three distilleries are currently being built and another one having gained planning permission to build.
So the questions being asked include, do we have sufficient infrastructure to cope with this expansion? To my mind the answer is no. Are there homes for the additional staff that will be needed? The answer is no. Is the expansion of whisky production changing Islay? Definitely yes. Will the increase in production mean more peat harvesting to feed the distilleries? Yes, with some pending planning applications to increase peat harvesting “in the system”.
Letters have been submitted to local media outlets questioning the ever-growing expansion and development of the industry on Islay, with a dire warning – what if the bubble bursts? And what if it does? Is Islay over-reliant on distilling? The answer is probably yes. If demand for whisky reduces, Islay will be uncomfortably and disproportionately exposed and could face a lot of redundancies, a collapse in house prices, and entire families losing their income.
One distillery has just announced it is making up to 14 staff redundant, which is pretty unheard of in recent years! These are the concerns being raised with me. Perhaps we should take a step back and think about the over-reliance on one industry, successful as it is. Perhaps we should build a more resilient economy and not have all our eggs in one basket.
I would be very happy to hear people’s views on this. I was elected to represent you, and by listening to your thoughts and experiences, that’s what I’ll do.