Ayrshire’s Ne’er forget the people

I wish to respond to the recent articles in your paper about the Ayr Flower Show and the call for local councillors to make their position clear on the matter.

First, I advise that I have had a number of local people from Ayr East and beyond contact me about their anger about the premature demise of the flower show and I share their concerns.

This is an historical and deeply held cultural event which is a local tourist cornerstone that should not be allowed to wither on the vine.

And, going forward, I commit to doing everything in my power to have it restored.

Secondly, this situation has helped me to reflect on what has been achieved in this council over the past five years.

My honest assessment is that the council has provided stable and good levels of vital services in spite of continuous cuts to its core budgets.

Generally, South Ayrshire Council has been able to make the forced reductions without major service withdrawal and still managed to tackle some of the long standing problems like investing in the school infrastructure and regenerating the bottom end of Ayr High street.

So, although some mistakes have been made, there has been good overall progress but there is still much to do.

In my opinion, and partly in response to the Best Value Review, the council has become too inwardly focused on the internal systems and processes as well as feeding the corporate and audit machine.

So there is much to do in the next administration to be more representative than regulatory, to listen and respond more closely to local peoples’ needs and base decisions on hard, reliable evidence rather than councillor or officer perceptions.

We need to cultivate a strong refreshed vision for South Ayrshire with an attitude of togetherness and respect.

It is not enough to do things right; we also need to do the rights things.

Finally, if I am part of the next council administration, then I will actively promote this change of culture and direction which moves away from personal perceptions to one of informed service based on need.

As a council, we will then be outward facing to tackle injustice and reach out to local communities that support the life, traditions and aspirations of South Ayrshire.

This renewed partnership approach would ensure that events like the Ayr Flower Show are recognised for their value to the culture and history of South Ayrshire and are given every chance to blossom in a way that these are sustained for generations to come. I note your correspondent “name and address supplied” ( Ayrshire’s View, Ayrshire Post, February 17) is concerned that the local authority has not done enough to keep the Ayr Flower Show blooming.

Your coverage of this story in the same issue suggests otherwise.

However should your correspondent remain unconvinced, perhaps he or she might consider throwing off the cloak of anonymity and take the opportunity to stand in the forthcoming council elections.

If elected he or she could then help decide which competing priorities finite budgets would support. Recently a pamphlet popped through our letter box sent on behalf of a current Tory councillor in South Ayrshire.

I believe voters in Troon and parts of Ayr have received similar ones headed with names of other Tory hopefuls for the elections due in just over two months.

The paper I received alludes to the many years that gentleman has been “serving” our interests. Sadly my reaction was to ask what we have to show for those years. I can think of many places and things which were appreciated by the public which are now closed, demolished or run down.

Like many others I think on the flower show which we recently hear is to be discontinued after more years of successes than our councillor has sat making decisions.

Of course some things show slight improvements. For example, the few public toilets which remain in use are being fitted with turnstyle machines which will require the sum of 30 pence to operate. What a daft price to charge - 20p would have been slightly more sane - I do hope all citizens will make sure they always have a 20p and a 10p coin to hand as I understand no change will be given by the devices! Who decided on the level of charge and how long did our Tory and Labour ruling council junta deliberate on that?

I am quite certain many of your readers can think of their own reasons to which they can address voter dissatisfaction. Certainly there must be nearly 100 per cent dissatisfaction with the appalling condition of South Ayrshire Roads.

Of course the head of that department clearly has a qualification in creative use of the English language but if lack of money to repair and replace our worn roads is the constant theme then a good few pounds could be saved by disposing of the services of many of the administrators, road inspectors etc. whose salaries are far from insignificant but whose product in road improvement is minimal.

The councillor whose correspondence I received asks for replies to a short questionnaire in which he asks if I feel I am getting value for money from the council tax I pay.

Skilfully he fails to ask how I feel about increases in tax generated by the Holyrood mafia and topped in nearly every part of Scotland by a three per cent imposition agreed by councillors just about to seek re- election! He then asks what local issue is of most concern.

I wonder what proportion will say— the roads and pavements! However I do not really think he or his fellow Tories will be much bothered by the replies of voters as he asks that we return our comments to the Tory offices in Wellington Square but singularly fails to provide a reply paid method of so doing!

So they are good at looking after party funds!