Conglomerate nan Eilean Siar
The Councillors had plenty to talk about last week, but sadly it seems like common sense was conspicuous by its absence.
The decision by the Stornoway Port Authority to refuse to allow the Bayhead Infill to go ahead was one of the hot topics.
A solution to the problem was mooted by senior Councillors: that the Comhairle acquire the powers of the Stornoway Port Authority and that the SPA be disbanded. This, it was said, would avoid any future problems over planning matters, and ensure that the Comhairle could bring it's skills and abilities to dealing with all harbour matters.
This idea seems to have met with approval, as there was a call to extend the remit of the Council bytaking over absorbing the functions of the Health Board. Oh yes, and the major players in the Voluntary Sector. And a few other organisations too.....
How much easier - the Councillors concluded - if these organisations were able to better understand the views of the Council by being part of the Council. Strategic planning will be so much better and coherent if these independent organisations didn't take independent decisions, but instead were told what to do.
Unbelievably, this strategy is to be pursued (quietly and off the record, of course), so look forward for the Council planning to broaden its remit.
Meantime, Dear Leader Comrade Angus Camp Il Jong is authoring the new 10-year Collective Plan, "The People's Great March Forward", for the proposed Democratic People's Democratic Republic of the Outer Korean Hebrides.
The decision by the Stornoway Port Authority to refuse to allow the Bayhead Infill to go ahead was one of the hot topics.
A solution to the problem was mooted by senior Councillors: that the Comhairle acquire the powers of the Stornoway Port Authority and that the SPA be disbanded. This, it was said, would avoid any future problems over planning matters, and ensure that the Comhairle could bring it's skills and abilities to dealing with all harbour matters.
This idea seems to have met with approval, as there was a call to extend the remit of the Council by
How much easier - the Councillors concluded - if these organisations were able to better understand the views of the Council by being part of the Council. Strategic planning will be so much better and coherent if these independent organisations didn't take independent decisions, but instead were told what to do.
Unbelievably, this strategy is to be pursued (quietly and off the record, of course), so look forward for the Council planning to broaden its remit.
Meantime, Dear Leader Comrade Angus Camp Il Jong is authoring the new 10-year Collective Plan, "The People's Great March Forward", for the proposed Democratic People's Democratic Republic of the Outer Korean Hebrides.
19 comments:
Considering how to bolster their position to attempt to avoid the likely forthcoming cold wind of incorporation into Highland Region - and the loss of (at least) half of the Councillors and top managers ?
This place is f*!*^d, well and truly. The cuts reported on Hebrides news are horrific and one can only wonder how much of it is attributable to wider public spending cuts nationally and how much due to the incompetent fiddling and shuffling of the Comhairle. Difficult decisions should have been made a long time ago to reign in the losses.
The harbour commission is a bit like macbraynes- the devil you know is maybe better than the devil you don't know. Of course Conglomerate nan Eilean Siar is just fexing its expansionism muscles - a bit like Iran- in fact is the land grab at Bayhead not an example,Conglomerate are expert experts in everything including harbours - Brevig £2m overspend to build a break water -had they listened to Bodoch Bac they wouldnt have built it there in the first place. Ah but look at the fine job of Kallin - just £3M overspend- bad ground conditions- wrong type of mud /seabed. Yea it does seem a great idea for them to make an ar$e of everything else they can grab. Why not eh?- better take over the Trust too......
Why does their website say "Flights Seven days per week" and silent on Ferries? Ah forgot a ferry is a boat......
Actually a form of communism would probably be best for the western isles, at least in the short term.
The simple fact is that the problems facing these islands are so great that the actions of individuals will have a neglible effect. We need a centrally planned command economy to create wealth and a firm base.
Under collectivisation, all the plumbers, builders etc would work as a team, so instead of wastefully dotting up individual houses here and there, whole streets, estates and villages of houses would be put up, with pre planned amenities and at a much cheaper cost.
A five year plan would also need to address population growth. Encourage former islands to return with skilled economy jobs, research labs etc. With the pre planned construction projects mentioned above, houses would be incredibly cheap, and sold to individuals at base cost. This would encourage more people to return.
Encourage former islands to return.
I would suggest a direct air link to London. When you have that, it would make it a lot easier for people round the world to get here.
Similarly upgrade the airport for international standards and able to handle big planes like a 747. That way we could open the place up for tourists. Imagine say, a load of Japanese tourists flying directly form Tokyo to Sotrnoway. We build luxury resorts, 5 star hotels and facilites overlooking Luskentyre beach etc, and we are loaded. This money can then be ploughed back into improving living standards, and building infrastructure projects designed to make us even more money.
Similarly, build a load of wind turbines, and put car charge up points everywhere and force everyone to drive electric cars (except for emergency services and heavy plant). This way we could reduce our petrol consumption by 90% and be independant in energy matters.
Obviously, all this doesn't take into account who our 'dear leaders' will be. I wouldn't be so sure about the presesnt bunch acting in their own short term interests.
I was under the impression that CNES were clean out of cash. Just the sort of organisation we need to run the Health Board then. You couldn't make it up.
Any chance of someone organising a military coup and putting the council under house arrest/sick leave?
Perhaps the Port Authority should be asked to take over the running of the council- after all they seem to make a better job of their finances than the white house mob, and I never heard of the SPA paying £750 to change a light bulb!
Boolie will be at a loose end in a few weeks- does he need a part-time job to keep himself occupied?
Angus you are quite right Our Leader/Fuerer is creating the 4th Reich - all objectors will go to forced labour on the Turbine Moors.
Don't let the creation of a Councillor Dictate overshadow the manouvering over real peoples jobs that is about to happen.
From what I hear/understand there are three options given 10% staff cuts must be achieved. 10% that is from the grunts on the ground not the Reichstag elite (min qualification being limited interlect albeit a £50K+ salary).
10% across the board - too risky as the Comhairle staff are already dispondant. Given the nepotisum across the Comhaile some ones loss will affect some ones direct or indirect family.
10% - get rid of the COU. Much as they would like to do so this is also too risky (and expensive if contractors are brought in). One too many at the top in COU have too much dirt on the activities of their department and technical services in general. Fraud, nepotisum and down right theft (material, contacts and in staff time)just to mention.
10% - redundancy. Ideal. Ensure the overpaid un employed senior staff keep their numbers over the reduced pile (less those who can actually make a mint out of the tax payers and will go). Get rid of any employee with any history of indivdual thought or action. These sort could challenge the master race for real work.
Summary - some very talented and effective middle rank employees will go to save the lot of the Senior Staff (SS)
Why oh why does the poor people have to suffer cut backs on the poor and needy why don't they have a good look at what is losing money and sell it off (building servies, bus operation, street lighting)cut there losess employ a GOOD accountant who knows his job not people that are looking for a big pay off at the end of the day some of the councillors THINK they are experts on finance only finance they are good at is making there expences claims. I disagree with 5.58 the COU should be closed down and l think the contractors would be cheaper, at least if they lost money we the taxpayer would not have to pay up remember what happened to the street light contract!
This place had one decent chance of prosperity in recent years and it walked away from it. The middle-class anti-wind farm brigade (now so mysteriously silent) are not the ones who will suffer from council cuts or absence of community funds which would protect the vulnerable as in shetland
And here was me thinking we had the church to protect the vulnerable.
So what do Shetland do different. Please explain.
So anon 10:17 the income from Windfarms was going to subsidise Council, Government, and Banking, Fuckups? I didn't see that in Lewis Wind Farms planning application, if I had only been made aware of this I might not have objected!
My understanding was the 'Windfall' would be spent on 'Community' projects, you know like yet more community centres,(every township must have at least 2) and other 'nice' things, not on bailing out cockups by our elected elite, but then what I do I know I'm just one of your 6000 middle class objectors!
And while we are on the subject of middle class if they are were so many middle class objectors there can't be that many poverty stricken people in Lewis left can there who need help?
10.17 I didn't realise that north Lewis was a middle class enclave, and there's me thinking it was a crofting community.
10:17
Who are you some old fashioned socialist pre Blair?
Middle class - class now is being in work or out ofwork - class now is being PAYE tax payer or self employed etc and able to avoid tax.
Middle class? what all those ordinary folk to the North of Stornoway who damned a scheme that would ruin their world. Or those folk in the poorest region of Scotland (Pairc/South Lochs) who equally damned the greed of two off island landlords.
Come and have a middle class high tea in Pairc you snob.
I suspose you will retaliate by calling them all NIMBYs?
Get in to the real world you bigot. Unless you are a Councillor who lets face it live in their own world.
Sorry but people like you get up my and many others nose(s).
I think that there will be a big change in opinion in regards to the opportunities which were lost with the Lewis Wind Farm project.
£4million per year for the next 20 years lost in Community Benefit plus the 50% share which would have gone to Crofters.
Think of the employment which would have been created by the Community Fund.
Amazing what 500 objectors can achieve by sending a dozen objection letters each (YES IT DID HAPPEN )
Anon 7:48
Given the history of the way that projects community or otherwise have been run here it is just as well that they don't have £4 Million a year for 20 years to line their pockets with or otherwise waste on pointless and needless grandiose schemes.
7:48 are you 10:17?
Smacks here of an individual crofter bitter that he has lost the chance to sell his worthless croft (through inactivity) to the filthy rich he so dispises for a few pieces of silver
Get it into your daft head there is no pot of gold from on shore turbines or mass employment. Just profit for a few and out with the land owners we know just who they are.
Troll at 7:48, with regards to your ludicrous claim that 500 objectors sent a dozen letters each, you are a liar and a thick one at that (didn't you have arithmetic at school?)
Still, don't let the facts get in the way of your stupidity. Were you to be one of the handful of AMEC's crofter millionaires?
Or are you a councillor? I know for a fact that at least one councillor comments anonymously on this blog...get back to work!
7.48 You may not be aware that the Government sends out an acknowledgement slip to all people submitting responses to planning applications. Therefore the event you report would certainly have come to light should it have occurred.
actually I reacon 10:17 and those following it up are ALL SNP members. They love creating a row.
Actually the one who makes the most sense is 4:10. The only problem is that Communist states (in common with every other type of politics) Depends on good leadership.
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