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Lochwinnoch Gala Day Saturday 11th June in the Public Park.


The theme this year is ‘ Superheroes’. We hope as many children and adults dress ‘accordingly’!


The day starts off with the Parade which leaves at 12.30pm from ‘Old Simon’ at the foot of Johnshill and makes its way to the Park. The crowning of the Queen who this year is Zoe Dutch will take place. Her attendants are Eilidh McIntyre and Shannon Webber.


The opening will be performed by Robert Wilson. This is followed by the judging of the fancy dress.There will be a Zumba display, lots of children’s fun rides, face painting, stalls of all descriptions. There will also be a Companion dog show and display by K9 Pawsitive Action this year. Lots of entertainment going on to suit everyone.


houston, crosslee & brookfield


As you will be aware at the 2007 elections I was elected to represent you to the best of my abilities as a Conservative member. Moving forward I have decided that it will be in the best interests of my constituents if I am able to continue serving you as a member of The Labour Party.


I look forward to having continued excellent relations with all of my Constituents and Community bodies.


May I take this opportunity to congratulate Councillor Derek Mackay on his election to the Scottish Parliament. Over the next term as your MSP I will lobby him to ensure no over development of Houston, upgrading our Scottish Water systems, much greater investment in our roads and ensuring excellent education for all of our young people.


I very much enjoyed working on the campaign with Houston man Stuart Clark fighting an excellent election. As always we as Elected Members need to listen to what we hear on the doorstep and from our constituents and if anybody has any individual questions they wish to raise please get in touch at a surgery or with my office.


Contact me on 07768 142 027 or 0141 840 3651 or email david.clews@ renfrewshire.gov.uk


As a result of the Scottish Parliamentary election earlier this month four Renfrewshire Councillors were successfully elected as MSPs to the Scottish Parliament. I would like to congratulate Councillors Derek MacKay and George Adam on their constituency successes and Councillors Mary Fee and Neil Bibby who were elected as Regional list MSPs for the West of Scotland.


I have reported and hopefully will have removed the inappropriate graffiti sprayed on the newly prepared wall surfaces of the two underpasses in readiness for the artist’s initial mural work prior to the involvement of the local schools.


A one year lease, from 1st June 2011, has been offered to the Church of the Nazarene in respect of the continued usage of the Houston Village Hall following the intended withdrawal of Renfrewshire Council as of 31st May 2011.


The ‘20 mph’ lights at Gryffe and St Benedict’s High School should be operational shortly and I have again pursued the Traffic Department for an installation date for the ‘recorded speed signs’ on Houston Road, Crosslee following a petition from a local resident to Renfrewshire Council’s Scrutiny Board.


The full length Barochan Road from Darluith to Magnus Road is now complete with anti-skid replaced at Sandholes Road and approaching the Traffic lights at Magnus Road. This is the result of the 2011/12 £5.2 million pound Roads Capital Programme approved by the Council earlier this year.


Congratulations to Gryffe High School after the secondary school received the good news that they had achieved Fairtrade status from the Fairtrade Foundation in London this week.


I can be contacted by phone on 610018 or by e-mail at cllr.allan.noon@ renfrewshire.gov.uk or through Renfrewshire Council on 0141 840 3549


My surgeries are held on the second Tuesday of each month in Brookfield Village Hall from 6pm to 6.45pm then in Houston Village Hall from 7pm


38 |JUNE 2011 | your LOCAL news every month - in print and online |


kilbarchan & lochwinnoch


Lochwinnoch Library & Annexe Action Group


Lochwinnoch votes a resounding ‘no’ to their library move. Lochwinnoch activists ran a local public referendum on the council’s decision to move the historic library and downsize it to a smaller room in the McKillop Institute. The result has been a major ‘vote’ against the move by the local community.


Over a couple of weeks the activists in the Lochwinnoch Library & Annexe Action Group leafleted every house Lochwinnoch, asking people if they accept the Council’s plan. Over 500 households have replied so far, with responses still streaming in. Referendum organiser David Mellor said, “We had our voting box out on election day and we got as much enthusiastic reaction as the polling station did. Over 500 households out of around 1200 have replied so far and the responses are still coming in. People were angry about this when it was sprung on the village in November and they are still just as angry now”.


LAAG has uncovered a number of faults in the original proposals; the people of Lochwinnoch were not consulted as they were entitled to be, with no chance for better alternatives


to be considered. The library building is part of Lochwinnoch’s history and people want it to continue as a well-used library and meeting space. Rather than saving money as the Council claims, moving the library will actually cost taxpayers money over the next ten years or more. Far from being a ”Difficult Choice for Difficult Times” as the Council’s strategy was called, we think it’s a “Stupid Choice with No Merit”.


The six month ruling, which prevents Council decisions from being reviewed even when they may be wrong ones, has nearly expired. LAAG Convenor Irene Conway says, “We are calling for the proposal to be scrapped. There’s overwhelming evidence that it no longer meets the Council’s plans for saving money over the next three years. All our collected ‘votes’ will be presented to the council. We are hopeful of that the council will agree to review their decision.”


This action is a follow-on from the group’s Book Petition when, on Valentine’s day, over 500 books signed by local residents appealing for the library to kept where it is were delivered to the council offices. Book Petition organiser Kerry McKendrick said, “The books were packaged with labels taped to them, in the form of Valentine’s hearts addressed to all the councillors. Despite this, the books and their messages were ‘lost’ - they never reached their targets, just put into store. So we’re trying again to make councillors listen and open their minds”.


If there is no change of direction by Renfrewshire Council, the group will prepare formal complaints to the Scottish Public Services Ombudsman and the Standards Commissioner. Group member David Hughes says “There’s no way we’re accepting this mistaken decision”.


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