READERS’ LETTERS

Sir, – Having recently resigned from the local SNP group as I found them no more than a clone of Lanarkshire Labour, I’m grateful for the further evidence demonstrated in a recent letter.

One of the things I always disliked about the local Labour politicians was their cowardly habit of having some mouthpiece forward a letter on their behalf rather than having the honesty to put their own name on it. The local SNP seem to be joining them based on a recent smear letter, which was no more than a rehash of the personal attacks directed at me by Councillor David Key from Kilsyth at the last council meeting.

Councillor Key, the unofficial third Kilsyth Labour Councillor, is a man seemingly obsessed with how I carry out my councillor duties. David was responsible for the successful disciplinary action taken against me, apparently for interfering in his Kilsyth/Croy patch. Unfortunately the kangaroo court was carried out while I was off ill and no one ever got around to telling me the specifics of what I was accused of.

Based on some of David’s previous outbursts it shouldn’t be too hard to guess though. He repeatedly attacked any proof demonstrating that Cumbernauld always came at the bottom of the Council spending priorities. It would seem that producing a graph comparing Cumbernauld to the other six NLC towns was interfering?

For example a Cumbernauld citizen gets less than a third spent on parks and children’s play areas than their Kilsyth equivalent. Our children suffer further as less than one in five of the kids in Cumbernauld North have access to a council nursery while David’s Croy/Kilsyth area is the highest in the council with almost one in two getting a council nursery place.

When a Cumbernauld news article demonstrated that a Cumbernauld Citizen gets less spent on their town centre than any other area. David described it as “moronic” and endorsed the Labour party spending priorities. I’m sure the fact that David’s constituents enjoy a town centre spend nearly treble that of Cumbernauld had absolutely nothing at all to do with this rather extreme view.

It’s incredibly sad that a councillor is subjected to a smear campaign for the simple act of defending the people who voted for them. However, it’s even sadder that Lanarkshire SNP have already confirmed there will be no change to the milking of the Cumbernauld cash cow if they take power next year.

Why do you think they are more obsessed with anti Alan O’Brien smear campaigns than attacking their supposed Labour opponents? Perhaps people are now beginning to understand why I call them the MKII Labour party. – Yours etc.,

ALAN O’BRIEN

Independent Councillor

Cumbernauld North

Conveyed apologies

Sir – Your anonymous correspondent of your edition of October 19 is indeed correct that I was not able to attend the meeting held earlier this month in Kildrum about the changes to treatment rooms being taken forward by NHS Lanarkshire. It is unfortunate that from time to time there are meetings arranged that I am invited to, but that I am unable to attend.

I conveyed my apologies to the meeting organisers well in advance of the meeting date, and provided a statement of support, which I trust was read out at the meeting, and my SNP colleague Councillor Tom Johnston addressed the meeting.

Moreover, I contributed to the consultation process, and made clear my opposition to the proposals being advanced by NHS Lanarkshire. If your correspondent, or indeed any other person residing in Cumbernauld and Kilsyth would like to see a copy of that correspondence they need only contact my office on 01236 453969 and I will happily send them such. – Yours etc.,

JAMIE HEPBURN MSP,

via e-mail

Slicing Cumbernauld from Kilsyth

Sir, – Bad news for our local community, the plans for redrawing Scotland’s electoral map have been announced, and the boundary commission want to slice Cumbernauld away from Kilsyth. We’re going to be stuck onto Coatbridge instead! A very drastic change, and I was disappointed by the lack of coverage in this week’s Cumbernauld News. We in Cumbernauld have deep and historic links to Kilsyth and East Dunbartonshire, but it appears these are to be sacrificed to the London Coalition as they reduce Scotland’s clout at Westminster.

Going back to the days of the Cumbernauld and Kilsyth Distict Council, we and Kilsyth have been a political unit, and have rightly been kept together in past boundary changes, for both Holyrood and Westminster. A common community exists between the two towns. When making such decisions, community should be key, but here it has been ignored. While we have great transport links as well as traditional ties to Kilsyth, we have no historic ties to Coatbridge. The only transport link is the often empty train service from Cumbernauld to Motherwell.

The public hearings into these proposals are also cause for alarm. Although there is to be a public hearing in Glasgow, those interested in Cumbernauld’s new constituency would need to go to Lanark, much less convenient for Cumbernauld folk to get to. We’re not the only ones, those from Ayrshire or Dumfries who are also required to travel through to Lanark to object in person. The hearing is not to be held in the evening, either but at 10am on a Wednesday morning (November 16, 2011). It seems to me that if you live in Cumbernauld, and have, say, a job, not much more could be done to discourage you from attending and making your feelings known. Its almost as if they don’t want us there.

We must fight these proposals, and I urge everyone who believes that our constituencies should be based on our communities, to contact the Boundary Commission and object. Despite the poorly scheduled public hearings, we can still make our voices heard.

You can email your objection to: [email protected] Post it to: Boundary Commission for Scotland, Thistle House, 91 Haymarket Terrace, Edinburgh, EH12 5HD or, if you can get the day off work, you can register to attend the public hearing in Lanark on November 16 by going to https://consultation.scottishboundaries.gov.uk/node/351 – Yours etc.,

JOHN N. DUFFY

via e-mail

Nothing but a dumping ground

Sir, – After visiting the local amenity tip in Cumbernauld at the weekend I drove along to Argos in the Town Centre to collect an order. When I arrived at my destination I thought I’d done full circle and was back at the amenity tip. I take that back, as the tip is well kept and spotlessly clean. No, I was in the car park at the rear of the Town Centre just outside of that almost derelict building the Icehouse.

This place is nothing but a dumping ground for litter and looks as if it’s never been touched since the year zero.

I hate to think what visitors to Cumbernauld think if they are unlucky enough to have to use this area for parking or God forbid turning up in your Sunday best for a wedding or anything else at St Mungos.

Our local council should be brought into line over matters like this and if they make excuses such as saying the land’s not theirs, then they have the powers to make whoever does own the land get it cleaned up.

Come on NLC help make Cumbernauld look like so called New Town once again. – Yours etc.,

BILL HENRY

via e-mail

Thanks from Help for Heroes

Sir, – I would like to thank Jim Walker, owner of Kwik Kars, The Black Bull and The Circle bars in Cumbernauld Village, also Jim Dickson Tyre & Exhaust Garage for allowing me to put Help for Heroes Collection Cans in their premises and to all staff and customers for their kind donations which amounted to £208. This has been forwarded to Help for Heroes Charity of which I am a volunteer collector. Thanks again. – Yours etc.,

ARCHIE MacDOUGALL

Cairntoul Court

Cumbernauld