Year 2, Week 25
Wider council issues, Nairn West & Suburban Community Group, Vandalism at Rosebank Primary School ...
Wider council issues
I’ve had a very busy week with council meetings every day except Monday but very little has been specifically ward related.
For those who’re interested in wider council issues we now have a new political “party” on the council with five members called the Highland Alliance, which is four independents who weren’t part of the Highland Independent group plus an ex-Conservative member. Their main reason for getting together as a group seems to be so that they can get onto “strategic” committees, the membership of which is allocated on a party by party basis for any party with five or more members but overall it makes little difference to the council.
Thursday’s full council meeting included a review of the budget looking forward, where we are still looking at a budget gap of £60-70 million for 2024/25. The other item which produced a lot of press coverage was the staff survey which was undertaken 18 months ago and has finally been published.
It shows some worrying figures and the press focused on bullying in particular where 10% of staff said they’d been bullied and a further 8% preferred not to say. We’re assured that this is historic and that has been addressed but I did ask that another survey be undertaken, and fairly soon, and was assured that it would be.
Nairn West & Suburban Community Group
The remaining members of Nairn West & Suburban Community Council have followed the lead of Cawdor and West Nairnshire Community Council and are going to continue to meet as a group until they have another chance to form as a community council.
With that in mind they are meeting this Monday, 30th October at 7pm at the Community Centre and you can find the agenda online here. I am intending to attend if I’m back from Inverness in time after various council meetings.
Vandalism at Rosebank Primary School
Police Scotland are appealing for information after significant damage was caused to play equipment and outbuildings at Rosebank Primary School Nursery, Nairn.
The damage was caused during the October school holidays and is thought to have occurred specifically during the evening of Thursday, 19th October.
Enquiries have established that noises were heard in the school grounds during this time and young people were seen in the grounds of nearby Millbank Primary School the same evening where attempts were also made to start a fire.
Anyone with information regarding either incident is requested to contact Police Scotland by phoning 101 quoting reference 1421 of 23rd October, 2023.
Information can also be provided anonymously to Crimestoppers via 0800 555 111.