76: Where There’s Muck, There’s Brass

Posted on February 18, 2011 by davidsberry

Despite still being Europe’s muckiest power station (5m tonnes of carbon p.a.) things have gone quiet around ScottishPower’s proposal to coin more millions for their Iberdrola masters by adapting the coal-fired station at Cockenzie into a CCGT (Combined-Cycle Gas Turbine) plant. Because it is so polluting, the old station must close by 2015. and, since Scotland already exports electricity to both England and Ireland, could be replaced by less export and/or more renewables.

“Replacing one fossil fuel plant with another is the logic of the 20th century,” said Green MSP, Patrick Harvie. ELC agreed with him and lodged six objections but, in so doing, were prohibited from supporting local communities who simply wanted it gone, or objecting to burning imported fossil fuel, or insisting on carbon capture to reduce environmental impact, or laying the feed pipeline undersea.

ScottishPower’s lawyers played clever games. They had said nothing until East Lothian’s local plan (which, with no other information, assumed a 2015 closure) was agreed and allowable grounds for objection became so narrow that ELC’s lawyers recommended withdrawing all objections to save six figures of public money on a public enquiry that could only fail.

Applications to lay the 17km pipeline from the main N-S feeder gas pipe at East Fortune are now in train. Although the 600mm (2ft) diameter pipe will be buried along the whole route, issues of acceptable distance from habitation and damage caused while building are unresolved.

The least damaging power station is one that isn’t built at all but Cockenzie is such a dinosaur from an industrial era long diappeared and now surrounded by housing that ScottishPower have a brass neck to push through this travesty of progress without a single project on offer to local communities as compensation.

 

Posted in Commerce, Community | Tagged | 1 Comment

77: Belters’ Pelters

Posted on February 17, 2011 by davidsberry

There is nothing wrong with exercising a good pair of lungs on behalf of other people; it’s at the heart of democracy and community. Any councillor worth their salt gets it tight on a regular basis, using the ear-drubbing to better represent their patch.

But last week, on the back of ELC’s budget allocating £1m to town centre regeneration for Musselburgh, Tranent gums were bumping misguidedly: “Despite being told we were going to be the second in line, it now appears we have been leapfrogged” was how TECC chair Raymond Strang put it. Labour’s Cllr Donald Grant argued that “a community planning group (was) working well in Fa’side before it was disbanded for political reasons.” Raymond and Donald both have my respect for long records of getting tore in, so it isn’t lightly that I take them on as being misguided.

The group Donald refers to predated 2007 and, when a non-Labour administration took over ELC, appeared to morph into a guerilla movement, dedicated to its overthrow. After two years of trying to work with them, ELC threw up its hands and recast its community planning to body-swerve such partisan politics.  Otherwise, another of Labour’s aimless regenerations, which both Tranent and Dunbar High Streets have already had, would result. Over £3m was invested in both, to little economic benefit for either.

Yes, Tranent lost out for now—because some self-appointed “community leaders” can’t get past reactive, partisan posturing. For civics to work, everyone needs to engage positively, interactively and—heaven forfend—apolitically. If the completion of two new primary schools, 100+ new affordable homes at Muirpark, Balfour Square, etc., a new library, and a new civic centre don’t all demonstrate ELC’s good faith and commitment to invest fairly in Tranent, then someone is twisting the truth.

Posted in Commerce, Community, Politics | Tagged | 2 Comments

The latest employment figures continue to show Scotland moving in the right direction through SNP commitment to creating jobs, investing in infrastructure and supporting training. The Government level was complemented by ELC’s budget, restricting internal job losses to empty posts, with £50m+ investment securing local private sector jobs.

In January, over 3,635 jobs were supported or created and last week’s SNP Government budget saw further investment in training with the decision to increase apprenticeship places from a record 20,000 to 25,000.

Scotland is the only part of the UK currently experiencing a fall in unemployment, with the rest of the UK experiencing increases. Employment has risen by 23,000 in Scotland on the previous quarter, but is down 63,000 across the UK as a whole.

Posted on February 17, 2011 by davidsberry | Leave a comment

78: Hootsmon, It’s Times

Posted on February 16, 2011 by davidsberry

I’ve made no secret of my belief that independence offers the best future for everyone in Scotland, irrespective of their origins. I’m happy to take my lumps in debate on this—and debate there needs to be. But when once-great giants of the Scottish media suppress key contributions to that debate, you start to wonder whose interest they have at heart.

Today the Times carries a front-page banner: “Salmond Surges into Holyrood Poll Lead” and devotes a double-page analysis inside from the ever-insightful Angus MacLeod and Prof. John Curtice on what a new Ipsos MORI poll may mean. You’d be hard pressed to know any of this from the Hootsmon, which buries it in a single text column beside a colourful two-page spread on impeding disaster facing our roads.

The poll makes alarming reading for whoever is leading Labour’s campaign. Not only have they slumped from a ten-point lead to a two-point defecit but half again as many people are ‘satisfied’ with Alex Salmond as leader and less than half as many say they ‘don’t know’ about him, as compared to Labour’s leader.

Source: Ipsos Mori Poll in The Times, Feb 16th 2011

This underscores that this election is wide open for SNP or Labour to win. This should make interesting reading for all those voters (our data says maybe the majority) who have broken their habit of blind party loyalty and are there to be persuaded by someone who will engage with them on real issues relevant to them.

The Times (subscription required) The Hootsmon (nae jaikit required) Herald

New Statesman

Posted in Politics | Tagged | Leave a comment

79: Security Levels

Posted on February 15, 2011 by davidsberry

The English are feeling the pinch in relation to recent terrorist threats and have therefore raised their security level from “Miffed” to “Peeved.” Should this persist, security levels may be raised yet again to “Irritated” or even “A Bit Cross.” The English have not been “A Bit Cross” since the blitz in 1940 when tea supplies nearly ran out.

Terrorists have been re-categorized from “Tiresome” to “A Bloody Nuisance.” The last time the English issued a “Bloody Nuisance” warning level was in 1588, when the Spanish Armada was beating up the Channel.

The Scots have raised their threat level from “See you, Jimmy” to “Let’s get thae Baisterts.” We don’t have any other levels, which explains why we’ve been the front line of the British army for the last 300 years. In sympathy, Cardiff Bay has raised the Welsh level from Cantata 208 (page 184 of Land of My Fathers hymnal—Sheep May Safely Graze) to “ble mae fy defaid?” which translates (roughly) as “just leave the sheep and kick for touch while I warm up the choir”.

Not to feel isolated, the Taoiseach has approved raising the threat level to Eire from “stabbing you in the back in front of your face” to “slitting your throat behind your own back.”  Even the Isle on Man felt sufficiently moved to raise its own level from “Deposits of £50,000 are welcome” to “Deposits of £100,000 are welcome”.

Further a-field, Canada changed their level from “aboot low, eh?” to “aboot medium, eh?” and Australia from “No worries” to “She’ll be alright, Mate.” Two more escalation levels remain: “Crikey! we need more foaming tubes of Mrs Foster’s finest!” and “The barbie is canceled.”

Thankfully, no crisis has yet warranted use of so drastic a level of escalation.

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged | Leave a comment

80 Days to Decide

Posted on February 14, 2011 by davidsberry

Plenty of time, then, in which to make up your mind. Perhaps a table of comparison between the two main contenders—Labour and SNP—at our local council level would help. After all, Labour had long experience running this county for thirty years before losing it to “inexperienced enthusiasts” in 2007.

Table 80-1: Lab/SNP Council Comparison

Well, Labour didn’t come off very well in that comparison. But then, they may have been jaded after so long in power. Surely in our new Scottish Parliament, Labour, having had eight years working with a partner and now, after four years of opposition will be bursting with energy and ideas. That’s summarised  here:

Table 80-2 Government Issues Comparison

Worse yet! How can a party bidding for government be so devoid of ideas, let alone how to fund them, with only 80 days left to cobble something credible together?

John Swinney on Apprenticeships

Posted in Commerce, Community, Politics | Tagged | 2 Comments

81: Parliamo Politico II

Posted on February 13, 2011 by davidsberry

Let’s Talk Pencil-Pusher: Lesson II—Beancounting for Beginners (Second of a series, translating bureaucrat-speak into what it means for folk in East Lothian)

Our UK-wide BBC has focussed on horror stories of English council cuts, ranging from 8.8% in poor Hackney, Inner London  (£210 per head) to under 2% in affluent Wimborne, Dorset (under £3 per head) so that milder reductions in Scotland have gone barely reported. Here, an average 2.6% means £450m for all 32 CoSLA members. But does that mean cuts for East Lothian and, if so, where?

The answer is: NO. Schools and adult social care have had budgets maintained by ELC. Some teachers may be lost but only because pupil numbers have dropped; the ratio will actually improve as more P1-P3 class ratios drop to 18.

The savings required come from deleting unfilled jobs and staff transfer. The home help service is being cut in line with a policy (from Labour), with a risk that not all will find other posts. But to promise no redundancies would be to put square pegs into round holes: not good use of public money.

People anxious about the future of their council services should not be; our libraries are secure (NB, Haddington and Tranent all due for a facelift); our Sports centres are now run by Enjoy (a trust, insulated from council finances); parks will be mown and flowers planted; bins emptied, roads fixed, lamps lit, etc.—just as heretofore. By planning ahead and slimming staff numbers, buildings can be emptied, further cutting costs.

Doubtless, some—especially the few losing jobs— will be unhappy but virtually all 13,000 job losses expected are in other councils. East Lothian has set an example how best to look after its customers and staff in times that are hard for all.

Posted in Community, Education, Politics | Tagged | Leave a comment

82: Think No Evil

Posted on February 12, 2011 by davidsberry

Labour is unused to (& deeply unhappy about) being out of power North and South of the border, let alone in most Scottish councils. I can see why. But, their only strategy for salvation appears to consist of pouring vitriol on their opponents’ ideas, since they have none of their own. Thirty years ago, such thinking led to decades of political wilderness. How, with a less loyal/more skeptical electorate and plenty of non-Labour alternatives making a refreshing fist of things, can they think that will work any better now?

Answers. please, on the back of a Labour manifesto (if you can find one)

That's Another Fine Mess You've got us into, Iggy

Posted in Politics | Tagged | Leave a comment

83: Bob’s Been Busy

Posted on February 11, 2011 by davidsberry

With pressure off after ELC budget-setting on Tuesday, I took a tour of some of the local projects we’ve been funding across the county. Since our Labour opponents in the council and Holyrood both threw their toys so emphatically out of the pram over the last two days, I thought a tour offered a chance to check if people don’t share our pride.

Dunbar’s new primary was a hive of hard-hat activity and the refurbished McArthur’s Stores busy with creels and working fishermen. But Brunt Court’s 88 houses just coming to completion were the most impressive, part because their standard far exceeds government requirements, part because existing ELC tenants jumped at the chance to live there (even at a premium rent) and part because they simply look better than the private homes in adjacent Lochend.

It was the same story across the county—in Macbeth Moir Road or Middleshot Square or even the impressively integrated Balfour’s Square—delighted tenants in excellent houses that many had lost hope of finding. If any were dissatisfied with quality or rent level, I saw absolutely no evidence.

En route, I winessed many completions (Musselburgh stables; new sports pavilions for Longniddry and (again) Middleshot Square), others well underway (the massive John Gray cultural centre; 100 houses at Muirpark) and now still more approved with strong local backing (NB and Musselburgh museums; Ormiston community centre).

Taken altogether, these massive, eight-figure investments in our communities are also a timely shot in the arm for local businesses and employment. Why our naysayer opposition should vote against all this escapes me entirely.

Posted in Community, Politics | Tagged | Leave a comment

84: The Coast Line

Posted on February 10, 2011 by davidsberry

Relevant though they may be, I am not going to bother you with details how Transport Scotland, Network Rail, SESTrans and various Train Operating Companies interact to organise rail services for East Lothian. Their committees meet out of public sight and move glacially. But our transport problems can be fixed cheaply in six stages:

  1. Agree East Coast/Virgin are not in the short-haul rail business but ScotRail is
  2. Extend ScotRail’s Dunbar service by running the present Saturday NB service Mon-Sat, giving half-hourly trains to Drem then hourly to NB or Dunbar
  3. Replace Class 322 stock with 380 next year as planned (but allocate 3-car units so that they can be doubled up in rush-hour and possibly split/joined at Drem)
  4. Persuade both First and ELC-supported bus services to meet/feed the trains in an East-Lothian-wide integrated transport net using existing style swipe cards
  5. Re-open the station at East Linton and restore a ‘down’ platform at Dunbar.
  6. Double local frequency without corresponding local/express heading conflicts by building platforms on the passing loops at Prestonpans and Drem

Everything needed for steps 1 & 2 is already in place. Five Class 322 units are currently available. Even with one in Glasgow for maintenance, three units are enough to provide an hourly service to NB and Dunbar, with a 30-min service Waverley-Drem.

Possible timetable for The Coast Line: an Integrated Local Rail Service, Edinburgh - East Lothian

So, bottom-line, we could get a train service backbone for East Lothian twice as good as now that requires no infrastructure investment: the track, trains and (since ScotRail started to run to Dunbar) training are all in place. A Coast Line could be running this summer and, with marketing, business would boom… if several secret committees agree.

Posted in Commerce, Transport | Tagged | 1 Comment