Could you tell readers about yourself, and why you’ve chosen to try and represent this ward?
I am proud to be standing for election as a member of the Scottish Greens.
I am a retired Headteacher and live in Helensburgh Central the ward I am seeking to represent. I am active in the local community as both a community councillor and member of Plastic Free Helensburgh.
I volunteer with Visiting Friends and at the Hill House
I am Chair of Fun First, a local children’s charity.
You may have bumped in to me on a beach clean, litter-picking, tidying the shrub beds in Colquhoun Square or during our Climate Festival.
I wish to represent the Helensburgh community on Argyll and Bute Council as I have discovered, through my time with the community council, that they are the decision makers who hold the purse strings and have the power to change things for the better. I find the current Argyll and Bute councillors are rather detached from the community and frequently make decisions or take action without proper communication or consultation.
What do you think are the three key issues in the future for the ward, and how close is your relationship with it?
The three key future issues I would identify are better communication, consultation and collaboration with residents, business owners and tourists to empower them all to play a real role in Helensburgh’s recovery from the challenges of the pandemic.
Secondly improvement of infrastructure in particular roads, cycle paths, public transport, active travel initiatives and green spaces This will make Helensburgh a cleaner, safer, greener community to live, work and play in. With ambition it could become an excellent twenty minute neighbourhood with accessible, high quality facilities for all ages.. Creative planning in consultation with the community will need to drive this and sustainability prioritised. Insulating the current housing stock and building homes for the future should be a priority to help address the cost of living crisis.
Finally addressing the Climate Emergency needs to be at the heart of every decision Argyll and Bute makes. There is no Planet B and we need to look after this one for ourselves and future generations. In short we all need to Think Global and Act Local.
Currently Argyll and Bute Council is run by TALIG – the Argyll, Lomond and the Islands Group, a coalition of Conservatives, Liberal Democrats and some independent councillors. If elected, would you join this group?
I would not join TALIG. It is important for all councillors to collaborate to find creative and imaginative solutions to local issues. As a councillor you represent the ward which elected you not just your political party. I would vote on issues following genuine consultation with the community and would not shy away from voting against issues which were not supported by or beneficial to the electors.
Currently the council is considering a ‘collectives’ system, which would see several schools share a headteacher and management team. Do you support this policy?
I do not support the collective leadership proposal for schools. As a retired educator I could see no benefits to the proposals and was surprised at the lack of detail and skewed consultation. I was instrumental in preparing the response from Helensburgh Community Council opposing the plans and asking for them to be withdrawn. There was little or no support from the community and little detail to work with.