SNP Councillor Drew Hendry

Archive for the ‘Aird and Loch Ness’ Category

Drew welcomes Hausgauen Mayor Maurice Wiss

Following a successful visit by leading lights from Hausgauen in France businesses in Glen Urquhart are looking to further cement ties between the two communities. A small group of visitors, including the Mayor of the region and some of Hausgauen’s business community enjoyed the hospitality of local community representatives during a three day fact finding visit to Drumnadrochit. The French visitors were given a tour of the local attractions that included the Loch Ness Centre and a boat trip on the Loch in addition to seeing Urquhart Castle and being invited to dinners at the Fiddler’s Cafe and the Loch Ness Lodge Hotel.

The visit was judged to have been a great success and areas for future cooperation between the two communities are being developed. In order to build on these ties community and business leaders in Drumnadrochit are now planning to visit Hausgauen for their annual Tattoo in September.

Aird and Loch Ness SNP Councillor Drew Hendry said “I was delighted to be able to be involved in welcoming these visitors and we think that the Hausgauen folk left suitably impressed with both the natural beauty of the area and with the hospitality they received. It is a real indication of the way this community is willing to pull together to try something new and they have to be congratulated for their efforts. We wish them well as they take this forward”

Chair of Glen Urquhart Community Council, David Fraser said:

“We hope that our planned visit to Hausgauen will confirm the links  We are trying something new, this is not a traditional “town twinning” and we will have to go a bit deeper than normal to find lasting ties, but clearly there is a great base of affection and mutual interest between the two communities. We will look at how we involve our young people and how we can measure the benefits of further ties, but I am very optimistic that this will be good for the area”

he added “My sincere thanks to everyone who contributed to providing our French visitors with a wonderful introduction to Glen Urquhart and its people. The generosity of the businesses and the manner in which they are all worked together was a credit to our community. I firmly believe we have made a positive start in building an alliance that will bring benefits to the businesses of Glen Urquhart and equally importantly the wider community”

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SNP Highland Councillor, Drew Hendry, has asked for money to be made available for works to the bridge at Lower Foyers. Highland Council’s Resources Committee was told that £250,000 lies unspent from the stalled Ness Hydro project in the Capital Expenditure budget of the Chief Executive’s budget. The lifeline bridge has been out of commission for over 20 years and the community in Lower Foyers have had to make to with an ageing Bailey bridge which was only ever supposed to be a temporary measure. Recently even foot crossings over the old bridge were ruled out and concern was raised about access to Lower Foyers in the event of an emergency, especially after the dramatic landslide there in 2009. As a result of the concerns, Councillor Hendry forced the Emergency Planning department to create an individual plan for Lower Foyers and called, at that time for a permanent solution for access to Lower Foyers.

Speaking after the committee, SNP Councillor Drew Hendry (Aird and Loch Ness) said:

 “It is pretty clear that the Ness Hydro scheme is going nowhere in the near future and at the same time we have real need of attention in Lower Foyers. I have asked that these funds be made available for projects like the Lower Foyers bridge because this is really due some attention after over 20 years and there are funds to start some work. Although the sum involved is probably not nearly enough to get the whole job done, it could pay for investigation and preliminary work to be undertaken and then if there is further delay to other works it would be ready to benefit. It could possibly enable some measures to reintroduce the foot crossing closed last year.  I was pleased that the Chair of Resources, Carloyn Wilson agreed to consider this along with other suitable projects.”

He added “If there is money that is not working hard for the public at the moment then we need to identify it and apply the support to those things that can be delivered. I hope that the people of Lower Foyers are considered by the Administration and that we can finally see some progress on getting the bridge sorted before there is a critical problem.

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I was delighted to be asked to officially open the new "Drop off" point near Farr primary school in my ward of Aird and Loch Ness. Many people had worked hard to finally deliver this innovative solution to improving safety for children accessing the school and it has been a pleasure to help them whilst watching a school and community achieving this together.

Farr is an older school built long before today's traffic levels would have even been considered possible and as such was built on a raised area and near a bend in the road. When parents were dropping off pupils previously they had the joint problem of blocking up and double parking at the small school entrance and having to watch out for non school traffic, often travelling too fast for comfort.

Whilst discussing the issue with the headteacher, Sheila Lamont, in 2007, we chatted about how we might look at other ways to solve the problem and came up with an idea to investigate using the nearby community woodland (which is adjacent to the school). So the plan began to evolve. 3 years later and with huge support from Strathnairn Community Woodlands, spearheaded by Peter Christie and Donald Longden, Highland council's safer routes to school, the parent council, local community leaders and Sheila's and her staff's own efforts the drop off point is now a reality.

Pupils can now enjoy being dropped off safely near the school, play in a safe area whilst waiting and then join a "Walking Bus" with a teacher for the short and pleasant walk through the wood to school each morning. Early signs are that parents are adapting well to the idea and pupils are enjoying it immensely.

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SNP Councillor, Drew Hendry, Aird and Loch Ness, has welcomed the planned refurbishment of Aldourie Primary School near Dores. There will be refurbishment to the older building to provide a new classroom, dining area and office accomodation. There will also be a modern double demountable classroom added to the provision.

Speaking at the Education, Culture and Sport Committee he said "The problems highlighted in the recent inspection showing major fabric issues such as dry and wet rot do not tell the whole story. There have been on-going accommodation problems at the school including poor toilet accomodation and big difficulties with the layout. It is a huge credit to the teaching staff at the school that they have mainted a vibrant learning environment whilst coping with these difficulties. I hope that the work will allow the children to enjoy an improved learning experience."

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It may be a long time ago, but I remember well taking my first school report home. It was in a sealed envelope and, at my school, none of us had been given a clue as to what was in it and what it said. It led to a nervous couple of miles walk home and I am sure it took twice as long as usual.

Whatever it did say is long forgotten and nowadays it is reports on Schools themselves that I am handed to take home and read.

I have, since becoming a Councillor in 2007, been an admirer of the way things are done in many of my ward's schools. There are are a number in Aird and Loch Ness that manage to create a great environment for learning and a sense of community. One of these is Kirkhill Primary.

Along with other visits, I often hold my surgeries there and talk with the headteacher and staff, see happy, involved children and the results of their work and projects.

I think it is important, amongst the bad news that we hear so much of, that we pause to celebrate those things that are a source of strength in our communities.

The children and teachers at Kirkhill school have just received a great report from the School inspectors and I would urge anyone interested to read a copy of the report. Reports these days don’t always mark things as A, B or C but if they did then I think that the work being done in Kirkhill school by both the staff and pupils would get an A plus.

Christine, the School’s Head teacher deserves a lot of praise for her work, but when congratulated she immediately points out the work of all involved, including those who help to maintain the school right through to the parents both in the parent council and out with.

There are tough times ahead for education and other services, as budgets get stretched, and schools such as Kirkhill  will also face challenges as a result. I hope that the right decisions are taken when it comes to supporting our schools in Highland.

In hard times we need strong education and we must all work to ensure that the jewels in the crown of our communities are protected from expediency and short term decisions that could lead to problems over time.

I am always happy to discuss any issues, including education, and would be delighted to hear your views if you would like to get in touch.

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Brilliant news for this really worthwhile project. The Scottish Government's "Climate challenge fund" has awarded £60,000 to the scheme. The Kirkhill and Bunchrew Community Trust have worked really hard on this and I hope that the route can take a step closer following this announcement

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