Cllr Kay Morrisons Summer Newsletter

Planting Dandelions

You’ve noticed how beautiful Glenrothes town centre looks, resplendent with curly wee trees, flowers, leafy plants? You must be delighted by the amount of planning and effort devoted to the greening of Glenrothes, particularly. Planters have appeared in other locations, other towns, too; indeed, residents and Council staff have striven admirably to cheer up the appearance of our streets and other public spaces, adding welcome splashes of colour and plant life.

Elsewhere, though, some people have expressed concern about uncut grass on Western Avenue verges. This is a budget saving, which might be called a cut to cutting. Instead of the customary trim to the whole verge, only a strip is done, leaving a stretch of what’s being called “wild flowers”, a more environmentally-friendly arrangement. I’ve been told that an officer planted wild flowers…. Well, I’m surprised to hear that dandelions and grasses need to be planted, but maybe these are special dandelions and grasses? There are also scatterings of daisies and celandines/buttercups. A few motorists complain that it’s unsightly and that it impairs visibility…. but what do you think?

The Business of Caring

In Fife, the population of people aged 65 and over is estimated to increase by 62% by 2031. The population of those aged 85 and over will rise by 144% during the same period. The number of people with dementia in Fife will increase from 5,700 currently to 11,000 by 2030. These estimated figures represent an increase in the need for patient beds, care home places and home care packages.

Of course, we’ve known about these projections for quite some time now. As a first step, Fife Council established a cross-party working group which unanimously agreed to replace existing Council residential care buildings, in stages, and committed itself to continuing Council provision.

The SNP/Lib-Dem change of attitude and heart have been well publicised: privatisation of our Council homes is a very real possibility now, in spite of residents’ and their families’ opposition. Although there are clear benefits in mixed provision, Council and privately-owned, and  other social enterprise models exist, these ideas are not being considered seriously. Meanwhile, residents’ relatives continue to ask for information, complaining of being excluded.

The demise of Southern Cross is a stark reminder of the real issue: the importance we give to looking after our elderly. Caring for people well is expensive; it also requires us to examine what matters enough to require expenditure. Should we re-jig our notions about funding, prioritising the care of the young and the elderly? That would have implications for other spending. It’s all about priorities now. I believe we have to make it our business to care. What do you think, though?

The Problems with Junctions

There seem to be plenty! In Markinch, visibility difficulties are caused by parking close to the pedestrian crossing on Balbirnie Street, resulting in tricky manoeuvres and strained necks.

Balfarg and Cadham junctions continue to make drivers nervous; some are so worried about the Balfarg junction that they avoid it like the plague. Because Glenrothes Area Futures Group felt that action is desperately needed in order to make these junctions safer, the group petitioned the Scottish Parliament. As a direct consequence, a transport appraisal was carried out by Bear Scotland and Transport Scotland.

While recognising that motorists find negotiating the Balfarg junction a very confusing experience, the appraisal report does not recommend any action. It considers stakeholders’ views, with other evidence, finding that a roundabout at Balfarg would “generate the greatest overall safety benefits”, and “would address the objective of reducing the identified accident risk for right-turning traffic at Balfarg junction”. Because, however, this would necessitate land acquisition and other expenditure (and has additional negative features, such as increased carbon emissions, allegedly), the option was not recommended for further consideration. Other options for both junctions met a similar fate.

The Area Futures Group has devoted a great deal of time to this issue and is disappointed by the report’s conclusions. It’s determined to fight on, calling for continued support from MSPs, our MP and for some support from the Council’s SNP-led administration. What do you think should happen?

Waiting for a House

The recession brought problems for the building industry, as well as for people who want to buy or sell a house. What about folk who would like to rent a flat or house, though? Many of those are now living in overcrowded conditions in which older children have to share rooms; in too many cases, families endure very challenging living arrangements. I know, for example, of families who have to sit on the floor to eat their meals, simply because of lack of space.

537 people in North Glenrothes are waiting for housing as I write, while over 100 in Leslie and around the same figure in Markinch are waiting: in some cases, for a long time. At the moment, there just aren’t enough houses. The Council has built a small number elsewhere in Fife; the desperate need for housing is widespread. Fife Council works closely in partnership with housing associations, for the good of our tenants. It’s obvious that the housing challenge isn’t about to disappear: the very opposite is happening. How important do you think it is, and what could improve the situation?

Surgeries      Saturday   10 – 11 am

Markinch Memorial Hall                         6 Aug   3 Sept  1 Oct  5 Nov  3 Dec

Balgillie Sheltered Housing Complex    10 Sept  12 Nov

Inchkeith Sheltered Housing Complex    8 Oct  10 Dec

Cadham Neighbourhood Centre             20 Aug  17 Sept  15 Oct  19 Nov  17 Dec