£240,000 scheme to revamp town centre

A £240,000 scheme to revamp streets around Bo’ness Town Centre is getting under way this month (November).

The project will bring new heritage paving to the North Street and South Street areas of the town. New lights will also be installed in Waggon Road.

The 12-week project has been funded from Labour-led Falkirk Council’s capital programme, boosted by cash from the Scottish Government’s Town Centre Regeneration Fund.

Labour pushed for this new Fund to be set up during budget deliberations in Holyrood earlier this year. In a separate move, shelters at Bo’ness bus station are to be replaced. Len Ainslie, Labour’s candidate in the forthcoming Bo’ness and Blackness By-Election – himself a former trader – said: “It’s good to see this new investment in the town. There’s already been a great deal of work done to improve streets and buildings in recent years and I’m pleased to see a new phase get underway.”

The contractor appointed by the council is liaising with town centre businesses to ensure the minimum disruption. Work over the Christmas period will largely be kept away from retail areas.

Over the past three years nearly £700,000 of environmental improvements have been successfully carried out by Falkirk Council in the historic core of the town centre including new benches and other street furniture, street lighting and heritage standard paving. These additional works will complement the earlier work and use the same materials.

Candidate meets voters

LABOUR’S candidate for the Bo’ness and Blackness by-election went walkabout in Bo’ness town centre this morning, to meet voters and talk to them about the issues that matter.

Len Ainslie, himself a former trader in the town, was joined by Bo’ness MSP Cathy Peattie and party workers.

The party also unveiled the first of their election leaflets, telling of new investment in the town centre and profiling Len – who has served on a wide variety of community groups.

The by-election takes place on November 19 – and follows the death of local SNP Councillor Harry Constable.

Len selected as by-election candidate

FORMER Bo’ness Community Council chairman Len Ainslie has been selected as the Scottish Labour Party candidate for the forthcoming Bo’ness and Blackness By-Election.

Mr Ainslie is the current chair of the local Area Forum and serves on a wide variety of community groups.

The contest – to be held on November 19 – follows the death of veteran SNP Councillor Harry Constable, one of three councillors in the multi-member Bo’ness and Blackness Ward.

Mr Ainslie, who lives in Marchlands Terrace, Bo’ness is married to Margaret. The couple have a grown-up son, Scott, and two small grandchildren.

Mr Ainslie was unanimously selected by party members at a meeting on Sunday night.

He said: “I’m delighted to be selected as the Labour candidate for the forthcoming by-election. I’ve worked hard for the community over many, many years and hope the people of Bo’ness and Blackness can give me their support on November 19.

“If elected, I will make sure their views are fully heard within the corridors of Falkirk Council.”

The former businessman ran a shop in Bo’ness town centre for many years and was a past chair of the then local merchants’ association.

As a justice of the peace, he served on the bench of Falkirk District Court for a decade and was also employed as a director of the Bo’ness Development Trust – which took part in some of the early regeneration projects around the historic town centre.

More recently, he became chairperson of the Falkirk Area Licensing Forum and is also the current chair of the Bo’ness Area Forum – a regular meeting which allows local people to air their views and question Falkirk Council.

Mr Ainslie has also served on Bo’ness Community Council for the past 20 years, including a spell as chairman. He was re-elected to the community council just a few weeks ago.

He is currently a member of a wide variety of community groups including the Bo’ness Development Group – which scrutinises the ongoing work in the town centre and foreshore – the Bo’ness Safety Group and the Bo’ness Fair Executive Committee.

The area’s Labour MSP, Cathy Peattie, said: “Len’s wide range of experience stands him in good stead to be an excellent Labour councillor for Bo’ness and Blackness. We want someone with a strong commitment to the community who will fight hard for the town. Len certainly fits that bill and I wish him every success in the forthcoming by-election.”

Local MP Michael Connarty added: “Len will give Bo’ness a real boost as a local councillor. He has worked tirelessly in many voluntary roles, speaking out through the community council and giving years of service to the Children’s Fair Festival.”

The area’s existing Labour councillor, Adrian Mahoney, said: “Len could make a great addition to the Labour-led administration running Falkirk Council. He isn’t afraid to speak out, or ask challenging questions, and would be an excellent representative for the town. I hope local people will give him their full support.”

SNP ‘wasting time and money’ on referendum

SCOTTISH Labour leader Iain Gray has attacked the SNP Scottish Government for “not doing enough” to stimulate economic recovery. 

Mr Gray said: "Alex Salmond and John Swinney froze in the headlights at the height of the banking crisis while the UK government stepped in to save Scottish banks and stimulate the overall economy.

"Labour at Holyrood came forward with a 15 point plan while the SNP did nothing. I am relieved that finally John Swinney has followed most of our plan.

"But the SNP still do not get it. Alex Salmond and John Swinney are more intent on wasting time and money on a referendum nobody wants and a National Conversation no one is listening to. They are more interested in pursuing the narrow interests of the SNP than those of ordinary Scots concerned about jobs and the economy."

Labour – committed to social justice

Branch meeting this Sunday, October 25

THE Bo’ness Branch of the Labour Party is holding a members’ meeting in the community rooms upstairs at Bo’ness Library, this Sunday, October 25, from 6.30 p.m. All local party members are invited to attend. (This replaces the regular meeting at the end of the month).

The Bo’ness Branch is currently updating the way it communicates with branch members. A letter has gone out to local members, giving more information. If you are a Bo’ness Labour member and didn’t receive this correspondence, please contact the Secretary, Councillor Adrian Mahoney: email: info@bonesslabour.org.uk or call 01506 823714. A copy letter will be sent to you. Please quote your name, address and membership number in all replies.

Labour – doing more for the country

‘No threat’ to Kinneil Museum

BO’NESS Labour Councillor Adrian Mahoney has dismissed as “scaremongering” SNP claims of “threats” to Kinneil Museum in Bo’ness.

The Nationalists have contacted media outlets to claim the museum could be closed to save money – a claim vigorously denied by Falkirk Council’s administration.

Councillor Mahoney said: “There is NO threat to Kinneil Museum … In fact, the only threat to the place comes from scarmongering stories like this, being peddled by the SNP.”

He told the Bo’ness Journal: "Your readers will be well-aware that I led a well-organised campaign against the closure of Kinneil Museum before I was a councillor. I would, therefore, be an unlikely person to downgrade its presence in my current role.

"There has also been no talk within the current administration which would put a question mark over its future. This is just a scare story, being put out in the run-up to a by-election.”

We have allocated extra money to refresh the downstairs displays within Kinneil Museum … hardly a sign that there’s a ´threat´looming

"The only threat in recent years has come from Scottish Nationalists – who promoted a move for the museum out of the estate. This was universially unpopular … or perhaps they´re forgetting this?”

He added: "Since becoming museums´ convener in 2007, Kinneil Museum has seen its retail offerings enhanced, the upstairs displays refreshed and visitor numbers grow.

"In this year´s capital programme, approved in August, we allocated extra money to refresh the downstairs displays within Kinneil Museum … hardly a sign that there´s a ´threat´looming. We´ve also highlighted Kinneil Estate as a strategic park – our highest level of park, showing its important status in attracting visitors to the area and its enhanced position as part of a World Heritage Site.”

In 2006, the then SNP administration proposed closing the Museum building at Kinneil. The proposal caused a wave of protest.

Read a timeline about the 2006 saga on the Bo’ness website.

Free energy meters available for loan

HOME energy meters are now available to borrow for local libraries, including Bo’ness.

The meters were donated by Scottish and Southern Energy. They can measure how much electricity is being used at home and come complete with an easy to read LED display.

Councillor Charles MacDonald, Labour’s Convener of Falkirk Council’s Environment and Community Safety Committee, said: "Householders can borrow these handy meters along with their books and get to grips with the electricity being used in their homes. Our energy bills are on the rise so there’s no better time to launch a project that can help householders monitor and reduce electricity usage.”

Full details on Falkirk Council’s website.

Labour – local support for young people