Leader slams regeneration axe

Russell Steele • Published 3 Nov 2011 16:20 27 Comments

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THE leader of Inverclyde Council has condemned Scottish Government plans to axe funding for the area's urban regeneration company.

As exclusively revealed by the Telegraph today, Riverside Inverclyde has been told it will receive no more money from the Scottish Government and Scottish Enterprise after March 2013.

Council leader Stephen McCabe this afternoon hit out at the bombshell news.

Councillor McCabe said: "This is devastating news for Inverclyde and one which undermines all the hard work that is going on to deliver real change and improvements in people's lives.

"We were shocked earlier this year when this funding was cut by 60 per cent, but to add insult to injury we now face a further cut of 37.5 per cent to £2.5 million in 2012-2013 before the plug is finally pulled.

"This council has put the regeneration of the area at the top of its delivery agenda and has backed up that commitment by meeting its funding obligations to Riverside Inverclyde in full despite our own budgetary pressures."

Riverside Inverclyde was established in 2007 as a 10-year initiative to transform Inverclyde into a more attractive place for the private sector to invest and for jobs to be created.

Funding was to be provided by the Scottish Government (£36 million), Scottish Enterprise (£33 million) and Inverclyde Council (£24 million).

The URC is currently undertaking a variety of projects including the £180 million development of the historic James Watt Dock in Greenock, the regeneration of Greenock, Gourock and Port Glasgow town centres and the development of the Victoria and East India Harbours.

Councillor McCabe added: "We had recently been given assurances that Riverside Inverclyde would be funded throughout its 10 years so this news came as a complete shock.

"I have asked the government's cabinet secretary for infrastructure and capital investment to honour a commitment in the Scottish Government's own spending review of continued investment in areas that need additional support and re-think this decision.

"So much good work has been done over the past four years it would be a betrayal to deprive the people of Inverclyde the future which they deserve and towards which so much good work has already been done."

This article appeared in Greenock Telegraph 03 Nov 11

Have your say. Post a comment on this article.

8i6daddy
98 posts
Nov 3, 16:43
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On Cllr McCabes own blog he writes "It is even more absurd of Cllr ****** to trace back the decline of this area to my time as ward Councillor between 1992 and 1996. The demise began long before I came on the scene."

So for at least 20 years McCabe has had his finger in the political pie in this area. For him to come out and moan about something like this suggest to me that himself, his council and his political party haven't achieved a lot of note in the past 20 years...

It's no wonder the government are reluctant to give out money to institutes that are going to quite clearly waste it!

Recommend? Yes 26 No 1
rod2mc
293 posts
Nov 3, 16:50
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Theyve squandered vast amounts on cash on stuff that brings no benefit to the area. Maybe if Mr McCabe and his colleagues questioned what RI where spending vast amounts on and held them accountable then they wouldnt be in this mess.

As usual though, "its naw ma fault"

Recommend? Yes 26 No 1
yvoynix
115 posts
Nov 3, 16:58
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Another story about this? It's disappointing news, but two articles on this and still no mention of what the 'severe criticisms' of RI involve. Plus why Councillor McCabe sees some fancy marina and future events like the Tall Ships Event as being the future which we 'deserve' I don't know. Tongue in cheek perhaps? I think we 'deserve' more than some quango squandering our cash on a bloody marina. I despair. On the day that our only shipyard has been given a £20 million contract we get this as a priority in our local paper. What gives? :(

Recommend? Yes 25 No 1
Boabby
11 posts
Nov 3, 17:00
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"Riverside Inverclyde was established in 2007 as a 10-year initiative to transform Inverclyde into a more attractive place for the private sector to invest and for jobs to be created"

Exactly how many jobs have been created? The area continues to spiral downwards. I see Inverclyde had the counties biggest property price drop from the latest national figures. No jobs, No hope. Thats the future for this district and the government are right to stop wasting money on this dead duck.

Recommend? Yes 23 No 1
8i6daddy
98 posts
Nov 3, 17:02
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Spot on Boabby....

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Si67
103 posts
Nov 3, 17:35
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Thanks Boabby, made me feel like moving! Shame I canny afford it now my house value has plunged!

Recommend? Yes 7 No 1
samfraegreenock
156 posts
Nov 3, 18:18
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The marina in the refurbished dock area is anything but fancy or expensive.

Across the Clyde Estuary area there is a shortage of marina spaces - at least this is keeping money in the area and providing some work for a few people - otherwise the boat owners may have went to Holy Loch or Portavadie

Having a marina, even a small one like this, does attract businesses like marine engineers (outboards etc) chandlers, boat repairers

Take a look at Holy Loch MArina - it's small scale but a thriving group of small businesses have grown up around it - a friend of mine owns one and business is booming

Recommend? Yes 6 No 4
coopboy
19 posts
Nov 3, 18:20
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As i stated a cple of weeks ago on here this council and its concillors ie mc cabe and his cronies have no vision as they are all wearing welders masks the money that is wasted with ther short sitedness millions spent on the belvile street high flats grieve road and many others then all pulled down and no 1 to anwser they run this town as ther own bank instead of a buisness but none of them have a buisness brain its just mistake after mistake and they are good at blaming and slagging off others but things will never change with the likes of them as they have had the same familys voting for them for decades [ i ma maw and granny voted fer emm so i just dae to he is brillyint gets ye any thing ye want even a bran new huse ] wake up and smell the coffee some of you ppl . you are spot on Boabby with every thing you say but people in this town have blinkers on and thers a large majority who dont want progress as they are on the gravy train ie the bru and want for nothing thanks too mc cabe and co and thats what wins him votes[ certainly not mine]

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ChrisLeigh
10 posts
Nov 3, 18:20
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Am I missing something? Or is this really not all that bad...or even that shocking.

I appreciate that we all have to pretend to be shocked and angry...but come on...100 possible local jobs to our area today for Fergusons...surely more than RI have created in their life so far. We're losing a quango that barely even talked to our community let alone employed anyone from it. Boo hoo. If there had been a defeinite measurable impact, they would have stood a much better chance of still being here. Their business model was built in a world that no longer exists.

Recommend? Yes 10 No 1
wallace1297
117 posts
Nov 3, 22:50
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I have heard that some within the council have not always been convinced by all that Riverside Inverclyde have done so far so possibly councillor McCabe should think about this.

Instead of councillor McCabe always saying all things SNP bad all things Labour good, should consider the tens of millions of pounds of investment the SNP Scottish Government have made in Inverclyde in the last four years, in new and refurbished schools, house builidng, regeneration, health and todays £20 million announcment for Fegusons. Possibly just possibly, one day councillor McCabe may praise the SNP for some of its work, and all against a backdrop of huge cuts to the Scottish block grant from the UK government, £1.3 billion this year alone. We should not lose sight of the economic mess that the Uk Labour government inflicted on us all by its 13 years of financial mismangement.

Recommend? Yes 20 No 1
tam0710
9 posts
Nov 3, 22:58
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FACT: I worked in the Halls of Residence when RI had the corner offices! For many days and years while they were there I walked past the windows and every single day I did that I caught at least 70% of their staff playing solitaire on their computers! LET EM GO! We don't need any more fancy Marina's that 99.9% of the population cant afford. We need small boat clubs that average Inverclyde Joe can afford!Thats just one example! They are doing(or not doing!) what our council should be doing!!! Rant Over. For now.

Recommend? Yes 19 No 1
samfraegreenock
156 posts
Nov 4, 17:53
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The only thing McCabe should slam, is the door on the way out back to obscurity

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RabTheGab
27 posts
Nov 5, 11:36
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A leadership challenge with two years left to prove it can be done with much reduced funding.

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echosounder
130 posts
Nov 5, 21:02
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Councillor McCabe? Put out the lights as you leave!

Recommend? Yes 19 No 0
news007
31 posts
Nov 5, 22:01
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year Mcabe make good use of the road out of inverclyde tun a bus take the rest of your party with you and do us a favour dont come back whats labour done for inverclyde turned it into a hole a hell hole keep your day job mr mcabe because ur crap as a leader crap as a councillor good bye to riverside inverclyde may it sink like a lead weight in the clyde never to be seen again and heres hoping its name sake riverclyde homes joins it another organisation thats overloaded in staff and wastes vast amounts off money

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Tiddles
1077 posts
Nov 5, 22:34
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I like your style news007!

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robert65
81 posts
Nov 6, 04:08
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I'm glad you like the "style" of some semiliterate eejit throwing insults around.

Grow up.

Recommend? Yes 3 No 21
WeeJockW
676 posts
Nov 6, 14:16
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"I'm glad you like the "style" of some semiliterate eejit throwing insults around.

Grow up".

I suppose your comment isn't throwing an insult at news007, to your mind robert it would be a well informed opinion. News007 has made some valid points and although not made as succinctly as say you would make the same points, he has clearly made an impact

Not everyone can achieve perfection in their comments, or even in their English, take the word you have used semiliterate. It should be semi literate, as I said NO one is perfect.

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robert65
81 posts
Nov 6, 15:57
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Actually according to the OED its semi-literate,but hey like you say WeeJockW we're not all perfect are we.

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WeeJockW
676 posts
Nov 6, 16:22
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Very true robert.

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samfraegreenock
156 posts
Nov 6, 17:49
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When one starts to pick up folk on their grammar or spelling, it shows that they haven't got much to criticise their actual points raised with.

P.S All 3 versions of semi-literate, semiliterate & semi literate are valid but semi-literate is the most widely used form in the UK

Recommend? Yes 15 No 1
******
Nov 6, 21:00
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This comment has been removed by a moderator
WeeJockW
676 posts
Nov 6, 22:47
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To my mind there is no such thing as a negative comment as each contributor offers what he/she sees as fair comment to the particular story, the perception of negativity arises when one or more comments do not follow the same lines as others, or, the comment has actually thrown up a point that those who perceive it as being negative can not argue. Hence the NEGATIVE image is portrayed.

Recommend? Yes 18 No 1
robert65
81 posts
Nov 7, 00:31
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The Tele sympathetic to the Inverclyde Labour party ?

I nearly choked on my fish supper there.

Tiddles must be totally tiddled.

The cat will be telling us the Daily Mail is an example of Socialist propaganda next.

Recommend? Yes 2 No 19
Tiddles
1077 posts
Nov 7, 13:06
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You can take away my comment, but you'll never take away my FREEDOM!!!!! I have now painted myself blue with a white cross. For those who managed to read my comments, you'll see exactly what I meant.

This moggie has claws!

Recommend? Yes 22 No 1
ECCOSAIS
127 posts
Nov 30, 00:29
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@Robert65 - "The Tele sympathetic to the Inverclyde Labour party ?" What planet are you living on? are you reading the wrong paper? or perhaps illiterate? (spelt correctly!) of course the Tilly is a Labour paper! it supports and gives credit to Cllr McCabe when its not due! The "Undertaker" got more press than deserved! IF you criticise or make a comment against "the labourites" its normally removed. Freedom of speech is accepted but one dares not criticise the red boys! SNP have and continue to do positive things for this area and don't get a mention! as have the Independents, they have a tough job on their hands! If you write to McCabe, McKenzie as is your right - you are either ignored or you get an abusive response! SO all you plodders stop moaning and VOTE them out! they've sat on their backsides and really what have they done for this area??? but at the end of the day they WILL be getting 2 pensions!

Recommend? Yes 14 No 0
ECCOSAIS
127 posts
Nov 30, 00:37
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Tiddles - "You can take away my comment, but you'll never take away my FREEDOM!!!!! I have now painted myself blue with a white cross" - couldn't have said it better myself.

Taken from the Declaration of Arbroath 1320 - For as long as but a hundred of us remain alive, never will we on any conditions be brought under English rule. It is not for glory, nor riches, nor honours that we are fighting, but for freedom — for that alone, which no honest man gives up but with life itself.

IF only there was more like us! Folks in this area have to waken up and smell the roses and get rid of this bunch of freeloaders at the next election!

Recommend? Yes 15 No 0
ECCOSAIS
127 posts
Dec 2, 11:59
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Once again Thanks WeeJock - this is what should be reported in the Tele ! You know what they say if you want to get out of doing any work - hold a meeting! which this lot are superb at - its just such a shame they don't proceed as far as ACTION PLANS that will come to fruition! From reading the reports and the "problem" areas it is so apparent that the end of Eldon St at the Battery Park has been completely ignored! No surprises there! its in Gourock! So im off to learn the "Islands in the Stream" as this is the MAIN ROAD into Gourock - one area that contributes the most in council tax and gets a neglible percentage back!

Dear Santa, Ive been a very good girl, could I please get a new pair of wellies, and a waterproof coat for Christmas? Ps could you be so kind to remind the gritters that snow does lie in Gourock and send the gritters down so you're not delayed.Thank you.

Recommend? Yes 9 No 0

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