Recent News
Three Smoked Out
Three East Renfrewshire retailers have been smoked out making under-age tobacco sales by undercover youngsters working with trading standard officers during a council-wide crackdown. The results are revealed today, National No Smoking Day.
Sixteen attempts to purchase resulted in three sellers failing to ask for proof of age and selling to an under-18-a failure rate of nearly 20 per cent. Two of the test purchases were made in Eastwood and one in Barrhead. The defaulters have been issued with warning letters, are not being named, and have agreed to undergo additional training
Trading standards bosses will repeat the exercise within three months and retailers who have already received a warning letter will be reported to the Procurator Fiscal if they are caught still making an under-age sale.
Trading standards boss Steve Fox said: “We did the visits on Saturdays as we know that shops are more likely to employ part-time staff then who may not have been properly trained. On the plus side we noted that more premises are now making use of refusal books to record when and why they refused to make a sale. The council is committed to reducing the harm to health that smoking causes.
“Trading standards will continue to educate traders not to sell to under-18s and we will also continue to test purchase using our young volunteers and will prosecute where necessary. Anyone concerned that a retailer may be selling tobacco to under-18s should phone us on 0141 577 3782.”
Warden Patrols
Dog owners who let their dogs foul in Barrhead, Clarkston, Busby, Thornliebank, Newton Mearns and Neilston are in the sights of community wardens this week.
The wardens will patrol specific streets and areas where there have been recent complaints and are warning that they’ll be especially vigilant early in the morning and in evening when most fouling takes place.
Also on their radar are revisits to commercial premises in Barrhead and Neilston to check compliance with smoking legislation as well as litter patrols around schools at lunchtime and evening and weekend patrols in Barrhead’s Dunterlie and Auchenback to target youth disorder.
Call for knife dealers to look sharp
Knife dealers in East Renfrewshire are being called on to look sharp when it comes to being licensed by 1 June this year.
The call comes from Brian Kilpatrick, the council’s civic government enforcement officer. He’s been visiting known knife dealers across the council area to remind them that The Knife Dealers (Licence Conditions) Order 2009, comes into effect in June. It makes it an offence under The Civic Government Act to sell knives or articles with a sharply pointed blade without a licence.
The legislation also makes it an offence to sell a knife to anyone under 18 and retailers must keep records of sales for three years.
Brian Kilpatrick said: “I have visited all the obvious knife sellers such as a local gun shop, hardware stores and supermarkets, and all will comply with the legislation, but we want to hear from any other outlets, perhaps such as corner shops, which might need a licence. We can be contacted for licensing advice on 0141 577 3005/6.”
East Renfrewshire Licensing Committee chair Councillor Elaine Green said: “We want to ensure that all knife retailers apply for licences and understand their obligations. The new legislation was introduced by the Scottish Government as part of the fight against knife crime and we are fully behind it.”
Crookfur Road Major Road Works
Crookfur Road, Newton Mearns, will be closed between Stewarton Road and Greenfarm Road from Sunday 14 March to Thursday 1 April to allow council road crews to relay the worn-out surface.
The road carries heavy through traffic to and from the M77. Traffic will be diverted via Stewarton, Barrhead, and Ayr Roads.
East Renfrewshire Council’s roads boss Joe Devine said: “There is no alternative but to close this section of Crookfur Road and I apologise for any inconvenience caused. Everyone affected by the closure and using the diversions should give themselves extra time and take extra care.”
Helping home owners
Private home owners in East Renfrewshire will be able to see what assistance the council can give them to keep their properties up to standard after councillors gave the go-ahead to the publication of a scheme of assistance.
The scheme will be published in April to chart important changes to the way the council can help private home owners with everything from information and advice to practical assistance, especially when common repairs are involved.
Improvement grants will no longer be payable in line with national changes, but the council will work with private home owners to reduce the number of homes failing to meet the national tolerable standard, assist owners in communal blocks to carry our essential maintenance and repairs and work with private landlords and tenants to improve standards in the private rented sector.
The council will also have new powers to force owners who refuse to maintain their property to do so, while the council’s responsibilities to disabled people to help them stay in their homes by carrying out adaptations, will also be spelled out.
Deputy council leader Councillor Douglas Yates said: “The private sector is extremely important in East Renfrewshire where around 33,000 of our 36,000 homes are privately owned. Our scheme of assistance will be published in April so that all home owners are clear about what their rights and duties are as well as our obligation to them to ensure that the housing stock of the area all meets the minimum tolerable standard. While the bulk of our housing stock is well-maintained and extremely comfortable, we do have pockets of poverty where the householder, often an older person, has fallen behind with maintenance, and we need to meet that need as well as look after disabled residents whose homes need adaptations to allow them to continue to live in their own homes.”
Help spruce up Dams to Darnley Country Park on Saturday 13 March
You can help spruce up Scotland’s newest country park.
For countryside rangers are inviting locals to join them in a spring clean of Dams to Darnley Country Park on Saturday 13 March 2010, 10am-1pm.
You can help get rid of the grime at the Barhead Dams by working around the reservoirs removing rubbish on route to benefit the breeding birds and other local wildlife.
It can be a mucky job so volunteers are reminded to wear old but suitable clothing. Rangers will be having a well deserved rest so bring along a snack to enjoy. Children should be accompanied by a parent or guardian. All events are free and all equipment will be provided.
For more information and to book your picker please contact the countryside rangers Richard and Eilidh on 0141 577 4053/4054 or e-mail countryside rangers.
Meet at St Luke’s High School car park, Springfield Road, Barrhead.
Supermarket for Barrhead a step closer with new preferred bidder status
A new supermarket for Barrhead is a step closer.
For East Renfrewshire councillors agreed to allow the council’s director of environment to enter into negotiations with a ‘preferred bidder’.
After an exhaustive procurement exercise to find a company to develop a brand new 7,000 sq m supermarket next to the town’s sports centre, the council now has one company they’ll be negotiating with.
Regeneration convener, Councillor Tony Buchanan, explained: “Although the preferred bidder can’t be named at this stage for commercial confidentiality reasons, we’ve instructed our director of environment and his staff to enter into detailed negotiations. These negotiations will aim to get us the best deal for the town that will help to deliver on the regeneration plans we’ve been working on.”
Time to give blood, as the transfusion service visits Neilston
East Ren’s health convener Councillor Douglas Yates is calling on locals to give blood.
The blood transfusion service is visiting the area this month in Neilston.
Douglas Yates, community health and care convener, said: “Giving blood saves lives. Most of us are able to, but most of us don’t. Giving blood is a small act that could have enormous results. I’d urge any resident who can give blood to visit the blood transfusion service either when they visit our area or go to them. What better way to start the week than to save a life.”
The blood transfusion service will be visiting East Ren on Monday 22 March from 4 to 7.30pm at St Thomas’ Church Hall, Main Street, Neilston.
Jobs For The Young Ones
Fifty unemployed young people aged between 18 and 24 will get back to work over the next two years thanks to a successful bid made to the Government’s Future Jobs Fund by East Renfrewshire Council.
The £325,000 package for East Renfrewshire, negotiated jointly with Renfrewshire Council, will see an initial 20 jobs on six-month contracts created in Dams to Darnley Country Park, Whitelee Wind Farm and Fereneze Braes, plus four posts with the council’s housing maintenance team. Another 36 jobs, the balance of the 50 funded, are in the pipeline and their locations will be announced later.
Deputy council leader Councillor Douglas Yates said: “This is good news for our unemployed young people and we have done well working with Renfrewshire Council to secure this funding and it is our young people who will benefit by getting back to work.”
A Keener Listening Ear
Residents and community groups in East Renfrewshire will enjoy better consultation with the council thanks to a new blueprint for community consultation designed to make the council’s listening ear keener and more receptive.
The cabinet has given the new approach the green light and it will bring in a range of measures including co-ordinating consultations across the council to avoid duplication, setting up a dedicated webpage and holding public meetings, surveys, focus groups and road shows.
Deputy leader Councillor Douglas Yates said: “We have a duty to consult with our residents and communities on a variety of topics and this plan will ensure that we do that more effectively and efficiently and tailor our consultations to the specific needs of groups and individuals, taking account of the topics we will be consulting on.”