Education, Education, Education?

Cuts of £8 million don't seem to sit very well with the importance being placed on the role of education by our politicians. We all want to see greater efficiency on public services, but in a teaching environment that is very difficult without impacting on educational attainment.

"FIFE Council's Labour leader, Alex Rowley is calling for schools, teachers and parents to fight back against further cutbacks in education as it emerged this week that the Kingdom's schools are to be forced to make almost £8 million in savings over the next three years."

Bad News.

Not such good news from Cemtron. Fingers crossed they can sell the business without more job losses.

"NEARLY A quarter of the workforce at Cemtron were made redundant yesterday less than a week after the Dalgety Bay firm went into administration. In a gloomy day for west Fife, administrators Tenon Recovery announced that despite 25 inquiries for the business already having been received, the decision had been taken that 41 jobs out of a total workforce of 153 would have to go with immediate effect."

Bolts And Nuts.

Carnegie isn't surprised at the latest news about the Road Bridge given the appalling track record of the big cheeses at the Forth Estuary Transport Authority (FETA) when it comes to looking after the Forth Road Bridge.

"AN INVESTIGATION is under way to find out why cracks have appeared in nine heavy-duty nuts on the Forth Road Bridge. The news comes amid reports that the wet summer has caused setbacks to the dehumidification project which it is hoped will halt corrosion in the bridge’s main cables. Eagle-eyed workers on the bridge spotted the damage in nine of the 1888 nuts that are used to attach the steel ropes which hold up the roadway to the main suspension cables. The discovery was made during a routine inspection and four of the cracked nuts on the west cable have already been replaced, with the remaining five being replaced over the coming year when access platforms will be put in place as part of the ongoing work being carried out on the main cables. Consulting engineers FaberMaunsell have been appointed to investigate the cause."

The members of FETA should just resign and let someone else take over.

39.1%

"ALL FOUR local authorities in Tayside and Fife have beaten the national average for recycling, new figures show. Between April 2007 and March this year, councils across Scotland recycled 31.7% of the 3.4 million tonnes of waste collected, an annual rise of 3.3%. The total municipal waste produced showed no change on the previous year. Environment secretary Richard Lochhead described that as a “great leap forward” although the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) said more effort was needed to hit the 40% target by 2010. Fife had one of the best records—39.1% of rubbish recycled—while Perth and Kinross was on 35.9% and Angus on 34.7%. Dundee recycled 33.0%, the highest figure of the big four cities."

Fife leads the way yet again. Carnegie is just off to the recycling point.

Go Forth.

It would appear that Alex Salmond MSP has persuaded some middle eastern bankers to give him the money to build the new Forth Bridge, at an estimated cost of £4 billion. Watch this space.

"FIRST MINISTER Alex Salmond confirmed yesterday that the Scottish Government is to press ahead with plans for a new Forth bridge, despite the present financial crisis. At more than £4 billion the replacement road bridge is by far Scotland’s biggest single capital project. Finance secretary John Swinney is due to make an announcement to Holyrood on funding for it before the end of the year. Yesterday at question time Scottish Tory leader Annabel Goldie sought assurances that the giant project would go ahead as planned."

Cemtron.

Bad news from local business Cemtron.

Carnegie seems to think that last time he commented on the business it was trying to bounce Fife Council into granting a planning approval for housing on the site of its factory in Dalgety Bay so that it could relocate to the Lexmark factory near Rosyth.

It would appear the company had other reasons for selling up. Here's hoping something can be salvaged from their receivership.

"MORE THAN 150 jobs at a Fife electronics firm are under threat after it was announced yesterday that the company had gone into administration. Dalgety Bay operation Cemtron is one of the country’s largest electronic manufacturing businesses. Recent trading losses and funding difficulties have been blamed for the decision to place it in administration. Cemtron employs 153 people and has a turnover of about £16 million."

Dunfermline Is Not Alone.

Carnegie reads that Dunfermline is apparently the beach head for the forthcoming alien invasion.

"A BRIGHT orange flying saucer with flashing lights... Don't tell members of one Dunfermline family there's no such thing as a UFO. For they've seen one - and have a four-minute film to prove it. David Hill (39) and partner Elizabeth Cameron (33) were mesmerised on Sunday night when they witnessed what they described a hovering UFO above their house in Arthur Street at about 8.15pm. But they still had the presence of mind to call on their neighbours and dash for Elizabeth's digital camera to capture the excitement on film."

The footage is worth a look. Do you believe?

It's A Date.

"IT IS official—the long-awaited Glenrothes by-election will be held on Thursday, November 6. Prime Minister Gordon Brown broke the news to Scottish Labour MPs last night at their first parliamentary group meeting since returning to Westminster from the summer recess. The writ formally moving the election date is expected to be moved in the next few days."

Carnegie thinks that the Labour Party will have a very hard time holding onto the Glenrothes seat. They have already probably lost it given the economic situation. We shall see what happens on 6th November.

Bon Voyage 2.

Carnegie was there ... or at least as close as he could get given the major police operation which descended on Dalgety Bay and which seemed to be aimed at stopping as many people as possible getting anywhere near the Forth to see the QE2 head off into the proverbial sunset. The mist didn't help either, but it was a little piece of history which will never be repeated.

Next time any Fifer boards the QE2 it will be in Dubai.

"A NURSE from Ninewells Hospital in Dundee who was born the day the QE2 launched 41 years ago yesterday said goodbye to the famous ship from Dalgety Bay as it left Scotland for the final time. Alison McIntosh (41), of Blairgowrie, was at the town’s St David’s Harbour, joining thousands of spectators along the banks of the Firth of Forth who flocked to catch a last glimpse of the vessel throughout the day."

Longer Life.

More good news for Fifers.

"FIFERS CAN EXPECT to live two years longer on average than they did a decade ago, new figures from the General Register Office for Scotland have suggested. Statistics for 2005-7 revealed that the average life expectancy at birth in Fife was 78.2, 24 months more than the 76.2 recorded in 1995-7."

Battle of Kingseat 2008.

"WEST FIFE’S two MSPs are at loggerheads over a move to redraw the border that divides their constituencies. And the tiny village of Kingseat is the battlefield in their boundary skirmish. The village is at present represented by Dunfermline East Labour MSP Helen Eadie. But Lib Dem Jim Tolson is arguing that it should be in his constituency, Dunfermline West."

Carnegie thinks that some of Mrs Eadie's comments were a bit below the belt.

"But that’s not how Mrs Eadie sees it ... she blasted, “This has really got more to do with Jim’s energy to pursue matters that are unimportant to his constituents but he doesn’t take on the big issues that are so important to his constituents. He prefers just to let them lie.”

Hang on Helen, haven't you recently dabbled in issues around the regeneration of the Rosyth waterfront despite it not even being on your patch? In fact it is on Jim Tolson's. The reality is that there needs to be parity between constituencies as regards the numbers of voters for Parliamentary purposes. Not changing things just because Mrs Eadie doesn't want things changed isn't really on, especially given the amount of housebuilding that has taken place near Dunfermline since 1999. We will see that the Boundary Commission come up with.

On Track.

Good news for local commuters.

"THE commute to Edinburgh for West Fifers should be a little easier this winter with the announcement of 500 extra seats on peak-time morning trains. Fife Circle passengers have long endured packed trains and standing room only but there will also be two new services and faster trains to the capital."

With extra services for the early birds amongst you Fifers.

"There will be two fast Edinburgh to Inverkeithing to Kirkcaldy services per hour and more seats on heavily used south Fife services and more early morning trains to the capital. These include two new services, the 5.55am from Markinch to Edinburgh via Dunfermline, arriving at Waverley at 7.06am, and the 6.27am from Kirkcaldy to Edinburgh via Dalgety Bay and Inverkeithing, which gets in at 7.16am."

Not So Bright Idea.

Carnegie had never realised that having a holiday in Bulgaria could be so productive as regards coming up with new policies, but clearly for Labour MSP Helen Eadie that was the effect.

"A LABOUR MSP is seeing red over the sequence of traffic lights and wants changes to stop ‘amber gamblers’ and improve road safety. If given the green light, Dunfermline East MSP Helen Eadie’s suggestion would do away with the amber light and copy a system she saw on holiday in Bulgaria. However, transport experts say it would cost a fortune while Dalgety Bay race ace Gordon Shedden said it would cause “carnage” on the roads."

Carnegie says that just because they do something in Bulgaria that isn't a reason for doing it in Ballingry. This is one set of ideas that should be confined to the dusty bin.

School For Sale.

Got a spare half a million to spend? Fancy your own school?

"FLUSH with success after flogging off old public toilets at auction, Fife Council is now selling a school to the highest bidder. Unfortunately it’s not in Dunfermline’s eastern expansion and won’t solve the ‘third school’ problem – but it could pour £500,000 into council coffers. Parts of the old Inverkeithing Primary School, off Roods Road, are over 130-years-old but it could be converted into flats after going under the hammer in Glasgow this Wednesday."

A Bridge Too Far?

A very strange story. Apparently First Minister Alex Salmond is planning a trip to the Middle East to meet with bankers in Qatar to come up with the money to pay for the Scottish Government's major infrastructire project, including a new Forth Road Bridge.

"ALEX Salmond, the First Minister, has been accused of going cap in hand to the Middle East for money because his schemes to pay for Scotland's infrastructure have failed. It has been revealed that Mr Salmond will visit Qatar to ask for loans for projects such as the new Forth Road Bridge.The practice of borrowing Middle East money is being considered by many Western governments, because there are religious-based laws there against charging interest on loans.But if Mr Salmond is successful, it will see Scotland in hock for decades to a country that has been the subject of concerns from Human Rights Watch."

Why didn't they ask Carnegie for a sub? He's got loads of spare cash sloshing about. But seriously, is this really a good idea?

Pests.

"NHS FIFE have denied claims that Kirkcaldy hospitals have suffered from pest infestations over the past three years. A local media report yesterday said that both the Victoria and Forth Park hospitals had suffered over 280 reports of pests on the premises after figures had been obtained under the Freedom Of Information Act. The report went on to mention that some £35,000 had been spent on tackling infestations of rats, cockroaches and flies in health centres in the Kirkcaldy and Levenmouth area, which has also been denied by the body.2

But critically NHS Fife didn't actually dispute the basic information. It's just not goo enough.

"While not denying the accuracy of the figures, NHS Fife were quick to reassure the public that there is no pest control issues on their premises, and that the figures have been incorrectly interpreted by a section of the media. In a statement, Mr Wilson said, “Yesterday’s report failed to make clear, that we do not have an active pest infestation problem."

That's clear then ....

Crossing.

"FIRST Minister Alex Salmond was in Rosyth today to announce the revival of Scotland’s only year-round ferry service to Europe. Speaking at Forth Ports' ferry terminal the First Minister announced the resumption of the Rosyth to Zeebrugge ferry route as of spring 2009 in conjunction with Norfolkline, ... The previous service, operated by Superfast, was discontinued as of 13th September and Norfolkline aim to match the sailing schedule previously provided. They will depart from Rosyth on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays at 5pm with a crossing time of around 19 hours and a view to future expansion if demand dictates."

Well they did it, but it takes one hour longer than the original service and how much will it end up costing?

The £4 Billion Question.

"Doubts about whether tolls would be needed to cover the maintenance costs of the new Forth crossing were finally removed yesterday ... Malcolm Reed, chief executive of Transport Scotland, revealed that the whole issue of the new crossing had been delegated to him, and tolls were an option. But Transport Minister Stewart Stevenson has now given a “guarantee” that tolls will not be brought back after the bridge, estimated to cost between £3.25billion and £4.22billion, is built."

Great news ... except for the fact that we haven't got a concrete commitment that the Bridge will actually be built yet. No contact has been issued. Fifers shouldn't forget that minor £4 billion detail.

Houses For Sale.

And yet another failure for Fife Council in attempting to uphold one of their decisions to refuse a planning application for eighty homes on the site of an industrial estate.

"THE future viability of a Dalgety Bay industrial estate has been called into question following the decision to allow houses to be built there. Following an appeal, Scottish ministers decided that around 80 homes could be built on the former OCLI site at Ridge Way, Hillend Industrial Estate. Fife Council had originally rejected the application but Cala Homes’ appeal was upheld and ministers said there was “little likelihood of future employment use” at the site. And councillors at a meeting yesterday (Wednesday) were told there are fears “that loss of the land to residential use would create an undesirable precedent across Fife”.

If Fife Council and its planners can't even justify and successfully defend refusing a planning application for residential housing on an industrial estate then that raises major questions about whether there are other gaps in its local development plans which other developers will be able to exploit. And one of them is bound to have a go given house prices in Dalgety Bay.

Named And Shamed.

You might want to have a look at the website below next time you decide to nip out for a pizza. Then again given some of the problems detected you probably won't want to.

"MANY of Dunfermline’s best known eateries have fallen foul of a new food hygiene regime with restaurants, hot food takeaways, bars, cafes, stores, a hotel, a golf club and a bowling club all failing the test.Environmental services inspectors have slapped an ‘Improvement Required’ notice on a long list of West Fife premises whose food safety standards are not up to scratch. A council ‘name and shame’ web-site makes it clear to customers just what is happening behind the scenes at the places they and their family go to eat – and the reports are not for the squeamish. Dirty kitchens, broken fridges, food past its sell-by-date, raw meat dripping on to ready-to-eat meals and other hazardous practices liable to lead to food poisoning are all highlighted."

Strike It Unlucky?

Carnegie asks "What is a hot spot not? ... It's not a good spot."

"Scientists monitoring a beach in Fife for radioactive hotspots say they have discovered seven contaminated areas."