Have A Star.

Carnegie is always a bit sceptical when he reads of studies praising the performance of local councils, even more so when the reports are actually produced by the councils themselves which seems to be the case for these ones about Fife.

"FIFE is one of the best places to live in Scotland, according to a recent study. Education, housing, community safety and green issues were all highlighted in Fife Council's annual performance report.Leader of the administration Peter Grant welcomed the news and believes the local authority is well on its way to achieving its ambitious targets."

The Three R's.

"A FIFE Labour MSP has voiced worries over education spending following the release of new statistics. The figures indicate the Kingdom's spend per pupil is among the lowest in Scotland. Claire Baker hit out at the SNP/Lib Dem administration in Fife in the wake of the 'shameful' results and asked for more money to be spent on schooling. According to figures released by the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy (CIPFA) for 2008/09, Fife spends the least out of all 32 local authorities in terms of spending per pupil in secondary education. It is also second bottom when it comes to spending per pupil in primary education."

Carnegie isn't sure this is a party political issue. Just because you spend less than other councils on something doesn't mean you necessarily get a worse service if the services are managed more effectively. And it also seems to be a bit unfair for Labour MSPs to be lining up to criticise Fife Council's SNP Lib Dem administration given that Fife Council was until May 2007 and one budget round ago actually Labour controlled. And since then the current administration have actually increased the amount spent on each child by Labour when it controlled Fife Council.

How Much?

So, it's official with the date for the new service to resume the 18th May.

"SCOTLAND'S only ferry link to the continent will resume in May next year, it was announced today. Ship operator Norfolkline took on the Rosyth to Zeebrugge service after it was ditched by Superfast earlier this year. A booking service has now been set up and the ferry is due to sail three times a week each way from May 18."

But is it just Carnegie or don't we actually know yet just how much this "service" is going to cost the taxpayer, let alone Fife Council Taxpayers. The official Scottish Government press release doesn't actually give a number.

Crime Suspect.

Carnegie said it last year when the last set of figures were published and he still holds the same view.

The numbers of murders committed in Fife are very small and the relative risk in Fife of being a victim compared to other parts of Scotland is similarly small, so we need to bear those facts in mind when headline figures are published which often don't tell the full stories.

"THE NUMBER of victims of murder and culpable homicide in Fife rose slightly last year, taking police figures to their highest level for five years. Figures published yesterday by Scotland’s chief statistician revealed six people were killed in the region during 2007/08, compared with five people the previous year. Fife was one of just three police forces recording a rise in the number of cases, with the number of victims across Scotland as a whole falling by five from 119 to 114."

Hope.

And here's hoping that a deal can be done to save the jobs of those remaining at Cemtron's Dalgety Bay facility. Fingers crossed.

"A DEAL to sell a Fife electronics firm could still go ahead, according to the administrators appointed to run the company. Cemtron, which is based in Dalgety Bay, went into receivership at the start of October with the loss of 41 jobs. The 112 people who remain at the electronic manufacturing company have yet to hear if the business can be sold as a going concern. Administrators Tenon Recovery put it up for sale almost immediately and generated quite a bit of interest ... Nearly 30 inquiries were received and a closing date for offers was set by Tenon. A number of parties were interested in buying the business, but it is understood a preferred bidder was selected. Both parties have since been trying to thrash out a suitable deal since then. However, there have been suggestions that the prospective buyer was on the verge of pulling out."

Jobless.

So Fife is not immune from the effects of the economic downturn with increasing numbers of unempoyed in the Kingdom, but also suggestions that perhaps Fife is faring better than many other parts of Scotland. Here's hoping that the downturn is shorter and less damaging than people are currently predicting.

"THE NUMBER of people out of work across Tayside and Fife has grown by more than 3000 in a year, according to figures from the Office for National Statistics. A total of 14,214 from the Dundee City, Perth and Kinross, Angus and Fife council areas are claiming jobseeker’s allowance. That’s 3191 more than were registered last year, and 1023 more than at the same time last month. Estimates suggest that the total number of unemployed people across the area—including those not claiming benefits—could be as high as 19,000 ... The claimant count across Fife increased from 6829 in October to 7572 in November, putting Fife’s rate up to 3.4%. Most of those, a total of 5653, were men, with 1919 women said to be on the list. Over half of the claimants were aged 25 to 49, while more than 2200 were aged between 18 and 24, and just over 1200 aged 50 or over."

Concrete.

Carnegie wouldn't want to be one of the Dalgety Bay residents who's homes look onto the Bay's radioactive beach which could soon find itself being concreted over as a means of avoiding the possibility of risk to the public.

"A BEACH may have to be partially covered in concrete to seal dangerous material that could give children a dose of radiation. The move could stop the area being officially designated as contaminated land, which residents fear would devastate the community.The news follows the discovery of 39 radioactive radium items in the latest survey of the foreshore at Dalgety Bay, Fife, which is close to a former airfield used in the Second World War. The largest of them was 4in across and weighed 8oz."

But what about turning a negative into a positive? The concreted area could provide the yatching club with more berths for its members boats, or how about creating a park 'n' ride for a new hovercraft service to Edinburgh for locals who commute? But seriously ... there must be a better solution found to the problem which minimises environmental impacts and preserves the amenity of local people. Concrete is not a solution.

Not So Quick Fix.

Carnegie reads that the Big Cheeses at the Forth Estuart Transport Authority (FETA) may be planning to delay major roadworks on the Forth Road Bridge planned for next year.

Great news if it can happen without any impact on the bridge structure given that major disruption for Fifers will be avoided, but the worrying thing is that the change of plan appears to have been prompted by costs estimates for the work coming in millions of pounds over budget.

"MAJOR traffic disruption on the Forth Road Bridge could be averted by postponing large-scale roadworks until a new bridge is opened in 2016. Bridge officials are considering whether they can delay the replacement of worn-out carriageway expansion joints.The work would involve round-the-clock contraflows while ramps are installed to take traffic over the work."

Here's hoping, but at last FETA seem to have realised that part of their role is actually to minimise disruption to bridge users from routine maintenance of the Bridge.

Pool-ing Power.

Carnegie likes the new look for his Leisure Centre in Dunfermline. It may even just be worth the very long wait for the work to be completed.

"THE DESIGN for the refurbishment of Carnegie Leisure Centre has now been chosen. As well as a full refurbishment of the whole building, the project promises enhanced facilities and services to customers and the wider community.And assurances have been given that consideration has also been given to preserving and retaining the Grade B listed elements of the original Andrew Carnegie-funded building, which opened in 1905."

Homes For All?

Great news for Inverkeithing, but there is still a long way to go to provide all of the modern council homes that are needed to meet public demand across Fife.

"FIFE Council has now taken the first steps towards providing new Council housing. The first new council house provision in decades will be targetted first at areas of most need, including Dunfermline, Inverkeithing and the West Fife villages."

General Forbes.

And another Fifer who played a major role in shaping American history.

"ONE of Fife's little known heroes is being honoured at an exhibition in Dunfermline. And next year a group from America will travel to Dunfermline with a special memorial to commemorate the man who founded one of the USA's most important cities. The story being told at the Abbot House exhibition, which opened this week, is of General John Forbes, from Pittencrieff in Dunfermline. Athough largely forgotten in his native land, General Forbes is acknowledged in North America as the man who turned the tide of the French-Indian War. He also named Pittsburgh on November 25, 1758, after leading a force of British regular and provincial troops, including a young Colonel George Washington, into the burning ruins of Fort Duquesne on the forks of the Ohio river."

Breach Of Trust.

"POLICE ARE investigating an allegation that a Fife doctor misused access to electronic medical records. The alleged breach of NHS data protection was brought to the attention of Fife Constabulary by NHS Fife in October. A spokesman for the health service said, “During early October 2008, NHS Fife notified Fife Constabulary that a doctor employed by the organisation may have misused access to NHS electronic records. No patient data was lost and patient care has not been compromised. Senior clinicians within NHS Fife have notified patients whose records may have been accessed.” He added that the service would be making no further comment until any possible employee conduct issues had been resolved. The doctor involved is not currently practising."

It is sad when people in positions of responsibility abuse the trust that has been placed in them. Even more so when they breach people's privacy in the process. The fact that it happened in Fife should worry Fifers even more.

Healthy Living.

Carnegie reads the sound advice from NHS Fife.

"NHS FIFE is bracing itself for an increase in illness and accidents over the winter months. The health authority has allocated its primary care services an additional £218,000 and is advising Fifers to take extra care of themselves as the temperature plummets. At this time of year more people are susceptible to colds, flu and respiratory problems and icy pavements and roads mean more people get injured, putting increased pressure on accident and emergency departments."

But did they have to be so Scrooge-ish with their warnings at what for most Fifers, is a really enjoyable time of the year? Look after yourself.

In The Family Way.

Not so good to see that so many of Fife's Members of the Scottish Parliament are listed amongst those declaring that they employ a family member. Surely there are Fifers who could do the jobs as well as the existing incumbents, especially those, like MSP Helen Eadie's husband Bob Eadie, who already qualify for a salary of £16K plus a year as a Fife Councillor?

"ALMOST ONE in five MSPs employ a member of their own family on their Holyrood payroll at the taxpayers’ expense. A register published for the first time yesterday lists the relatives of 25 MSPs—11 SNP, 11 Labour, two Tories, and one Liberal Democrat ... MSPs are allowed to claim up to £56,650 a year to employ staff, but the register does not give details of relative’s salaries for reasons of confidentiality ... Central Fife SNP MSP Tricia Marwick employs her son as a part-time constituency assistant. Dunfermline East Labour MSP Helen Eadie employs her husband as an office manager. Mid Scotland and Fife Tory MSP Ted Brocklebank employs his sister as his regional secretary. Dunfermline West Lib Dem MSP Jim Tolson employs his wife as a researcher/assistant."

In Care.

Carnegie thinks that Fife Council needs to put more effort into looking after Fife's most vulnerable children. Clearly, at the moment they aren't doing enough compared to other councils.

"A FIFE MSP has called for action to improve life chances for children in care in the region after new figures revealed that educational attainment among such youngsters was the lowest in Scotland. Labour’s Claire Baker wants cross-party efforts and action at all levels of government to tackle the problem. For 2006-07, statistics show that in Fife there were 720 “looked after” children, 0.9% of children in the area. Over half left without any qualifications at all and only one-third received qualifications in both maths and English. There was also a large drop in attainment from the previous year."

Well done to MSP Claire Baker for highlighting the issue. Over to Fife Council.

Flying The Flags.

"ONE OF Scotland’s most iconic emblems, the Forth Road Bridge, is flying the flag for the nation on St Andrew’s Day. The Forth Road Bridge will celebrate by flying two giant saltires from the tops of its towers. The specially-produced 15-foot flags, flying over 500 feet above the Firth of Forth, should be visible for several miles on either shore. This is the first time in more than five years that flags of any kind have been flown from the bridge, which is managed by the Forth Estuary Transport Authority."

All the best for St Andrew's Day when it comes.

Mr Forgetful.

Carnegie has highlighted before how some Labour Councillors on Fife Council seem to have forgotten the fact that the Council was actually run by the Labour Party until last year's council elections when questioning decisions the council took. The latest is Dunfermline Councillor Willie Sullivan ... again.

"DUNFERMLINE COUNCILLOR Willie Sullivan has hit out at Fife Council’s decision to upgrade the Carnegie Leisure Centre instead of financing a new build. The grade B listed building will undergo a £17.2 million revamp to be completed in 2011, leaving Dunfermline without a public swimming pool for around two years. Mr Sullivan claims that alternative options were not fully investigated and that the council failed to listen to constituents ... Grant Ward, the council’s senior manager for community services, said, “The decision to refurbish rather than replace Carnegie Leisure Centre was taken by Fife Council in October 2006."

Councillor Sullivan may have forgotten that it was Labour who took the decision he is now complaining about ... but Fife voters haven't.

Fares Fair.

Fifers deserve a better deal.

"CHEAPER TRAIN travel for Fifers has been demanded in the wake of a cap on fare increases for passengers in Strathclyde. The Scottish Government announced it has secured a lower rate of increase for those using the trains in Strathclyde to align it with the rest of Scotland. North East Fife MSP Iain Smith has demanded “fairer fares” for Fife travellers, who he said were paying among the highest train fares in Scotland. While fares will increase by 6% across Scotland in January, they will only go up by 4% in Strathclyde."

I Declare ...

... the new Clackmannanshire Bridge open. Well, FM Alex Salmond did actually. But it really should have been called the Fife Bridge.

"The new £120 million Clackmannanshire Bridge over the Firth of Forth was officially opened by First Minister Alex Salmond today. The crossing, designed to alleviate traffic pressure on the Kincardine Bridge, is the second largest of its type in the world. It includes an extensive network of new cycleways and footpaths and provides transport links between Clackmannanshire, Falkirk and Fifem improving road safety and opening up the wider area to economic benefits. Approximately 20,000 vehicles per day are predicted to use the new bridge, with traffic on the existing Kincardine bridge reduced from approximately 30,100 vehicles per day at present to approximately 18,100 vehicles."

Name And Shame.

So, it would appear that after a series of incidents involving lorry driving over the Forth Road Bridge during high winds that the big cheeses at the Forth Estuary Transport Authority (FETA) have decided to get tough by "naming and shaming" those drivers that do it, and maybe even prosecuting them.

All very laudable to "name and shame," but Carnegie is concerned that even allowing for a bit of adverse publicity there will still be too many lorry drivers that will be prepared to take a chance, and that all is takes is for a tiny proportion of those to find themselves toppling over to cause traffic mayhem in the east of Scotland, as we have already seen.

Maybe we need something a bit more concrete?

Complaints.

Carnegie reads that a developer, who failed to be granted a planning application, has lodged a complaint about the conduct of a group of Fife Councillors involved in the planning decision.

Given Fife Council's record on planning matters, Carnegie wouldn't be surprised if something is amiss, but we will wait to see what the outcome of the complaint is. It is after all, not the first time that a developer who lost a planning application has lodged a complaint in advance of a later appeal.

"A HOTEL chain refused permission for a new hotel in St Andrews has lodged a complaint against five Fife councillors involved in the planning process. Crerar Hotels accused the four St Andrews ward councillors and chairman of the north-east Fife area committee Andrew Arbuckle of breaching the councillors’ code of conduct due to conflict of interest. The complaint was lodged with the Standards Commission last Friday, before Wednesday’s meeting of the committee where the decision to refuse planning permission for the 80-bedroom hotel beside Kinkell Braes caravan park was taken. The company, which is to appeal the decision, alleges neither Mr Arbuckle nor councillors Frances Melville, Dorothea Morrison, Bill Sangster and Robin Waterston should have taken part in the process, which included a departure hearing in October. It claims their involvement with various local bodies—among them St Andrews Links Trust and St Andrews Harbour Trust—constituted a serious conflict of interest."