The time has come for the pipe and slippers (so to speak). After 15 years, I have decided to step down in May as the Liberal Democrat councillor for the North Kincardine ward.
I have given this a lot of thought. It has been a pleasure (most of the time) and a privilege to have been chosen to take the difficult decisions on behalf of the 12,336 voters in this ward. It has been an honour to have represented the ward, but now is the time to step aside for someone younger. The years are adding up now!
There have been highlights, such as the decision to give the green light to the building of Chapelton. It is a community which is a delight to the eye.
I will also always recall being in the Bettridge Centre in Newtonhill when an orchestra from Scottish Ballet played for some local primary school children, including the memorable “Pirates of the Caribbean”. That was something to behold.
There have been dark moments too. Particularly the Scottish Government’s decision to over-rule the views of local councillors about whether houses should be built on the moor south of Newtonhill.
I have tried to make this a better place to live, but not always succeeded. Trying to move a local authority in the right direction isn’t easy. There are 69 other councillors for a start. And councillors do not take operational decisions, so one has to use persuasion and logic when putting a case to officers.
One aim has not yet been realised … the reopening of Newtonhill Station. All the signs are good, but it takes many years to accomplish this. We are on the right track.
My thanks to the many people who have encouraged me, and helped me along the way. To those who don’t fall into that category, well, what can I say. Life would be dull if we all agreed. And these 15 years have been anything but dull.
All I ask is that people are kind to my successors. Most councillors are conscientious, hard-working and doing the best they can. One hundred days to go.
Thank you for your concern for local issues and for your dedication to help people of your ward and for for weekly updates . I wish you well in your “retirement” and hope for an equally help councillor in the future
Best wishes
Sheila
Dr Sheila Calder
Thank you for your kind comments. I’m looking forward to simply putting my feet up at first. Who knows what lies ahead!
Thank you for all your hard work for our Community. It can be a thankless task sometimes in public office, but you can be proud of what you’ve achieved.
I hope you enjoy whatever comes next!
Kind regards
Angela Broad
Much appreciated Angela.
Thank you Ian for all your hard work and service in what I can only imagine is a largely thankless role. Please know that there are those of us out here to eagerly follow these updates and really appreciate everything you have done.
I imagine these emails will now stop (although it would be great to hear if they won’t!) so I wonder if you have any plans to keep posting updates else where?
Blogs, socials, LinkedIn, Twitter all those fun places?
Thank you Ryan. I appreciate your feedback. You are right … after the election I will fade into memory and stop the emails. Much of the information comes from being a councillor so it would not be possible to keep them going with the same breadth of news. The most I will do will be to keep participating on Facebook.
All the very best Ian. It’s been a delight reading your weekly email, always informative and interesting. I may not agree with your political party but I certainly will miss your candid and honest commentary. Hopefully someone new will pick up the ball and run with it as well as you have!
That is appreciated. Good to hear that my words have come across in that way. That was the aim. It is important, in my view, to let the facts talk for themselves, and to keep residents informed. As to the future, I have high hopes that my successor will carry on in that tradition.
Sorry to hear that you are standing down, I don’t know you very well, but it has been pleasant meeting you on occasions and you are by far the most communicative of the Councillors I have known. There will be a gap in my knowledge of what is going on on locally without your regular reports. I hope you will have a long and happy retirement from active politics, you will be missed.
Thank you very much. I do hope that one of the councillors to be elected in May will take up the baton. I’m looking forward to putting my feet up!
Councillor, thanks for your service and especially your very informative weekly emails.
You are most welcome. That part of the task of being a councillor was one of the more enjoyable things to do.
Thank you for all you have helped me with, especially the bus shelter, and getting the drain unblocked at the end of Boswell Road.
Enjoy your pipe and slippers.
Appreciate your kind comments. I’m looking forward to the peace and quiet!
Well done for all your efforts and concern over the period. I shall miss your updates. Best wishes for your future.
Thank you Paul. Maybe one of my successors will pick up that particular baton?
Sorry to see you go Ian. For me you will always be the “go to guy” to get things done. I hope that whoever follows on from you, has your energy and enthusiasm.
Regards
David Lansdell.
Thank you David. I don’t always succeed, but I do try!
I wish you a long and happy retirement Ian. I’ve not always been happy with how the council makes decisions and have many a time let you know, but I know it’s not an easy job and at least you’re a councillor we see and hear from on a regular basis with good or bad news. All the best to you and your successor.
Thank you for your kind comments. Yes, sometimes I have been the bearer of unwelcome news. It goes with the job!
Thank you so much Ian for all the weekly news, the take up behind it and preparation of it, however still a few moments to maybe make you change your mind, second thoughts, OR keep going in an alternative seat ?? Everybody should know — many more comments and helpful moments besides what has been noted on here ..
Appreciate your thoughts, Roy, however my mind is made up and there is someone who is rather keen to take my place. As for standing in an alternative seat, that would not be for me. This is the area that is my home and I care passionately about. I didn’t become a councillor just to take up that office: I did it because I wanted to represent this ward.
Thanks for all the hard work you have put in over the years. You have always been responsive to the needs of the local community and your weekly emails are always helpful. Enjoy your retirement!
I appreciate your kind comments. Thank you.
All the best, Ian, we wish you well. Thank you for all of your hard work on our behalf. It is much appreciated.
Thank you for your kind words.
So sorry to hear you are giving up your post as our councillor. You have been so approachable and always investigated and dealt with things you have been asked about. We have been the envy of friends in other areas when I have read out your informative weekly bulletins to them especially during the Covid situation. They wished they too had your weekly comprehensive local news updates which are so valuable to us, keeping us up to date and well informed. I looked forward to reading them. I hope you enjoy your retirement. Wish you could be persuaded to stay but you are going with the knowledge that you are leaving with a job well done.
Thank you. These are very kind comments and much appreciated. It is the right time for me to go, but it is good to hear that what I have done has been helpful.