Chief Executive Blog - January 2016
Dear Colleagues,
Having ourselves experienced the trauma and distress of flooding, our hearts will have gone out to those in different parts of the country whose homes, businesses and communities have been wrecked in recent weeks by the effects of successive storms and record levels of rainfall.
Towns and villages in neighbouring Aberdeenshire have suffered the sort of damage with which we in Moray are only too familiar and I am sure you will join with me in wishing them a speedy recovery.
We are in the relatively fortunate position of having flood alleviation measures already in place in some of our more vulnerable communities and as a council we are ready to lend any support and advice that we can to other authorities who may stand to benefit from the experience we have gained, both as victims of flooding and as frontrunners in the design and construction of flood protection measures.
Although we have suffered our share of extreme weather, we are fortunate to live in a part of the country where we can enjoy a quality of life that is the envy of many and which has a global reputation for its scenery, tranquillity and friendliness.
Mention Moray in any part of the world and watch the eyes light up among those who enjoy a dram and quality foods.
I was delighted therefore to attend a food and drinks summit at the Craigellachie Hotel in the run-up to Christmas, attended by all the big industry names in Moray and chaired by local MP Angus Robertson.
The focus of the event was how to promote even further the vast range of quality products which our food and drinks companies produce and which can be found on the shelves in just about any country in the world you choose to mention.
The industry is vital to the wellbeing of the Moray economy and I left the meeting hugely impressed with the wealth of talent that we have within our local food and drinks companies and their determination to ensure that Moray remains a key player in the export market and on the world stage.
Sadly, the summit coincided with the death of one of Moray’s most dedicated food and drink ambassadors, David Urquhart, formerly of Gordon and Macphail. The turnout at David’s funeral was testament to his standing in the business community and as a man who never missed an opportunity to promote his native Moray wherever he found himself.
On a different tack but still on the subject of home-grown talent, I had the pleasure of attending a concert in St Giles Church in aid of the charity Lucy’s Fight for Motor Neuron Disease and named after Lucy Lintott from Garmouth who was diagnosed with the disease when she was just 19. All those who took part in the concert were young people from the local area and it reminded me once again of the wealth of musical and artistic talent that we have here in Moray.
The festive period is one for concerts and the performing arts and during which I also enjoyed the Moray schools orchestra’s concert at Elgin Academy.
There were two notable work-related highlights for me during December. Along with Councillor John Cowe and members of the council’s public transport unit, I attended a public sector awards ceremony at the Scottish Parliament where the council’s dial-a-bus service was presented with a leading award. The service was described as unique in Scotland and is a credit to the team who have developed it over the years to reflect the needs of its users.
December also saw the Scottish Government give final approval to the integration of Moray’s health and social care services which takes effect from April. That represents probably the most significant milestone along the way in what will be one of the biggest changes since the formation of the National Health Service.
Looking ahead, budget time is looming large and difficult challenges and decisions lie ahead. It had been anticipated that we would have to find savings of some £6million in the year ahead but that now looks more like £11million. Myself and my corporate management team colleagues will be working closely with the administration group over the next month ahead of the budget meeting on February 10.
As a council we have come through difficult times before and I am confident that, despite the many challenges we face, we will do so again.