I accompanied by Regional Lib Dem MSP Alison McInnes and Montrose councillor David May visited the YM and had lunch at the community cafe. They heard from Val Cooper of the YM and committee member Anna Roberston, of the funding issues faced by the YM and the actions they have taken to resolve them.

Val and the YM supporters are doing a superb job in meeting the needs of the people in Montrose. The cafe was completely full when we visited, which just goes to show how successful it is. The customers that I spoke to were all really enthusiastic about the YM and the cafe’s role as a community meeting place.

I was also met members of the over 50’s club, and listen to their local concerns. With activities for all ages, the YM is one of those rare services that allows the whole community to come together. It is always a pleasure to see local people coming together to support each other.

David and Alison commented that the lunch was not only excellent value and of high quality, but quite obviously serves the needs of the community, given how well the community cafe is supported.

Community, Elderly, Montrose, Young People

Nick Clegg, leader of the Lib Dems, yesterday launched a pledge to invest £400m, identified from savings elsewhere, in renovating shipyards and harbours, specifically for building, maintaining and supplying off shore wind turbines. It is expected that this will create as many as 57,000 new green jobs.

I have campaigned for the Scottish SNP Government to make a similar commitment to invest in Montrose Harbour. This commitment is just what Montrose needs to secure its future and I would call on other parties to match the Lib Dem commitment.

You can read more details about the pledge by clicking here to go to the Liberal Democrat website.

Energy, Environment, Harbour, Montrose

I recently visited the Royal Montrose Golf Club and met with vice-captain, Brian Ritchie to discuss plans for the club’s bicentenary celebrations.

Brian discussed the club’s prestigious history as the 9th oldest golf club, including its royal patronage in 1845, along the club’s central role in defining the modern game and popularising the sport in America.

It is clear that the club have worked very hard, and planned a first class programme, which is being backed by local businesses and the council. I am sure the year will prove to be a huge success not only for the club but also for the town. The celebrations will, I hope attract more tourists to Montrose and Angus as well as the excellent links course and be a boost for all of Montrose’s excellent golf clubs.

I was also given a tour of the clubhouse and the changes that have been made to make the club more friendly towards visitors. By coincidence, the club’s impressive new signage was being put up during my visit.

I hope that residents of Montrose, Angus and beyond will support the club’s celebrations, as the club has made great efforts to welcome visitors. Along with the Mercantile and Caledonian, Montrose’s golf clubs provide excellent local facilities for the town.

Celebration, Golf, Montrose, Sport

Sanjay urged all residents in Angus to support the buy local campaign as a way of supporting local shops, businesses and producers. Buying local is particularly important at a time when many local businesses are feeling the pinch and will ensure they are better placed when the economy grows. Buying local also helps to cut down our carbon footprint and plays a crucial role in tackling climate change.

Montrose is blessed with many pubs, cafes, restaurants and hotels. There is also a great variety of our own independent shops such as arts and craft boutiques, antique dealers, first class butchers, bakers, florists and fishmongers, By spending our money in independent shops, we are investing more into our own town centres, preserving the heart of our community and helping to generate work for local people.

Natures Garden, in Montrose, which has only been open for a few months, is a great example of a local shop that not only provides employment, but also sells produce from local farms which could not be fresher, and so gives even more of a boost to the local economy.

David Irons & Sons, in Forfar, is one of those shops that can only exist in towns like those in Angus. Providing employment for local people, selling items that chain stores would not carry and supported by a community that fully appreciates its rich history. I’m sure that whatever you want, if David Irons & Sons don’t have it stock, they will order it for you! Buying local can help to ensure that David Irons & Sons continues to serve the community in Forfar for another 100 years.

Winning Town Centre Regeneration funding is a real opportunity to re-invigorate Brechin’s town centre. By supporting local shops, Brechin residents can help ensure Brechin has a thriving town centre.

Falconers Family Butchers, in Arbroath, is exactly the sort of independent local business we should be supporting. Angus is blessed with a number of independent butchers, and it is heartening to seem them thrive. And we need to support other independent businesses in the same way.

The Star Rock Shop is exactly the sort of independent shop we need to be supporting. Founded in 1833, it is part of the town’s history, providing local employment and offering something that little bit different from chain stores that have come to dominate our high streets.

Angus, Arbroath, Brechin, Buy Local, Forfar, Kirriemuir, Montrose

On Wednesday, I visited Montrose Harbour with Terry Wood of the Harbour Board and Montrose Liberal Democrat Cllr David May. We toured the properties surrounding the northern part of the harbour, many of which house derelict, empty buildings. These are a sad reminder of businesses lost to the area. However, they provide a real opportunity to improve the harbour’s infrastructure and provide space to expand for future development.

The future development plans for Montrose Harbour are excellent, and I will be supporting them in any way I can. Angus Council is conducting a study on how to best improve the infrastructure around the harbour, to improve access and attract more business. Again this is an excellent approach, supported by the Harbour Board.

I also talked Jim Raeper, Technical Manager, about opportunities for Montrose to win exclusive contracts to survey, service and possibly construct offshore wind farms. Three wind farm developers have already approached Montrose, which is Angus’ only commercial port, to discuss opportunities. Developing the harbour infrastructure seems to be an obvious plan to secure jobs and business for the whole of Angus.

Offshore wind power will be central to Scotland’s future energy supply and it is crucial that Angus does not miss out. Embracing and supporting green energy production will put Angus at the heart of Scotland’s sustainable future.

Montrose Harbour already supports over 500 jobs around the county and winning new business could generate hundreds more. Improving the infrastructure will attract more business for Montrose Harbour and provide access to a first class port for all Angus businesses. This will be an investment to create jobs throughout Angus, and I am sure that everyone in Angus would want to support the Harbour’s development plans and the Council’s infrastructure study.

To that end, I would call on the Scottish Government, Scottish Enterprise and the Westminster Parliament to pay close attention to the outcome of the Council’s study and act quickly to secure a positive future for Montrose and the whole of Angus.

Energy, Environment, Harbour, Montrose, Wind Farm

I am backing calls for a flyover at the notorious Laurencekirk Junction of the A90. The A937 junction is a well known black spot and is regularly used by North Angus commuters and shoppers making their way to Aberdeen.

There have been enough accidents at Laurencekirk and it is high time Minister for Transport, Stewart Stevenson took action. The SNP Government’s failure to act continues to demonstrate their desire to centralise decision making in Edinburgh. The SNP seems unwilling to listen to or draw on the knowledge and experience of local residents.

I have written to Minister for Transport, Stewart Stevenson asking him to take action. I am also calling on SNP representatives Mike Weir, MP and Andrew Welsh, MSP, to be independent of the SNP administration, and join our campaign to improve safety for Angus commuters and shoppers.

It was disappointing to hear that Transport Scotland see no need for a flyover and I would support the call for the Scottish Parliament to ignore the findings of the study. Saving lives should be of the highest priority when setting transport policy.

I am backing calls by local campaigner Jill Campbell, Liberal Democrats Sir Robert Smith, MP and Mike Rumbles, MSP, along with Montrose Councillors, Liberal Democrat David May and Independent Mark Salmond for the junction to be significantly upgraded.

You can find out more about by clicking here, a link to the campaign’s home page on Bebo, the social networking site.

Laurencekirk, Montrose, Roads