FURIOUS Alva community councillors have suspended all further meetings in a row with the Council over the group’s location, writes Scott McClymont.

The community group told the local authority “enough is enough” and have demanded they provide them with a suitable alternative after branding their current meeting place “inadequate and unsuitable”.

After being affected by the controversial closure of the Dalmore Centre last November, the group agreed to give the downstairs area of the Alva CAP and Library facility a chance on the premise they could move to the more spacious upstairs area soon.

 

However last month members were informed the council’s Youth Services needed the space on a long-term basis.

 

Community council chairwoman Margaret Malcolm told the Wee County News: “We were allocated the Alva CAP/Library facility supposedly on a short term basis, which after three meetings there, has proved to be totally inadequate and unsuitable for our purpose.

 

“This was to have been a stop gap until premises upstairs were available.

 

“We have since been informed that these premises will be in use long term by the present occupiers and will not be available for our use as early as we were promised. The community council is very disappointed that we have been forced to take this action.”

 

One angry local resident who attends the meetings said: “You couldn’t hear properly and the chairs were cramped into what little space there was. The place is no use for the community council.”

 

The group were offered use of the new Alva Academy and the town’s primary school but turned them down due to fears over an impact on attendances.

 

Margaret said: “That wasn’t a decision we took lightly.

 

“Not everyone drives a car and the new school’s location meant certain elderly people had said they wouldn’t come if we moved there. Alva has one of the best attended community councils in

 Clackmannanshire and looking at the big picture we didn’t want to lose people by moving to the school.

 

“We did what was best for the  community.”

 

Now members feel their views have been ignored and want the council to re-open the Dalmore Centre as a stop gap.

 

Margaret said: “Originally we were promised we could remain in the Dalmore Centre until the Johnstone centre was finished.

 

“That situation shows the importance of community councils and we feel our views have been ignored on this subject.

 

“We would be willing to meet with the council face to face to try to find a solution.”

 

Grahame Blair, Director of Services to People, said he was sorry to hear of the community councils dissatisfaction with the building and their decision.

 

He said: “The upstairs part of the CAP building is the base for Youth Services staff and is not available for public meetings.

 

“A number of the options which were offered originally remain available; those owned by the Council are Alva Academy, Alva Primary School and the coffee bar area in the Johnstone Centre.

 

“I have told the Community Council that my staff are happy to revisit these options with the Community Council.

 

“My staff are also happy to examine what other options are available in Alva. I had hoped for more understanding from Alva Community Council on the need to rationalise the number of

buildings in the town as part of our continuing effort to target scarce public resources at frontline services such as education, housing and social work.”

	08-03-2010 12:53
	The council should dig deep and give them a purpose-built facility to meet their every need. Something along the lines and scale of Holyrood should suffice.

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	19-03-2010 11:17
	its no a fancy building that Alva needs but a military base, its a wild town.

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	12-04-2010 07:28
	The Clack's Council should re-open the Dalmore centre for the Alva community until there is an alternative civic centre in place. Give Alva back it's heart.

Jim