FURY and disappointment were present in equal measure at last night’s meeting of Stonehaven and District Community Council, SDCC, when members discussed the Invercarron Resource Centre impasse.
Only that afternoon, our area committee had attempted to block the move to turn the Invercarron into Stonehaven’s vaccine clinic – but even as they did so, they knew the necessary approval could swiftly be granted by the chair of Aberdeenshire Council’s Communities Committee.
David Lawman summed up the feeling that Stonehaven had been disenfranchised from the decision-making process.
”We have lost this one,” he said.
”It is very disappointing. The local community has had absolutely no say in the matter,” he said.
And the impact on individuals who had used the resource centre was acknowledged in a few words by Jim Stephen
”What are we going to tell Mrs Coull about where her husband is going to go?”
Not backing off
Members aired their anger at Aberdeen Health and Social Care Partnership’s warnings that without the Invercarron Resource Centre, there could be no vaccine centre in Stonehaven – meaning everyone would have to drive to Banchory.
Dawn Black described the move as ‘financial blackmail’ and said, though matters had been presented very badly, Stonehaven did need a vaccine centre.
Ian Hunter meanwhile said he felt SDCC should not be backing off for any reason.
”I know it is a bit extreme,” said Jim Stephen, ”but where do we draw the line. Threaten us – is this the way this town is going to be treated? This is quite unacceptable.
”We should be taking this as far as we can.”
Cllr Wendy Agnew who chairs the Kincardine and Mearns Area Committee, and who used her casting vote to refuse the conversion procurement, said she had been almost speechless with fury at the area committee meeting.
She added: ”I can assure you I am not yet backing down.”
And, taking advice from Mrs Agnew about how the procurement paper in question would be handled, SDCC resolved to send an immediate letter of appeal to the chair of the Communities Committee, who is expected to be asked to give its approval.
