by Councillor Jonathan McColl

I had the pleasure of attending the beginning of our “No Home for Domestic Abuse” launch in Clydebank Town Hall.

This is a significant, positive policy change for West Dunbartonshire and our partners in the police, court service and Womens’ Aid. Victims will be properly supported from the moment they contact someone for help and perpetrators will be dealt with swiftly and severely.

I also took the opportunity to visit modern health centres in Glasgow and Eastwood to see the positive difference these facilities are having on the community. I’m delighted that Clydebank Health Centre’s planning application was unanimously approved and I look forward to seeing building work start at Queens’ Quay in the near future.

There was more good news for Clydebank this week, with the council agreeing to invest more money in grass cutting and bedding displays, while still taking a proactive approach to creating appropriate biodiversity.

New money from the Scottish Government to help fund the school clothing grant scheme enables us to reinvest £270,000 in our greenspace services.

This means even more bedding than planned and new planting in winter. It will also mean grass in and around our residential and tourist areas will be properly cut.

As some of you may know, West Dunbartonshire’s Learning Disabilities Work Connect group lost all of their gardening, cooking and arts and crafts equipment in a recent fire. The group have been overwhelmed with the generosity of the public, businesses and public organisations that have donated money and equipment to help them out.

I’m thankful to council for unanimously approving my motion last week to provide up £20,000 of funding to replace everything else the group need to get back up and running.

I’d like to end by congratulating Clydebank Group Holidays on reaching their 30th anniversary. The group provide affordable caravan holidays to people on low incomes and pensioners in the Clydebank area and I’ve heard nothing but good things about them over the years; it was a pleasure to support Councillor Marie McNair’s congratulatory motion in council.