In the coming year we have agreed to invest an extra £1m to upgrade the area’s roads, offer £1m of funding for local community sports and leisure facilities, and spend £404,000 in local cemeteries.

In addition, over the next year an extra £250,000 will be invested to help create jobs and assist residents into work, £250,000 has been earmarked to improve the support for vulnerable local young people and £55,000 will help fund more than 100 extra free school meal places and clothing grants. A new £10,000 project will also see the council open £10 accounts with a credit union for every single primary seven pupil to help them improve their financial understanding.

We also voted to protect Dalmuir Municipal Golf Course, protect respite care for children with disabilities and for learning disability clients, keep free swimming for school children during holidays, and protect the existing funding arrangements for groups through the elderly persons grant funding.

I hope many of you will see this as another example of this council listening to your views and priorities, and responding accordingly.

The results of the new resident telephone survey clearly showed that local people wanted more money spent to improve our local road network. Done.

The recent budget consultation with nearly 2,000 residents and staff showed that residents had strong feelings about protecting Dalmuir Municipal Golf Course and respite care. Done.

At the public budget meeting in Clydebank the audience demanded the council do more to collect outstanding council tax from council employees. Done.

I could go on but I hope I have made the point clearly.

On the key issues we take the action that local people want.

I am also pleased to say we’ve also continued our commitment to improve the employment chances of local people by investing £500,000 over two years into our successful Jobs and Employability programme.

Given that we’ve already helped more than 980 people into work since 2012 that should make a real difference to local people.

I am excited about the year ahead and can assure you that we will be continuing to do everything in our power to make West Dunbartonshire a better place to live, work and visit.