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Maybole's Carrick Amateur
Football Club representatives accepting delivery of their new
Kit-Bags. The Kit-Bags were kindly sponsored by RNT Ayr Ltd,
Building and Joinery Contractors.
Pictured are : Back row left to right, The Club's
Assistant Manager George McCulloch, from RNT Ayr Ltd Mr. Brian
Kennedy, The Club's Manager George Logan and from RNT Ayr Ltd Mr.
Murray Johnston. Front row left to right, Club players Kevin
Livingston and Barry McMillan.
Carrick Amateurs are starting the New Year sitting
proudly top of the Ayrshire Second Division, having only lost twice
in calendar year 2007, an achievement that any club would be proud
of. The Club is still competing in all of the major domestic
throphies and in addition have reached the last 32 of the 'Colville
Park' West of Scotland Cup. They will be playing at home against
either Low Water M.W. or East Kilbride United. The date of this
fixture will be dependent on when the 4th round ties have been
completed. The Club will be looking for continued support for the
rest of the season and say it would particularly be great to see a
good crowd for this upcoming fixture.
Members of Maybole Community Council were a touch bemused last week
when they met with a senior South Ayrshire Council officer to
discuss the closure of the registration services in Maybole.
First, the good news - the office
is not closed.
Second, the bad news – it is just
not open.
This prompted one veteran
community councillor with almost 30 years service to say afterwards
that it was the first time he had felt he was taking part in a “Yes
Minister” programme. For younger readers, “Yes Minister” was a
multi-award winning satirical British sitcom on BBC TV in the early
80s. Concerns about the future of the registration of births, deaths
and marriages in Maybole had been expressed at the September meeting
of the community council. Members had been told by local people that
the service had been closed and the four local councillors who
attended the meeting were asked what was happening.
Councillor Brian Connolly had
commented that it could be difficult to justify a full-time need but
appointments could be made and the registrar could come out to
Maybole, certainly in the short term during a period of illness
which had caused the problem. Councillor Ann Galbraith had spoken to
an officer who had responded to her saying the closure was not
permanent. However, community councillors had been sceptical and the
meeting last week had been arranged. In fact, even after the illness
period was past, staff had not returned to the Maybole office. The
senior officer told community councillors that the office had been
temporarily closed since May 2007. It had been clear afterwards that
the operation had been successful and the service had not been
resumed.
“The office is not closed,” he
said, “it is just not open.”
This had community councillors
shaking their heads in disbelief and there were claims that South
Ayrshire was just playing with words. Councillors have not been
party to this as the decision had been taken by officers, leaving
the option of the service being restored.
Apparently, the situation has been
exacerbated by legislation which has resulted in other offices
except Maybole being “inundated” and there are no plans to restore
the service - although it is most definitely not closed! There is
minimal business in Maybole, according the officer. Several
councillors asked if a part-time service even by appointment could
be put in place but it seems as if that could close Ayr – which no
one believed.
The community council is now going
to formally write to South Ayrshire Council asking a number of
questions before deciding on future steps to take in connection with
the current closure of the registrar’s service in Maybole. The
information they are looking for includes:
How many registration offices are
there in South Ayrshire?
How many staff are employed in
each office that can carry out registration duties?
What qualifications are required
to carry out registration duties?
What are the sources and amount of
funding for the registration service in South Ayrshire?
What is the current budget for
registration services?
How much has been spent in the
current and in the last financial year on overtime in respect of
registration services in South Ayrshire?
What difficulties would arise if a
suitably qualified member of staff was transferred from one of the
offices which is currently not closed (ie is open) to operate the
Maybole Registration Service on one or more days per week?
What steps would be required to be
taken in the form of public consultation prior to the formal and
permanent closure of the Maybole Registrars Office?
What steps would be required to be
taken in the form of consultation of Elected Members prior to the
formal and permanent closure of the Maybole Registrar’s Office?
How and when was the present
temporary closure (or not opening) of the Maybole Registration
Office communicated to elected members?
Has the registrar who was
previously employed in the Maybole office been formally transferred?
Where are the records which were
previously held in the Registrars Office in Maybole?
Can marriages still be performed
in Maybole by a Registrar? |
