Meeting disappointment

Published 10 Mar 2010 13:51 8 Comments

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ANGER: Parents protest at the decision

By Jennifer Black

A JOHNSTONE councillor was branded a liar at a special full council meeting.

Monday's emergency meeting, about the scrapped school buses, descended into farce as tempers boiled over and members of the public were asked to leave.

Councillor Tracie McGee received heavy criticism during the meeting, at one stage being called a liar by angry parents in gallery.

The Labour party called the full council over the concerns of parents regarding Renfrewshire Council's decision to move school walking distance from two to three miles.

Parents protested outside the council headquarters before packing into the council chambers to hear the debate.

However they were left disappointed and angry that the administration refused to budge on the issue.

During the meeting Conservative leader, Iain Langlands, stated: "Find the saving somewhere else, the safety of our children is too much to gamble with."

However SNP councillor, Bruce McPhee, argued that seven weeks on from the budget meeting, opposition groups have not come up with an alternative.

As the debate developed, the meeting became chaotic as members of the public shouted from the gallery and two men were asked to leave for airing their views.

When the votes were being counted, councillor McGee was branded a liar for voting with the administration by angry parents.

After the meeting Councillor McGee claimed that she is being targeted by protesters who are angry about the council's decision.

She said: "I was singled out by a group of parents when I voted yet no comments were made when the other councillors voted.

"I have stated clearly that I have some concerns regarding the safe walking route to St Benedicts High School and have already communicated these to the Transport department."

"Other colleagues have expressed their concern about the level of harassment I have been receiving and have highlighted that they have received no such attacks.

"I am strong enough to put up with this but I will make it clear that I have adopted a stringent zero tolerance to harassment, I will not simply accept the level of abuse that I have had to endure."

Despite the disappointing outcome of the meeting, parents have vowed to continue their fight to get the decision, which will come in to effect from August, overturned.

This article appeared in The Gazette 10 Mar 10

Have your say. Post a comment on this article.

Fiona Paterson
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Mar 12, 13:11
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Perhaps Cllr McGee would take more notice if her children had to walk to school but since they don't she doesn't seem to care. Spateston is split in half with the new criteria with half of the scheme haing to walk and the other half getting the bus. I wonder how accurate their measurements are and if they are walking distances. Given the track record of the Council I would question their method of measuring the distance and would like to see how it was carried out.

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Gordon M
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Mar 12, 18:08
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I'm afraid that with everything else in Renfrewshire, "What The Council Want - The Council Will Get", no matter how many people complain, show them they are wrong or show other ways to work around things.

Usually by the time anything with this mob comes to the notice of the public it is usually a done deal.

Oh and by the way that same could have been said about them when it was under Labour control.

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Gordon M
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Mar 12, 18:12
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I would also like to point out that Councillor Tracy McGee is just the same as any other councillor. Full of talk, big ideas, backing the public, taking on the leadership up until they become part of the leadership, then it's toe the party line.

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******
Mar 19, 12:21
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West View
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Mar 19, 17:15
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Are these folk shouting for bus fares to be paid for by the tax payer ,the same folk who need the swimming pools kept open at tax payers expense so that their children can get more exercise? Let the children who stay inside the nationally agreed distance ,exercise every day by walking to school or let them go to the nearest school if safety is the concern.

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sid
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Mar 23, 10:54
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the cuts should be made in Renfrewshire house we have had 7 weeks of demands from labour and tory with not one NOT ONE suggestion of what they would do differently. not one of the local media outlets has even bothered to ask them .wonder why that is. probably because they know that neither have got a suggestion between them.

Sid

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apollo
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Mar 29, 21:37
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Many parents have already indicated they would be happy to subsidise the cost of the buses if the council agree to keep them. This fight is not about trying to get bus fares paid for, it is about the safety of children and for that money should be no option. The SNP councillors have sold the people of Johnstone (whose children attend St Benedict's) down the river and should be ashamed of themselves. They did not consult properly with parents or indeed the pupils themselves.

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West View
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Mar 31, 11:43
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I agree with apollo that the safety of children is paramount. Therefor keep them fit by walking a reasonable distance each day, by sending them to the nearest school and by vetting every religious visitor ,as well as ordinary visitors ,to make sure he or she is not a pervert. This goes for all schools.

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West View
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Apr 25, 16:08
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Just to give some balance to the political axes being ground here, may I state that Cllr. McGee has promptly helped in resolving a local problem for me ,after the total waste of time that asking a Labour Cllr. turned out to be. She is doing her job well unlike the Politicians in London who have been at the fiddle.

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