Criticism over ‘native’ Wicker comment and oil platform plans for Dunnet Bay
‘Native’ comment provoked criticism
From the Groat of December 19, 1924
A Wick councillor came in for censure after suggesting that council officials should be natives of the town.
Thomas Munro made the remark while proposing John Henderson for the role of treasurer. Also proposed was PC McGhan, who had the support of returning Dean of Guild D Davidson.
Mr Munro told the meeting that he would like to see the officials, whether the treasurer or anyone else, be natives of Wick – a comment that was deemed “unfortunate” by Mr McGhan.
Mr McGhan, who had recently been re-elected, said it would be generally admitted that he had the “sympathy of the community” and that he was “doing his best in the interests of the town”.
Provost Green said “the fact that ratepayers had returned Mr McGhan as a representative condemned Mr Munro’s remark”.
Despite saying that he would refuse the office of treasurer if the appointment was not unanimous, Mr McGhan was persuaded to put the matter to the vote, which he won by just one.
Elsewhere, it was reported that there had been a slump in the prices of poultry.
In the run-up to Christmas a “heavy supply in the market had resulted in reduced prices for the purchasing public”. Good-quality turkeys were being sold for 10d per lb, compared with 1s 10d the previous year.
Geese were being offered at 9d per lb, down from 1s 4d per lb, while fowls cost 2s and 6d each, “whereas last year nothing of quality could be had under 3s”.
Oil industry development hopes
From the Groat of December 20, 1974
Caithness County Council had not ruled out the possibility of attracting an oil production platform site to Dunnet Bay – in spite of a warning from its planning consultants that such a project would be “both unlikely and undesirable”.
WHE Davies, an associate of the council’s planning consultants, Wilson and Womersley, had previously told members of the Caithness planning committee that a “Chigaco Bridge-style construction yard in the county would seriously affect the existing local economy and environment”.
However, when Mr Davies met the full council at a meeting in Wick, it turned down his recommendation “to pursue a moderate growth policy which would include oil rig supply bases, maintenance facilities and the new manufacturing industries in favour of a plan which would include not only these activities but large-scale oil-related developments as well”.
Mr Davies said he had taken into account that the government’s national plan for oil had stipulated five sites in Scotland for oil-production platform construction and none of them were in Caithness.
Meanwhile, Wick had a stronger claim than Thurso for the location of the new regional council’s administration offices, according to a councillor.
In a statement to both Caithness District Council and Highland Regional Council meetings, Bailie Robert Durrand, Wick, argued that the jobs were needed in Wick where suitable office accommodation already existed.
Gritting policy left school out in the cold
From the Groat of December 24, 1999
A group of parents were up in arms about the untreated, icy state in which the road to their children’s school was regularly left during cold snaps.
Bower primary was the only school in the far north whose access was on the lowest priority list for local authority gritters and snowploughs. It was frozen out because the school was just off the B876 and because its pupils were conveyed in minibuses and not full-sized buses.
The official policy had been slammed by community council chairman Alan Roberts, who feared a tragic accident if nothing was done.
Concerns about safety had flared up again during the most recent wintry spell and had triggered a clutch of complaints from parents to the Highland Council’s roads department.
Mr Roberts told a meeting of the community council that raising the matter with the local authority had been like “hitting our heads against a brick wall”.
Richard Guest, Highland Council’s area roads and transport manager, said his department was unable to deviate from the priorities agreed by Highland councillors but stressed that the low priority did not mean that the school access road wasn’t gritted – just that it was done after other roads.
Elsewhere it was reported that a flu-like bug had struck in the county. All ages had been affected by the “very widespread” illness, with the elderly being particularly affected.
