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Daily Record
20 hours ago
- Automotive
- Daily Record
North Ayrshire Tory claims 20mph limit is part of 'climate change madness'
He said the policy was all about pleasing the Scottish Government. Bold efforts by the North Ayrshire Tory Group to put the brakes on the Cabinet's support of the Scottish Government's National Strategy for 20mph in Urban areas and approve the implementation of 20mph speed limits stalled on Thursday. At a fiery meeting of the Audit and Scrutiny Committee, the Conservative Group asked Cabinet to: Suspend the implementation of the 20mph speed limit across all roads, pending the outcome of a full review of cost effectiveness, enforceability, and public consultation and to commission an impact assessment as well as taking feedback from a public consultation. Supporting the call-in, North Coast cllr Todd Ferguson said he had been contacted by local business and constituents concerned about the plans. He said: 'As Conservatives we fully support efforts on road safety but believe they must be targeted, evidence-based and proportionate and what is being suggested for the blanket 20mph limit simply does not meet that criteria. 'In North Ayrshire road fatalities remain consistently low although one death is one death too many. 'UK wide we see that when you change signs it limits reduction of speed by only one mile per hour and that changes to 10mph if you include traffic calming but that is not being proposed. 'We had success in Burnhouse and Gateside in getting changes to speed but it did not change behaviour - you had a driver going at 90mph in Burnhouse. We need enforcement but resources are already stretched." Tory Group Leader Cameron Inglis suggested the policy was "smoke and mirrors" and was all about pleasing the Scottish Government by persuading people to stop using their cars as "part of this climate change madness". Tony Gurney, Cabinet member for the Environment and Green Economy said: 'This is more than a transport policy - it's an investment in public safety. 'This is not a blanket, it has been consulted throughout North Ayrshire. Implementation is recommended only where we see a clear safety benefit. We will implement 20mph zones and that is an opportunity for enforcement by police. 'It is not about flowing traffic, it is about safety. According to the Department of Transport the chances of pedestrians being killed more than halves when speed is reduced to 20mph from 30mph. "A child hit by a car has a one in five chance of dying in 30mph in 20mph drops dramatically to one in 40. 'The British Medical Journal links 20mph to a 40 per cent reduction in road casualties. "Lives are saved, injuries prevented, NHS costs reduced. Lower speeds give drivers time to react. That extra second can be different between a close call and a tragedy." Independent cllr Donald L Reid said: "I was in office with the Police from 1967 to 1999 and this encompasses what it is all about, speed kills. "Anything we can do to reduce speed must be a priority. If we can keep speed down to 20mph that is sensible and with a bit of hard work we can probably achieve this. "We saw how drink driving became unacceptable, how wearing seatbelts became the norm and helmets for cyclists and motorcyclists helped save many lives, I don't see how we can't make our streets safer.' A motion to reject the call-in, allowing the policy to stand, defeated an amendment by the Tory Group to accept the call-in and send the matter back to the cabinet for further consideration by six votes to three.
Daily Record
22-05-2025
- Politics
- Daily Record
Concerns over power of North Ayrshire community councils
Community councils to be given closer scrutiny Outspoken North Ayrshire Tory leader Cameron Inglis has suggested some community councils should have their wings clipped as they are becoming too powerful and disrespectful. The Saltcoats and Stevenston councillor spoke out as councillors debated undertaking a review of the hyper-local democratic bodies at a full council meeting last Wednesday. He said: 'In my opinion it is getting harder to engage with community councils as sometimes they go above their remits and in some areas there is a lack of respect to elected members. 'We should look at how we train our community councillors to be more respectful to members and how their remits are going above what they should.' Aileen Craig, Head of Service (Democratic), said: 'We have a code of conduct and will look at how we take that forward and give assistance to members and see what their remit is.' The democracy boss said the council would see how they could get local bodies working together. Cllr Nairn Angus-McDonald said there would be responses to a consultation in areas where there were community councils but that they should pay attention to arrears which did not have any. Kilwinning Cllr Donald Reid asked if community councils in the meantime carried on as normal with AGMs and recruitment. The Head of Service said the status quo would carry on as normal but if they went down the route of a full review, elections would be postponed for a further year. Cllr Reid said that some community councils chose to respond to planning applications but that should be among their civic duties and he took guidance from them should they choose to object. Cllr Eleanor Collier said she felt some people served too long on community councils. However Aileen Craig said that was not necessarily the case. The council agreed: To proceed with the formal review of the Scheme for the Establishment of Community Councils on the basis of the timetable. That consideration should be given to updating the Scheme in line with the Model Scheme of Establishment that was issued by the Scottish Government in 2023. To receive future reports to Special Meetings of Council in relation to the review of the Scheme of Establishment of Community Councils. Don't miss the latest Ayrshire headlines –
Daily Mail
20-05-2025
- Business
- Daily Mail
Scottish islanders battling second home tax force council to reconsider: Could more follow suit?
A Scottish Island may be about to force a u-turn over the decision to impose double council tax on second homeowners. Residents of Great Cumbrae, a small island off the west coast of Scotland, have been left outraged by the tax, according to reports in the Telegraph. North Ayrshire Council is now reviewing its decision to impose a 100 per cent council tax premium on second homeowners amid the backlash. Residents argue the tax will hurt the local economy due to its heavy reliance on tourism. Roughly one third of all properties on the island are second homes, while one quarter of its 1,400 residents work in tourist related jobs. Cameron Inglis, the Conservative leader on North Ayrshire Council, told the Telegraph that the reaction from residents had been 'fiery.' Residents on the island of Great Cumbrae argue that the second home tax will hurt the local economy due to its heavy reliance on tourism Pictured: Millport, Great Cumbrae Island 'We are asking second home owners to pay double, get nothing in return, so that we can balance our budget gap,' said Inglis. 'The whole thing has been pushed through so that supposedly rich people can plug a budget gap. The whole thing is a sham. It's smoke and mirrors.' Meanwhile, Alex Harvie, chairman of the Cumbrae Community Council said the double council tax would reduce income across the island and potentially 'start a spiral of decline' as facilities fall into disrepair. An impact assessment found the council tax hike would strip £500,000 off the island's £12.9million annual GDP. It remains to be seen as to whether this will be the first of many challenges faced by councils over the 100 per cent council tax premium. The majority of Scottish councils have now doubled council tax on second homes and three quarters of local authorities in England and Wales have also done so. Second homes for council tax purposes are defined as furnished properties where nobody lives, or where the owner has their main residence elsewhere. It means many second home owners in England paying the typical Band D council tax of £2,171 are seeing their annual bills rise to £4,342. Holiday hotspots such as Cornwall, Norfolk and Somerset are among those introducing the tax, in a bid to make homes more affordable for local people. For those who own second homes that are in a more expensive bracket, the costs could be astronomical. For example, someone who owns a Band H home in Salcombe - a second home hotspot in Devon - will see their council tax double from £4,716.42 to £9,432.84. Have you been hit by the second home council tax hike? Get in touch: editor@ Best mortgage rates and how to find them Mortgage rates have risen substantially over recent years, meaning that those remortgaging or buying a home face higher costs. That makes it even more important to search out the best possible rate for you and get good mortgage advice. Quick mortgage finder links with This is Money's partner L&C > Mortgage rates calculator > Find the right mortgage for you To help our readers find the best mortgage, This is Money has partnered with the UK's leading fee-free broker L&C. This is Money and L&C's mortgage calculator can let you compare deals to see which ones suit your home's value and level of deposit. You can compare fixed rate lengths, from two-year fixes, to five-year fixes and ten-year fixes. If you're ready to find your next mortgage, why not use This is Money and L&C's online Mortgage Finder. It will search 1,000's of deals from more than 90 different lenders to discover the best deal for you.
Yahoo
13-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Council forced into second homes climbdown after ‘fiery' residents' revolt
A Scottish council could be forced into reversing its second home tax raid after a revolt from residents. North Ayrshire Council is reviewing the impact of the policy on the island of Great Cumbrae after residents complained it would harm their economy, which is reliant on tourism. The SNP-led authority imposed a 100pc council tax premium on second home owners last month, sparking an opposition movement among its 1,400 residents. The majority of Scottish authorities introduced similar charges after being given the power to do so in 2024. More than 200 authorities in England also launched a second homes raid this year – something The Telegraph is campaigning against. There are 450 second homes on Cumbrae, a small island situated one mile – or a 10-minute ferry – from the Scottish mainland. Its close proximity to the mainland makes it an attractive destination. One in three properties on Cumbrae are a second home while around a quarter of residents work in tourism-related jobs. An impact assessment found the council tax raid would strip £500,000 off the island's annual GDP of £12.9m. Cameron Inglis, the Conservative leader on North Ayrshire Council, said the reaction from residents had been 'fiery'. He told The Telegraph: 'We are asking second home owners to pay double, get nothing in return, so that we can balance our budget gap. 'The whole thing has been pushed through so that supposedly rich people can plug a budget gap. The whole thing is a sham. It's smoke and mirrors.' Mr Inglis added that ringfencing 10pc of the additional revenue for affordable housing was the equivalent to £110,000, which would pay for the construction of approximately 20 houses a year, built using council money and government grants. He said: 'That's not 20 houses for the island. That's 20 houses across the whole county. It's a drop in the water when it comes to the number of houses we need.' Alex Harvie, chairman of the Cumbrae Community Council, said the premium would force second home owners to sell up, reduce income for the island and could 'start a spiral of decline' as facilities fall into disrepair. In an appeal to North Ayrshire Council to re-examine the impact on the island, he accused the authority of rushing through the policy before the completion of a three-month review period to allow it to respond to the initial impact assessment. The council's initial impact assessment found 'concerns' with the economic impact on Great Cumbrae and cast doubt as to whether it would benefit housing availability. It conceded the island 'may not lend itself or be suitable for permanent island living'. A consultation, of which around 60pc of the respondents were not second home owners, also found widespread opposition to the policy. Only 38pc were in favour of the premium while 59pc were against. North Ayrshire has now been forced to review its original impact assessment following the pressure applied by the community council. A public consultation has been opened with the council accepting representations from residents, visitors and businesses until May 20. A spokesman for North Ayrshire Council said: 'Like other councils across Scotland who have already adopted this measure, we hope to see real long-term benefits to the availability of housing for people in communities across North Ayrshire, and for homes to be occupied for longer periods of time throughout the year.' Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.
Yahoo
13-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Council forced into second homes climbdown after ‘fiery' residents' revolt
A Scottish council could be forced into reversing its second home tax raid after a revolt from residents. North Ayrshire Council is reviewing the impact of the policy on the island of Great Cumbrae after residents complained it would harm their economy, which is reliant on tourism. The SNP-led authority imposed a 100pc council tax premium on second home owners last month, sparking an opposition movement among its 1,400 residents. The majority of Scottish authorities introduced similar charges after being given the power to do so in 2024. More than 200 authorities in England also launched a second homes raid this year – something The Telegraph is campaigning against. There are 450 second homes on Cumbrae, a small island situated one mile – or a 10-minute ferry – from the Scottish mainland. Its close proximity to the mainland makes it an attractive destination. One in three properties on Cumbrae are a second home while around a quarter of residents work in tourism-related jobs. An impact assessment found the council tax raid would strip £500,000 off the island's annual GDP of £12.9m. Cameron Inglis, the Conservative leader on North Ayrshire Council, said the reaction from residents had been 'fiery'. He told The Telegraph: 'We are asking second home owners to pay double, get nothing in return, so that we can balance our budget gap. 'The whole thing has been pushed through so that supposedly rich people can plug a budget gap. The whole thing is a sham. It's smoke and mirrors.' Mr Inglis added that ringfencing 10pc of the additional revenue for affordable housing was the equivalent to £110,000, which would pay for the construction of approximately 20 houses a year, built using council money and government grants. He said: 'That's not 20 houses for the island. That's 20 houses across the whole county. It's a drop in the water when it comes to the number of houses we need.' Alex Harvie, chairman of the Cumbrae Community Council, said the premium would force second home owners to sell up, reduce income for the island and could 'start a spiral of decline' as facilities fall into disrepair. In an appeal to North Ayrshire Council to re-examine the impact on the island, he accused the authority of rushing through the policy before the completion of a three-month review period to allow it to respond to the initial impact assessment. The council's initial impact assessment found 'concerns' with the economic impact on Great Cumbrae and cast doubt as to whether it would benefit housing availability. It conceded the island 'may not lend itself or be suitable for permanent island living'. A consultation, of which around 60pc of the respondents were not second home owners, also found widespread opposition to the policy. Only 38pc were in favour of the premium while 59pc were against. North Ayrshire has now been forced to review its original impact assessment following the pressure applied by the community council. A public consultation has been opened with the council accepting representations from residents, visitors and businesses until May 20. A spokesman for North Ayrshire Council said: 'Like other councils across Scotland who have already adopted this measure, we hope to see real long-term benefits to the availability of housing for people in communities across North Ayrshire, and for homes to be occupied for longer periods of time throughout the year.' Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
