Janet Campbell - Broxburn, Uphall & Winchburgh Ward
SNP allocate £600,000 to tackle underage drinking
West Lothian Council has allocated £600,000 over the next two years to take proactive steps to divert young people away from drinking.
The Council has allocated funding of £182,400, during 2009/10, to initiatives which support the implementation of the Strategy for Tackling Underage Drinking. The Broxburn, Uphall and Winchburgh share of this money is nearly £18,000 and the Local Area Committee will be able to make recommendations on how the money is spent.
There is also additional funding this year of £117,600 that has been allocated for West Lothian wide initiatives including: street football and street rugby; sexual health and alcohol; operation floorwalk; and the Youth Action Project.
The strategy was developed in partnership with Lothian and Borders Police, West Lothian Youth Action Project, Community Learning and Development Service, Education Services and the Communities Team.
Local SNP Councillor Janet Campbell explains: "I'm sure that the strategy for tackling underage drinking will be widely welcomed. The aim is to encourage local young people to participate in activities which improve their health and wellbeing. The main emphasis is to give young teenagers an alternative on Friday and Saturdays from drinking. Projects submitted by agencies such as the West Lothian Youth Action Project and joint initiatives that promote diversionary activities during school summer holidays will also be considered."
£70,000 Community Chest small grants launched
Community and voluntary organisations in West Lothian are being encouraged to apply for funding from Community Chest a small grants programme.
Community Chest aims to strengthen the social and community infrastructure of West Lothian by supporting specific groups overcome barriers to accessing services.
This year Community Chest has identified projects and initiatives for women and young people as its priority. The programme will provide grants to voluntary sector groups and organisations of up to £3,000 for activities which meet its two key themes of developing organizations and supporting new initiatives. Applicants will be required to make a 10% contribution, which could be in-kind.
For more information contact: Community Chest, The Communities Team, West Lothian Council, Almondvale Boulevard, Livingston, EH54 6QG.
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Council tax Frozen AGAIN!
For the second year in a row SNP led West Lothian Council has frozen the local Council Tax. This follows a decade of Labour Council Tax hikes when the West Lothian Council Tax nearly doubled from £581 in 1996 to £1,127 in 2007.
First New Council Houses in 25 YEARS!
West Lothian Council’s SNP led Administration has acted quickly to agree the construction of 1200 new homes for rent before 2012. West Lothian Council will be directly funding 700 homes and a further 500 will be built from grant funding provided from the SNP Scottish Government.
The ten-year strategy aims to invest close to £250 million in council housing in West Lothian. The ambitious proposals will see over 700 new affordable council houses for rent built, and all council housing brought up to the Scottish Housing Quality Standard by 2015. The first phase is already underway with the building of around 250 homes in Bathgate, Whitburn and Ladywell and a further 452 homes are planned to start next January. The new homes will be made up of one and two bedroom flats, semi detached houses and bungalows suitable for disabled tenants.
Local SNP Councillor Janet Campbell welcomed the first new council houses being built in West Lothian in 25 years “These new homes are desperately needed especially as the previous Labour administration built no council houses and they will just be the first step towards addressing the serious imbalance we face between genuine housing need and the availability of council houses.”
