sick of subsidising down south?

[stompy]

I note that my Council Tax bill is the same as someone living in Inverness as is the cost of a High-Life card. However that is where parity ends. Should I, a council employee in Wick, wish to visit the gym before work I would be sadly disappointed as the leisure centre doesn’t open until 8am. A council employee in Inverness would be able to take advantage of gym facilities at 6am. Although in Wick, as in Inverness, I can give myself a good dose of skin cancer (at a price of course) with the sunbeds I cannot have a sauna or steam to relax (use of which is covered by a high life card). My children (should I have them) cannot be put into a creiche in Wick- they can in Inverness. There is of course the more fun side of things with the flumes in the leisure pool which, although of little interest to me, are no doubt a major attraction in Inverness. I feel sure that the rural population is actually subsidising the wonderful facilities in Inverness.

I can (to an extent) accept that a less densely populated area might not receive the full benefit of the facilities offered in a city. I cannot however accept that we deserve poorer opening times of such a vital facility as a leisure centre. Surely now that we know the importance of exercise in maintaining mental and physical health it is time to address these issues. Those who don’t live close to the Highland version of the central belt should not be treated as second class citizens. That our elected representatives have not challenged this blatant discrimination prior to now is quite shocking. I have sent a copy of this letter to all those who have been recently elected in the hope that they will see fit to change this situation.

[evil]

[Moonboots]

Im sorry but I cant see anything being changed in the way of times for leisure facilities
What bothers me most is why are we paying the same Council Tax rates as Inverness.
Now thats a point that should be brought up.

[Victoria]

Sorry to be annoying but a quick question to help me understand your problem if you dont mind......

is it the fact that you are paying for the facilities in Inverness or that you would like the level of facilities that Inverness has to be across the board including in Wick and Thurso?

[JAWS]

It's the usual Con Trick. Cities claim that they should be able to make the surrounding areas subsidise them because the people from those areas come into the City to use all the facilities and should therefore contribute towards them. I can't remember when I last went to a city from choice and certainly not to socialise.

What invariably happens is that Cities make the claim become self-fulfilling. They use their muscle to starve the outer areas of finance and facilities and draw everything ot themselves. Having done that the public are then obliged to go to the City to use certain facilities which they have monopolised giving them the opportunity to say their claim was justified in the first place.

Just look at the way Inverness has grown during the last decade or so, it is one of the fastest growing cities in the whole of Western Europe.
Does any of the rest of the Highlands and Islands come anywhere near that sort of growth and is it ever likely too whilst Inverness has the biggest say?

[concerned resident]

Independence for Caithness thats what i would like, ( a dream i know)
We used to have our own Council, but that was taken away, with a lot of empty promises, unfortunately our new Councillers will be a new bunch of puppets, dancing to the strings being pulled by Inverness, and the apathy of the people in Caithness is the real problem.

[crashbandicoot1979]

I apreciate that cities are bound to have better facilities than we have here, but I totally agree and think that we should be paying less council tax than they pay in Inverness. Although in an ideal world I agree with concerned resident. If we can't have a Caithness council, even a council covering Caithness, Sutherland and Ross Shire would be preferable. Inverness should have its own city council.

[peter macdonald]

Perhaps maybe Bill and any other councillors can shed light on this ????
But also we are are getting brand new council buildings in Wick ,the cost of which are as yet unknown and they do have to be paid for folks !!!!
PM

[cuddlepop]

Now them me think what facilities can I use a Highlife card on Skye.?
Oh you can swim,up and down the pool and across and back.
Different strokes,if you want;)

[Snarfer]

:Razz This would be so great and help a lot of people up here, a centre to look after our children while we went to work and not relying on childminders to pick up the kids and take them to and fro. Cities have these centres, there are a lot of parents up here too who cant get child minders or baby sitters as to allow them to get back to work.

[stompy]

BOTH!!!
Aim high I reckon!!
either we should get a rebate or we should have similar access rights to council run facilities (as mentioned before I accept we might not have ALL mod-cons but hey SOME would be nice!!!!)


Oh yes- rumour has it that folks in Wick raised a fortune towards the leisure centre but the money went elsewhere once it was handed to council- I'm originally from Sutherland and wisnae here at the time but I know a man who was!!!

[rhino]

I note that my Council Tax bill is the same as someone living in Inverness as is the cost of a High-Life card. However that is where parity ends. Should I, a council employee in Wick, wish to visit the gym before work I would be sadly disappointed as the leisure centre doesn’t open until 8am. A council employee in Inverness would be able to take advantage of gym facilities at 6am. Although in Wick, as in Inverness, I can give myself a good dose of skin cancer (at a price of course) with the sunbeds I cannot have a sauna or steam to relax (use of which is covered by a high life card). My children (should I have them) cannot be put into a creiche in Wick- they can in Inverness. There is of course the more fun side of things with the flumes in the leisure pool which, although of little interest to me, are no doubt a major attraction in Inverness. I feel sure that the rural population is actually subsidising the wonderful facilities in Inverness.

I can (to an extent) accept that a less densely populated area might not receive the full benefit of the facilities offered in a city. I cannot however accept that we deserve poorer opening times of such a vital facility as a leisure centre. Surely now that we know the importance of exercise in maintaining mental and physical health it is time to address these issues. Those who don’t live close to the Highland version of the central belt should not be treated as second class citizens. That our elected representatives have not challenged this blatant discrimination prior to now is quite shocking. I have sent a copy of this letter to all those who have been recently elected in the hope that they will see fit to change this situation.

[evil]
Ah! But you don't have to sit in an hour of traffic to get to the facilities. Plus the Wick pool is really quiet and not overrun with screaming kids.

[dunderheed]

I note that my Council Tax bill is the same as someone living in Inverness as is the cost of a High-Life card. However that is where parity ends. Should I, a council employee in Wick, wish to visit the gym before work I would be sadly disappointed as the leisure centre doesn’t open until 8am. A council employee in Inverness would be able to take advantage of gym facilities at 6am.



looks to me like you'll just have to be the same as the rest of the public then instead of getting preferential treatment.
i work for a supermarket , i dont expect to get in earlier than the public to do my shopping

[stompy]

I'm not expecting preferential treatment rather using myself as an example- I'm not suggesting that the gym only opens for council employees!! Merely pointing out that if opening times don't suit a 9-5 worker they're pretty crap opening times- probably not so great for people on shifts either.

[noodle]

I'm not expecting preferential treatment rather using myself as an example- I'm not suggesting that the gym only opens for council employees!! Merely pointing out that if opening times don't suit a 9-5 worker they're pretty crap opening times- probably not so great for people on shifts either.

Thurso leisure centre opening times are pants as well. The gym opening times on a Saturday are a joke and there pretty much no chance of *anyone* getting in a swim or a workout before work, because of when they open and the sessions that are scheduled when it *does* open.