Uddingston councillor accuses officials and fellow elected members of keeping him in the dark over plans for surgeries

Jul 22 2010 by Alastair McNeill, Hamilton Advertiser

A BOTHWELL and Uddingston councillor has accused officials and fellow representatives of keeping him in the dark about controversial plans for new village GP surgeries.

Jim McGuigan hit out at councillors Maureen Devlin and Henry Mitchell this week, saying they held meetings with officials regarding the site in Bothwell, at Clyde Terrace, in December last year without involving him.

He also claimed councillors Devlin and Mitchell had met with senior doctors at Uddingston’s Lincluden surgery about five to six months ago but again had not included him in the meetings.

Councillor Mitchell said this week that councillor McGuigan should “grow up” and focus on the interests of his constituents.

Last month residents in both villages reacted angrily to the news that recreational land was being earmarked for development purposes.

Mr McGuigan was also unhappy at learning of the proposals only five days before they were heard by the estates committee.

The SNP councillor said: “It has become known that [Labour] councillor Devlin and [Conservative] councillor Mitchell knew about the Uddingston public park lease five to six months ago.

“Why have they apparently kept this whole affair surrounding the Uddingston surgery secret from everyone, including myself?”

Mr McGuigan raised the matter with depute chief executive Linda Hardie and was told it was up to councillors to extend an invitation to other ward councillors when an issue raised “has general implications within a ward”.

Mr McGuigan added: “The council are trying to make out that in relation to the Bothwell meeting, it was councillor Devlin who was driving the matter. She invited the council officials along.

“Linda Hardie said it was up to Maureen Devlin to invite who she wished.

“However, earlier this year when the matter involved Uddingston village hall I was informed by officials that I couldn’t have a meeting with them without the other two councillors being involved because it was a matter of ‘significant strategic importance’”.

Mr McGuigan said the council’s approach had lacked transparency.

“The council have said that their business is conducted in an open and transparent manner,” he said. “However, I don’t know why they can say that when they kept these matters secret.

“I only learned of the Bothwell surgery plan, and the Uddingston one, five days before they were due for discussion at the estates committee.

“In both instances I was not informed about matters I would consider to be of considerable strategic importance.”

Mr Mitchell, however, described the matter as a “petty squabble”.

He said: “Jim McGuigan should grow up and fight for the interests of the people of Uddingston and Bothwell.

“We are all for the same thing – [that] there may be a suitable alternative location for the Uddingston surgery.”

Councillor Devlin did not return the Advertiser’s call.