ESSENTIAL repairs at a Greenock beauty spot have left it looking unrecognisable to residents and local walkers. Inverclyde Council carried our essential maintenance work on Murdieston Dam to ensure its valve is fit for purpose in case of emergency. In order to carry out the checks and repairs, workers had to wait until the water levels had lowered - resulting in the reservoir temporarily looking empty. The work was concluded on Monday morning and the reservoir s water supply will be replenished over time with rainfall. A council spokesperson said: We have a statutory duty to open and close the valve to make sure it is operational in case there’s ever an emergency.
A VULNERABLE man has hit out at housing bosses for not dealing with a huge flooding problem which has turned his back garden into a bog. Michael Doherty says water is pouring down onto his drying green and cascading over a wall onto slabs at the rear of his home. The 48-year-old, who has disabilities, lives in the former family home in Grieve Road and has been battling with Oak Tree Housing Association for many years over the problem. The water is flowing down from Greenock Golf Club land and a local councillor has now stepped in, saying he is shocked by the way the saga has been handled.
A HARD-working Greenock man who lives with learning disabilities says keeping his community litter-free has helped him deal with life without his mum. Michael Doherty, 48, heads out every day with his dogs Bess and Bella to tidy up the area around Grieve Road. His mum passed away three years ago and he decided to give himself something to focus on after her death. He put all his energy into removing the rubbish he sees strewn around his community. Michael s sterling efforts have been recognised by members of the public and Inverclyde Council is now providing him with equipment and supplies to help him out.
CONCERNS have been raised about the security of historic bomb shelters in Gourock. Vandals have prised open metal grills installed to block access to one of the shelters, while damage has been done to another. There are fears that the buildings are being used as drinking dens. Gourock man Tony Gartley, spotted damage during a walk around the Coves reservoir area. He said: When I went for a look at the bomb shelters, I was surprised to see the state they were in. The recently installed security gate on the bomb shelter proves that it is not fit for purpose.
DEVELOPERS of toxic land at the Ravenscraig social housing project have been prevented from moving soil from the poisoned plot for proposed landscaping work after it emerged that no site investigation has taken place. Councillors have ordered Link Group to prove the safety of their proposal to shift 24,000 cubic metres of earth to a location near Pennyfern before they will allow work to start on the landscaping project. Inverclyde Planning Board issued a directive that a geotechnical environmental study of the potential toxicity of the earmarked soil must be carried out despite being told the council s contaminated land officer (CLO) was satisfied with Link s proposal.