Susan Murray Newsletter - Changes to Grey Bin Collections and Police Station Closures
A local update from your Liberal Democrat MP for Mid Dunbartonshire, Susan Murray. On this week's update, changes to grey bin collections, potential police station closures and a number of weekly updates.
Changes to Grey Bin Collections
From Sunday 30 March, general waste (grey) bin collections in East Dunbartonshire will move to once every three weeks.
This change comes at very short notice and will cause difficulties for families.
Liberal Democrat councillors tried to stop this poor decision from happening but were ignored by the SNP/Labour administration, keen for East Dunbartonshire Council to fall into line behind other SNP-run councils with this reduction in service.
Police Station Closures
Local police stations are symbols of the police in our communities and provide a vital administrative and welfare facilities for officers and staff.
Closing Milngavie and Bishopbriggs stations means lost time as officers spend more time travelling, negatively effecting local police time and resources. If these stations must close, alternative provision must be made for police officers, particularly in the west of Mid Dunbartonshire.
It is also vitally important that the Scottish Government funds the new bill of £25.3 million which Police Scotland must pay because of the increase to their National Insurance bill.
Saving Vital Second Class Post Services
Many people in Mid Dunbartonshire rely on regular and effective postal services every day; scrapping daily second class post puts that at risk. By curtailing these vital services, Royal Mail will be making life more difficult for many people in our community.
Ofcom should reverse this decision immediately.
British Dental Association
The BDA was in parliament highlighting that tooth decay remains the most common reason for hospital admissions in children aged six to 10 years old.
Along with preventable decay-related extractions, this costs the NHS over £100 million each year. The message from the BDA was clear, reducing the sugar in children’s diets not only protects their teeth but it also helps to reduce obesity in children.
Palace Reception for New MPs
His Majesty The King held a reception in Buckingham Palace for newly-elected MPs at which I was very proud to represent Mid Dunbartonshire.
Heat Pump Webinar Catch Up
Don't worry if you couldn't make it along to our webinar dispelling some of the myths around heat pumps, you can now catch up on it at the link below.
First Steps Nutrition
Ensuring that children begin life with a healthy diet is a great way of setting them on the path to being healthy adults.
It was great to meet with First Steps Nutrition, who work tirelessly in communities across the UK, including Mid Dunbartonshire, to give kids under five the best dietary start in life.
Medicinal Cannabis
People living with severe epilepsy and multiple sclerosis can be prescribed medicinal cannabis under current regulations.
However, the United Kingdom's prohibitionist stance on medical cannabis is contributing to a two-tier healthcare system.
I urge governments across the UK to reform policies so our healthcare system reflects Britain's values of innovation, equity, and compassion.
Action for Pulmonary Fibrosis
As many as 20,000 people in the UK are diagnosed with pulmonary fibrosis every year.
Action for Pulmonary Fibrosis visited Westminster recently with some very interesting and thought-provoking information on the research they do to help people with the condition live longer and improve their quality of life.
Next Surgery Date
My next surgery will be on Saturday 1 March in the Fraser Centre, Milngavie, 09:30am-10:30am.
Please email susan.murray.mp@parliament.uk to arrange an appointment.
School Placing Requests
Parents and carers have the right to request that their child be educated in a school outside of your catchment area.
Applications for August 2025 will open on Friday 3 February 2025 and more information is available here.
LOCAL PLANNING CONSULTATIONS
Views are being sought on a range of planning issues including the historic environment, housing and developer contributions for schools.
You can find all the information here.
LOCAL ROADS AND GRITTING
The weather is cold and measures are being taken in East Dunbartonshire to keep us all safe in the winter conditions.
Crews from the local council are now on call 24/7 and you can get up-to-the-minute information on gritting at the link here. A form to report issues is also available there.
ROAD CLOSURES AND WORKS
Up-to-date information on the roads affected by closures and road works across the constituency is available here.
SUPPORT AND ADVICE
Whether you voted for me or not I am here to help you.
If you have any issues or concerns you think I might be able to help with please get in touch. You may have problems with your pension, benefits, housing, NHS, education or taxation. I may not be able to solve every problem but I will try.
My office is currently at Unit 44F, Huntershill Village, Bishopbriggs, G64 1RP. I have no parliamentary phone line at present. You can email me on Susan.Murray.MP@parliament.uk
You can receive updates of my work on my Facebook page. https://www.facebook.com/susanmurraymp/
Or you can contact your local Liberal Democrat Councillor.
Bearsden North
alan.reid@eastdunbarton.gov.uk
Bearsden South
vaughan.moody@eastdunbarton.gov.uk
Bishopbriggs South
Milngavie
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