Small Minded Nairn Politics
There’s a weird small-mindedness in the town that suggests that Nairn’s roots are as a retirement village, and therefore it should stay that way and to hell with the young families that live here.
A strong group on the political scene are still hanging onto the idea that the Co-op will suddenly rush out and spend money on a big new town centre supermarket over the present Somerfield – despite the fact it’ll take Co-op a few years to merge the companies, plus there’s a massive crunch on which means it’s harder for any commercial business to borrow money for daily operations, let alone non-essential expansion.
Meanwhile, Pettifer’s Sainsbury’s plan to give Nairn folk a proper local supermarket is being treated as leprosy, councillors remain backward looking, the Highland Council thinks the only place worthy of attention around the Moray Firth is Inverness – and the Scottish Government seems to think little of the Highlands because of the dearth of voters by comparison to the Central Belt.
We really need a Nairn that’s happy to move into the 21st century, and embrace that future.
But so far, the politics of the town suggests the pensioners are in charge and they are going to outlaw anything kind of change to Nairn they aren’t getting a back-hander for.
Frustrating, but maybe time I tried to get involved with local politics. That would be fun. Now all I need to do is learn how. 
And then do my part to drag Nairn kicking and screaming into the 21st century…
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9 Responses to “Small Minded Nairn Politics”
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Hi Brian,
I stumbled upon your blog whilst doing a google for Nairn!
I feel for you and know what you are saying. We moved to Nairn from the south a few years back. Don’t get me wromg its a lovely place but after a couple of years the kids and to be honest myself started to get what I can only decribe as Nairn cabin fever.
We decided to move nearer to civilization and we are now outside Edinburgh.
The whole family is happy. Kids have things to do that doesn’t mean I’m driving them everywhere. We are near great shops and if we want a weekend away Nairn is only a couple of hours drive, although to be honest we head for the west coast which is nicer
Nairn is great if you have retired or have never experienced anywhere else but we had
Best of luck trying to change the natives!!!! You will always be an incomer and Nairn will always be Nairn
Tim
The Central Belt can certainly be lovely – used to rent near Stirling, and still miss it – though when I was there, we missed the beaches and sea, too.
Interesting view – as a Nairnite who has seen a lot of the world and lived in many UK places including 12 years in London, the challenge I find in Nairn is that there are lots of people who move here who dont want change.
They bought the retirement dream, or downshifters dream or run a B&B dream as well, and dont really recognise a community with evolving needs. Its shocking that we might want a supermarket of quality thats not 15 miles away, that young folk may want a drink in the town they live and will walk past their houses at night making a noise, or heavens to betsy may want a new house in the town.
We all, regardless of your origins or motivations, need to focus on developing a strong community which embraces all, and stops the town being a soulless dormitory of Inverness, or a fading even further tourism place – that will not sustain economic growth, nor provide good enough jobs to support families.
As well it is very very important to recognise that the trouble with the incomer attitude is the sheer determination to civilise the natives, and no Scot appreciates that approach, no matter what town. As the resettlement/retirement choice of many for decades, Nairn has just got more practice at ignoring it!
No place is right for everyone in the world, and congratulations that you tried somewhere else before going back to your spiritual home – otherwise you wouldnt know it wasnt for you! But it is for me, and lots of others, where my heart is.
k
Good comment, kt, and welcome to the online community here on MyNairn.
Didn’t some of our local councillors support Pettifer/Sainsburys. I thoguht they did. It got through planning, then was appealed against, but not by our council.
I’m a little curious about some of the above comments Why did you settle here if you want to change it so much? Just an overall impression I get of this site.
“Why did you settle here if you want to change it so much?”
From what I gather, there are many people in Nairn who want to change Nairn – not least the string of derelict buildings, and lack of planning foresight – because once you look past those issues, Nairn is an absolutely super town.
I agree. The road issue is an important one. The derelict buildings are an eyesore and both need a strong voice. However, you seemed to be knocking the locals. One of the great things about Nairn is that it has a High Street that doesn’t look like almost every other High Street in the UK. So beware of jumping too much into the 21st century.
The piece is actually talking about the politicians, not the locals, and makes a specific point of councillors holding on to the dream of a town centre supermarket, something I’ve railed against repeatedly.
To be fair, there seems to be a turn around of late that says the politicians are really starting to listen to the people and act – which is a most welcome development.
I agree more listening seems to be going on. Pity no-one listens about the roads though.