I HOSTED the second meeting of the Esk River Improvement Group – an action group I established earlier this year to encourage a coordinated approach to cleaning the River Esk. These meetings have been very productive and have allowed members of the community and organisations such as Scottish Water and SEPA to work together to resolve the issues.

A recurring theme of these meetings is the importance of the local community playing a part in keeping our Esk clean. We all need to be careful of what we are flushing down the toilet and putting down our sinks, and in doing this we can all make a difference in the cleanliness of local rivers. This means not flushing wipes, sanitary towels or anything other than toilet paper down.

Many of the serious pollution incidents in the River Esk have been as a result of a build-up of these household items in the sewage systems, and therefore it is important that we have an awareness of the part we all need to play in reducing these pollution incidents. You can also make sure that incidents are dealt with quickly and effectively by contacting SEPA or Scottish Water when you notice pollution incidents in the river.

Although Remembrance Day commemorations will not take place in their usual manner this year as a result of coronavirus restrictions, it is still important that we mark the occasion. Whilst there will not be the normal remembrance parades and services, I will be marking the occasion by laying wreaths at local war memorials. Remembrance Day is very important, and I believe it is crucial that we pay our respects to those who have lost their lives in conflict in order to give us the democracy and freedom that we have today.

I will be meeting with Riverside Medical Practice this week, and I hope that this will be a successful meeting where we can co-operate in resolving some of the issues the practice is facing. I will provide an update next week and at facebook.com/ColinBeattieMSP