A long and slow road of recovery from an industrial past for this ward.
On the edge of the Lanarkshire coalfield Polkemmet mine was a major supplier of coking coal for the steelworks at Ravenscraig in Motherwell.
The ward consists of Whitburn, Blackburn, East Whitburn, Greenrigg and Seafield.
Polkemmet’s closure came in 1986 following the miners' strike of 1984 to 1985. During the strike severe flooding damaged the pit and it was decided that the scale of the work needed to restore it to production rendered Polkemmet no longer viable.
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Further bad news came for the local economy in December 1999, when it was announced that Levi Strauss & Co were to close their factory. This had opened in 1969 and employed up to 500 people making four million pairs of jeans each year.
Community spirit is strong in both Blackburn and Whitburn, and in the village communities. Active community groups have helped physical and social recovery. The establishment of a community development trust has also been followed by projects such as the community fridge and community garden.
To the west, the huge new Heartlands housing development is transforming the area. Over development is a worry with new housing set to blur traditional boundaries and fears over the effects the massive expansion of the Glen Turner distillery maturation warehouses will have on villages such as Seafield.
In Blackburn the community stand against anti-social behaviour through the formation of the Blackburn Bonfire Night Action group has become a model of community action across Scotland having been visited by MSPs.
Who won last time?
2017 results:
George Paul, Labour: 28.08% FPv (1,822 total)
Jim Dickson, SNP: 24.44% FPv ( 1,586 total)
Bruce Fairbairn, Conservative: 21.99%FPv (1,427 total)
Kirsteen Sullivan, Labour: 8.95% FPv (1,486 total)
Who can I vote for this time?
Long term councillors George Paul for the Labour party and Jim Dickson for the SNP will contest the ward. Also seeking to consolidate the figures won in 2017 are Labour’s Kirsteeen Sullivan and Bruice Fairbairn for the Conservatives. Former councillor Mary Dickson is also standing again for the SNP.
Candidate list for Whitburn and Blackburn
Jim Dickson, Scottish National Party;
Mary Robertson Dickson, Scottish National Party;
Bruce Fairbairn, Scottish Conservative and Unionists;
Derek Graham Pattle , Scottish Liberal Democrats;
George Paul, Labour and Co-operative Party;
Carol Racionzer, Scottish Green Party;
Kirsteen Sullivan, Labour and Co-operative Party;
