Lundin Links fire: How a packed public meeting held agencies to account

Nuance and tone are lost in the tsunami of online noise.

Insults and abuse are hurled like rocks as we double down on those we perceive are against us, and defend to the hilt those we agree with.

It’s vile, ghastly and deeply, deeply damaging for our mental health.

I couldn’t help but contrast the howling into the void that engulfs Twitter on a daily, if not hourly, basis with the calm, forensic and focussed approach of the public meeting held in the aftermath of the devastating fire which destroyed the former Lundin Links Hotel.

To be in the same room as over 160 people all seeking answers was fascinating.

No-one yelled, no-one was abusive, no-one hogged the mic.

Instead they were measured, reasonable but also entirely laser like in their questioning.

End result? They pushed the representatives at the top table, refused to accept anything remotely approaching flannel or waffle, or even defensiveness, and got across the real sense of urgency they felt was missing from the immediate aftermath of the fire.

They came for action - not words.

And the end result? Within 48 hours things started to happen.

A demolition contractor was confirmed, and a clear timetable of works put into the public domain.

That information might well have come without the meeting, but I suspect it may not have happened quite so quickly and in such a joined-up fashion.

Nothing sharpens the minds of officials more than a room full of people holding them to account.

The top table didn’t have all the answers given the fast-moving nature of the incident - and with the developer in liquidation and the Scottish Government as secured creditor, this was not an easy issue to tackle quickly or off the cuff.

It did as well as anyone could to answer the questions that came from across the floor, but what struck me was how the residents simply returned to any key points they felt hadn’t been dealt with fully.

A small but important matter - who was taking a minute? After several pushes, they finally got agreement a summary would be made public.

Being measured and constructive will always elicit more of a response than screaming in someone’s face.

The days of the traditional public meeting may well be on the wane, but they clearly have a place when a specific incident arises.

I’d argue they are more important than ever even in this age of social media.

No debate on Twitter or endless comment on Facebook would have articulated the sense of concerns expressed by the residents after the fire.

No online Zoom call could possibly have captured the extent of their concerns.

Too many businesses and organisations react - perhaps even over-react - to the sound and fury on social media.

Monday’s meeting reminded me that face to face is still the best way of dealing with issues and getting results.

Fill a room with people with a common concern, goal or worry, and things can, and do, happen.