REVIEW OF COMMUNITY COUNCILS
Sunday 28th December 2008
Dear Community Council Colleagues,
As many of you are only too aware, the Council is in the process of reviewing the role of community councils in Argyll & Bute; elections being cancelled for April 2nd and re-instated, when the review is complete, in the Autumn of 2009.
In keeping with the Association’s aim to be involved in the review, three members of the Association’s Executive Committee, David Price of Avich & Kilchrenan Community Council, Nigel Millar of Helensburgh Community Council and Geoffrey Page of East Kintyre Community Council, travelled to Kilmory on Tuesday 16th December, at the invitation of Nigel Stewart, the Director of Corporate Services. The meeting, attended by the Director, the Head of Democratic Services and Governance, Charles Reppke, and the Corporate Services Manager of Lorn and the Isles, Kenneth MacDonald, provided a useful opportunity to discuss many of the aspects associated with the move by the Scottish Government to extend democratic decision making down to grass-roots level.
The day before the meeting, the members of the delegation were provided with updated draft consultation proposals by the Director. It was clear that the issues involved are less about catchment areas, but more on the need for the strengthening of community councils as partners in the evolution of the Scottish Government’s move to bring decision-making closer to local communities, though the agency of the Community Planning Partnership.
To achieve this aim, and to extend the understanding of the changes necessary to bring it about, meetings between community councillors, corporate service managers and unitary authority councillors will be held in each of the authorities areas during January 2009. In most cases these meetings will be chaired or introduced by a community councillor in membership of the Association, with assistance from the relevant corporate service manager; Argyll & Bute Councillors will be invited to attend so that they are aware of the community’s preparedness for involvement and supportive of the Council’s and the Scottish Government’s initiative.
Meetings in Mid Argyll, Kintyre and the Isles will be held on the following dates:
Campbeltown: Monday 19th January at 7.30 in the Town Hall,
Lochgilphead: Wednesday 21st January at 7.30 in the 'Election Room' (side of the Police Station).
Tarbert: Thursday 22nd January at 7.30 in the Templar's Hall
Meetings in the Oban and Lorn Area are being organised by David Price, Tel 01866 833455 e-mail: david.struan@btinternet.com Meetings.
Dunoon & Cowal by Anne Gabriel, Tel.01369 705606 (mobile 07706943465) e-mail: daved@gabriel618.orangehome.co.uk
Meetings in Helensburgh & Lomond by Nigel Millar Tel.01436 678794 e-mail: nigel.millar@zoom.co.uk
I would be pleased to receive comments on Nigel Stewart's first and second draft proposals (attached) and on the move by the Association to involve community councillors more closely in the review.
With the very best wishes for an active and rewarding 'community council year' in 2009.
Geoffrey Page,
AABCC Secretary.