Committee Chairs Express Relief As Boundaries Scotland Proposals For Highland Are Rejected
29th September 2021
The Chairs of two Highland Council Area Committees have spoken of their relief that the voices of communities have been heard following the announcement yesterday that the Scottish Parliament's Local Government and Housing and Planning Committee have recommend that the proposals by Boundaries Scotland to change the electoral wards in Highland be rejected.
Chair of the Sutherland Committee, Councillor Richard Gale said: "I am delighted with this result. The proposals from Boundaries Scotland simply didn’t make sense. It took no account of the geography of the Highlands and looked simply at numbers.
“Let’s get this into perspective, in some Highland wards an elected member can walk round their ward easily in a day, in North and West Sutherland it would be difficult to drive round in a day. I don’t think Boundaries Scotland paid enough attention to rural areas and the impact these proposals would have on our communities. I would like to thank each and every one of the MSP’s who spoke up against the proposals, it is heartening to know that they have listened and acted on the voices from the communities that they represent."
Under the proposals the number of Councillors representing the Eilean a’ Cheo ward would have been cut from 4 to 3.
Chair of the Skye and Raasay Committee, Councillor John Gordon said: “The People of the Highlands have been represented and listened to and I am very grateful to the committee for rejecting the proposals from Boundaries Scotland. What was being put forward was going to have a huge detrimental impact to the Highlands and would be very unfair. Going forward I hope Boundaries Scotland will work with our communities and ensure fair representation.”
Fellow Skye Councillor John Finlayson added: “I am delighted common sense has prevailed and this is positive news for Skye and Raasay and indeed the west coast, at a time when more and more the voice of rural areas needs represented as part of the democratic process. As I have always maintained, how can you take a councillor away from Skye and Raasay when the whole Boundaries Scotland review was underpinned by the Islands Act. While we may not yet get democratic representation that is similar to the Western Isles and the other island authorities, this news is to be welcomed and the decision taken is largely due to the representation made by the council, local members, community councils and individuals across Skye and Raasay and the rest of rural Highland.”
Related Businesses
Related Articles
The information provided is a summary of reports from operational staff and is intended to give a general indication of typical conditions in each area at a point in time. It is not intended to imply that any individual route is entirely snow and ice free and drivers must be aware that conditions can change rapidly and make their own assessment of conditions for travelling.
The information provided is a summary of reports from operational staff and is intended to give a general indication of typical conditions in each area at a point in time. It is not intended to imply that any individual route is entirely snow and ice free and drivers must be aware that conditions can change rapidly and make their own assessment of conditions for travelling.
The information provided is a summary of reports from operational staff and is intended to give a general indication of typical conditions in each area at a point in time. It is not intended to imply that any individual route is entirely snow and ice free and drivers must be aware that conditions can change rapidly and make their own assessment of conditions for travelling.
Households across Scotland have received £4.1 billion in relief since the Council Tax Reduction scheme was introduced in 2013. People on low incomes are eligible for the benefit if they live in Scotland - there is no equivalent in England where most councils require each household to contribute a minimum amount of council tax, irrespective of ability to do so.
The Highland Council is preparing to carry out improvement works in Thurso at Ormlie Road and at The Mall riverside path adjacent to Janet Street. The scope of works on Ormlie Road will include junction improvements between Castlegreen Road and Juniper Drive with new drop kerbs and tactile paving and some surface repairs.
A Highland-wide partnership launched earlier in 2024 to support people on their journey towards, into and within employment is looking forward to a New Year in 2025 full of exciting opportunities designed to help hundreds more people across the Highlands unlock their work potential. Work.
The Highland Council is delighted to share that its Energy Efficient Scotland: Area Based Scheme has won the Outstanding Project Award at the Scottish Green Energy Awards. Described by Scottish Renewables as a "pioneering clean power scheme", this £7 million project demonstrates the incredible impact that can be achieved through combined public and private sector investment.
The ambitious yet focused ‘Highland Investment Plan' is committed to addressing our asset challenges over the next twenty years. By using a place based approach, to ensure a more integrated community offering through the creation of new community facilities.
Applications to the Inverness Winter Payments Scheme, which is fully funded by the Inverness Common Fund, have already been awarded to 1,035 eligible households within the 7 specified Inverness Wards. Leader of Inverness Area, Councillor Ian Brown said: "Since the Scheme was opened to applications for this winter, already £114,885 has been awarded to people who live in the eligible Wards of Aird and Loch Ness, Inverness West, Inverness Central, Inverness Ness-side, Inverness Millburn, Culloden and Ardersier and Inverness South Wards.
The first Highland-wide virtual jobs fair held last month has proved to be a hit with participants and businesses. The week-long virtual event, which was delivered by the Local Employability Partnership for the West - The Highland Council, Skills Development Scotland, Highlands and Islands Enterprise, Department for Work and Pensions, Developing the Young Workforce and UHI North West and Hebrides was timed to coincide with Scottish Careers Week 2024.
