Communities get 2nd chance to form a Community Council

21st November 2011

The Highland Council has today (Monday) published on its web site: www.highland.gov.uk a notice of election seeking nomination of candidates to serve on the 19 Community Councils in the Highlands which were forced to disband from Wednesday 16 November as the result of not attracting sufficient nominations at the first time of calling.

The deadline for nominations is 4 pm on Friday 9 December.

The Community Councils involved are: -
•Caithness: Bower
•Sutherland: Lairg, Tongue,
•Ross: Gairloch, Fearn.
•Skye: Glendale, Broadford and Strath, Dunvegan, Raasay, Sleat, Skeabost and District.
•Inverness: Merkinch, Inverness South, Inverness Central.
•Nairn: East Nairnshire,
•Badenoch: Laggan Community Association
•Lochaber: Caol, Nether Lochaber, Glencoe and Glen Etive.

Following the recent call for nominations to serve on the 156 Highland Community Councils, 112 Community Councils attracted more than half the maximum membership, allowing them to function from Wednesday 16 November.

25 Community Councils drew more nominations than their maximum membership and elections were held on Thursday 17 and Friday 18 November. 25,468 postal votes were issued and 11,485 were returned, giving an average turn out of 45%, with the highest being in Morvern (80%).

The maximum membership is determined by the population it serves and varies from 7 - 13 members.

The decision to hold elections across the Highlands at the same time was a key feature of a new scheme for the establishment of Community Councils agreed by The Highland Council earlier this year.

 

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