The Highland Council has agreed to form a working group to review the political arrangements that have been in place since the new council was elected in May, last year. The group of 15 members of the Independent/Scottish National Party Administration will examine:-
~ the strategic committee structure;
~ the Planning Applications and Review Committees, Licensing Committees and Licensing Board, currently set up in each of the three operational areas;
~ the operation of the wards and ward forums; and
~ the potential for technological solutions to secure improved access to
the democratic process for elected members and the public.
The Group will aim to report back to the Council meeting of 26 June 2008.
Council Convener Sandy Park said: "In order to satisfy ourselves that the new arrangements are working well, the time is right to undertake a review of the politically arrangements currently in place."
The Council has seven strategic committees, namely Resources, Housing and Social Work, Education Culture and Sport, Planning Environment and Development, Transport Environmental and Community Services; Audit and Scrutiny and Gaelic.
In recognition of the importance of Inverness as the administrative and transport hub of the Highlands, an Inverness City Committee has been created.
There are three Planning Application and Review Committees and three Licensing Committees/Boards covering Caithness Sutherland and Easter Ross; Ross Skye and Lochaber and Inverness, Nairn, Badenoch and Strathspey.
Elected members serve on Ward Forums, which are discussion forums open to the public. Ward members are joined by the ward manager, key partners and agencies, including Community Councils, in discussing matters of local interest.
The Working Group will comprise the following councillors: David Fallows, Donnie Kerr, George Farlow, Alan Torrance, David Bremner, John Rosie, Bill Clark, Donald Cameron, Jimmy MacDonald, Hamish Fraser, Richard Greene, Billy Barclay, Jaci Douglas, Laurie Fraser, Peter Corbett.