Call for new faces

Community council

Community- spirited locals have been encouraged to join a key group in a Strath village.

Perth and Kinross Council has said an election for Muthill and Tullibardine Community Council will take place on Thursday, March 12.

The group fell into abeyance in October last year and the search is now on to fill the nine available spots, three of which are earmarked for people living in Tullibardine.

Donald Hood has been an officebearer for the statutory group for almost 20 years.

He said: “I’d encourage as many people as possible to put their names forward.

“We need to get enough people with an interest in the community to get involved and make sure the group gets up and running again.

“The community council works with other groups locally, such as Muthill Village Trust and the village hall committee, on issues which affect the village and the wider area and bring things forward.

“We also receive information from

Perth and Kinross Council and the group is a statutory consultee on issues such as planning.

“This means if anyone’s not happy about a planning application, for example, being a statutory consultee gives us more clout than something like a petition.”

Donald continued: “It’s rewarding being on the community council and it’s nice to be able to help people and groups get things done – it can be quite interesting, too.”

The local authority has said nomination forms need to be submitted by 4pm on Thursday, February 20.

Fiona Robertson is a returning officer with responsibility for community councils with PKC.

She explained: “Where the number of valid nominations exceeds the maximum number of members for the relevant community council area an election will require to be held.

“Anyone wishing to represent their community council must be 16 years of age, reside in the community council area and be named on the electoral register for the community council area in which they are standing.

“A candidate’s proposer and seconder must also be named on the electoral register and reside in the same community council area.”

A completed nomination form, together with a supporting 50-word statement, must be submitted to the returning officer in order for it to be valid.

Forms and copies of the Scheme of Establishment of Community Councils can be downloaded from the council’s website, www.pkc.gov.uk.

The postal address is ‘ Returning Officer, 2 High Street, Perth, PH1 5PH’.

For more information, call 01738 475004 or send an email to communitycouncils@pkc.gov.uk

It’s rewarding being on the community council and it’s nice to help people and groups get things done Donald Hood