Kirrie councillor says authority is failing on equality and diversity

Council: Body accused of dereliction of duty following report

A councillor has told the local authority to “up the ante” on equality and diversity.

Kirriemuir and Dean SNP councillor Julie Bell also accused the authority of a “dereliction of duty” under the Equality Act. She was speaking following a report published by the Accounts Commission which stated the importance that councils represent and reflect the make-up of their communities in terms of gender, ethnicity and other sociodemographic characteristics.

Only 30.5% of councillors elected in May were women and female representation at council level is below that at the Scottish Parliament (36%) and UK Parliament (32%).

Ms Bell said: “I’m concerned around the lack of diversity and the demographics around our own council. I do think there is a lot local authorities can do to encourage greater participation – from deepening the education of our young people around participating in

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We have an elected member who is registered blind who still can’t access a number of papers

the democratic process to making meeting room facilities accessible.”

Ms Bell highlighted Angus Council’s Town and County Hall in Forfar as an example of a building that “isn’t particularly accessible for people with a disability”.

Ms Bell also hit out at the local authority when she highlighted some of the challenges facing her SNP colleague Sheila Hands. She said: “We have an elected member who is registered blind who still can’t access a number of papers six years into her tenure.

“That is a dereliction of our duties under the Equality Act – if we can’t provide that information to one of our councillors how many other people are missing the boat?” She said she would be keen to be involved in work the council is going to do to “up the ante” on equality and diversity.

Mark Armstrong, Angus Council’s strategic director of people, said “significant work” is taking place.

He said the council was promoting interest in the democratic process from early introductions through to secondary school. Mr Armstrong said accessibility and “reasonable adjustments” was “front and centre” in terms of work being done on existing or new buildings.

He said accessibility and access to services for disabled people would be at the heart of the council’s new digital policy.

gstrachan@thecourier.co.uk