Community council future uncertain
THE RESIGNATION of two Caol community councillors has left the future of the group hanging in the balance, writes Ellie Forbes.
Chairwoman Jane Young and committee member Steven Young stepped down at the community council’s annual general meeting on Monday (June 12).
Jane, a stalwart volunteer in the community for the last decade and community council chairwoman for the past two years, said she no longer had the time required to be be at the helm.
She said: ‘I am stepping down for personal reasons. I just don’t have the time to dedicate to it any more.’
Before the AGM, the committee was made up of, Jane, vice chairman John Gillespie, treasurer Kirsty Kyle, Liam Simmonds and Lorraine MacKinnon, alongside Donny Elder and Eddie Morgan, two co-opted members. Any vacancy can be filled by a co-opted member who who must first be voted in by the community council.
The Highland Council said there must be a core membership of five, so Caol Community Council is currently in ‘abeyance’.
With the two resignations, it leaves four elected committee members, plus the two co-opted councillors, who are not currently ‘officially’ counted.
Jane said she would stay on as chairwoman until June 25 and then the community council normally takes a break over the summer. It is hoped community council elections would be held in October, when existing councillors and the two co-opted members would stand for election. John Gillespie told the Lochaber Times: ‘Both Stephen and Jane will be a loss to the community council. Under Jane’s chairmanship, we have tried at all times to give the community the opportunity to comment on the many developments in our area. Hopefully there will be an early opportunity to reconstitute the council and I would encourage people to put themselves forward.’
At the meeting, councillor Billy MacLachlan said: ‘Hopefully the people of Caol will rally round to get the community council going again. Community spirit has dissolved. If the government wants community councils to continue you need to pay the chairperson. It’s just not feasible otherwise these days.’