Plan to slash community cash slammed

PROPOSALS to slash community council funding by more than half will deal a serious blow to local democracy across Lochaber, according to communities in the area, writes Mark Entwistle.

At its meeting today (Thursday), Highland Council will look at proposed budget savings for the coming financial year.

Contained within a raft of measures aimed at plugging some of the £26 million shortfall in the coffers is a plan to cut community council grants by up to 53 per cent.

In a statement, Highland Council said: ‘It is proposed to remove £0.1m from the total community council grants budget of £0.188m. The proposal would reduce the current grant available for community councils by 53 per cent.’

Community councils currently receive an administration grant from the council to support their running costs – meeting expenses, administration expenses, travel and subsistence and secretarial honoraria, with grants currently ranging from £760 up to £3,100.

Highland Council proposes revising the current grant formula resulting in a core amount of £350 for each community council; an additional £50 for each rural community council; an amount of £0.13 per elector.

John Fotheringham, chairman of Spean Bridge, Roy Bridge and Achnacarry Community Council, and his counterpart at Nether Lochaber Community Council, Iain Jenner, both agree the swingeing cuts will only hamper local democracy.

‘This is an attack on local democracy by a council that is supposed to be supporting local communities under the Community Empowerment (Scotland) Act 2015,’ Mr Fotheringham told the Lochaber Times ahead of today’s meeting. ‘We have no other income stream or savings to support our activities. We will continue to provide an effective voice for our community, but cutting expenses to volunteers is disgraceful.’

Mr Jenner added: ‘We’re lucky at our community council as we have a voluntary minutes secretary, so we have been able to use our grant allocation for things like paying for membership of the local community association, as well as giving about half of the money away to community groups such as the lunch club for the elderly, children’s Christmas party, the active kids fund and things like that.

‘I would agree with John to a point about the proposed cuts and this might impede our ability to communicate with the residents we represent.’