No deal on board for town plan

A £20 MILLION transformation plan for Arbroath has stuttered at the first step after Angus councillors couldn’t agree the make-up of a body to appoint the new town board’s independent chairperson.

The windfall, to be spent over 10 years, has been labelled a “once-ina-generation” opportunity.

Chancellor Jeremy Hunt announced Arbroath’s inclusion in the Uk-wide Long Term Plan for Towns (LTPT) scheme in his Spring Budget.

The UK Government hopes the levelling-up cash will provide opportunities for a range of projects, including regeneration of the centre, transportation and measures such as hotspot policing.

But it will be a town board, not Angus Council, which decides where the money is directed and the search is already under way for an independent figure to lead the body.

A council selection panel will decide who will be appointed to the post.

It hit a snag on Tuesday after one Arbroath councillor was blocked from being part of the panel.

Angus policy and resources councillors considered a report which set out the background to the Arbroath LTPT selection, its aspirations and timescales.

A key early driver is to find an inspirational figure to lead the board – and they cannot be an elected representative such as a councillor, MP or MSP.

Instead, a council sub-committee will consider nominations.

Policy convener and council leader Beth Whiteside proposed a five-strong group of three administration and two opposition councillors. It led to nominations for SNP members Ms Whiteside, Kenny Braes and Mark Mcdonald, and opposition figures Derek Wann and Ross Greig.

But non-aligned Arbroath Independent Lois Speed said she wanted to put herself forward.

Council leader Ms Whiteside rejected the approach.

“There were a couple of considerations,” she told Councillor Speed. “One was that five was considered a good number so there wasn’t an even split.

“The other was, given there may be a requirement for elected members on the board itself, there may be a conflict of interest in Arbroath members being involved in the nomination of the chairperson.”

However, the SNP’S Serena Cowdy pointed out that Conservative Mr Wann is an Arbroath member.

SNAG: A chairperson has not been agreed for Arbroath revamp body.