Backing for Bill

Sir, With reference to your front page story last week on locality partnerships can I just say: ‘Well said Bill Calderwood!’

There is no need or use for a locality partnership on Arran – as events have proved. For decades community councils have had the statutory role to fulfil, just the very function that locality partnerships have been recently delegated i.e. to represent and consult with communities.

Community councillors are democratically elected by their community and have the remit of consulting with and representing their electors on local matters. Their only and major constraint is that they have never been adequately funded. Community councils are well equipped to deal with matters pertaining to ‘community planning partnerships’ and to disburse funds as seen fit.

Locality partnerships are one of the sillier initiatives of the current Scottish government which has a penchant to denigrate any structure that it didn’t invent itself. Community councils are the long-established arm of local government that couldn’t be any closer to local community than they currently are.

For the record Arran Community Council was recognised as one of the best performing in North Ayrshire. I don’t think that has changed. This is the body through which community concerns and suggestions should be channelled and dealt with.

Yours, Margie Currie, Blackwaterfoot.