Community council on the lookout for new members
Arran Community Council is on the lookout for new members with elections to be held.
The community council held its first face-to-face meeting since February last year at Ormidale Pavilion on Tuesday, following social distancing requirements. They have continued to meet throughout the pandemic using Zoom, one of the few community councils in the country to do so.
The present members have just one more meeting later this month before they will stand down to allow the election process. It is not yet known how many will seek re-election.
A total of 12 nominations are being sought from across the island and nomination papers are available from North Ayrshire Council with a closing date of Monday September 27 at noon.
Two community councillors are being sought to represent each village of Brodick, Lamlash, Shiskine and Whiting Bay, with one each for the other villages.
In the event of nominations exceeding the number of vacancies to be filled for any extended village, an election will take place via a postal ballot. Community councils bridge the gap between local authorities and communities and help make public bodies aware of the opinions and needs of the communities they represent. There are around 1,200 active community councils in Scotland.
Local authorities have statutory oversight of community councils and are required by statute to consult community councils about planning applications and licencing matters.