WestInverness.org.uk

Already holding the Convenorship and Vice-convenorship, the Independent/SNP administration of Highland Council has admitted that it has no detailed programme for its stewardship of the Council.

In reply to the question “When does the new Administration intend to publish its detailed policy programme for the term of the Council?” posed by Opposition leader Cllr Michael Foxley, the Convenor stated: “The Administration is currently working on a policy programme, is aware of the urgency and will present it publicly in due course.”

This is somewhat in contrast to the situation with positions on the Council, where the administration is poised to nominate candidates for a host of Committee Convenor and Vice-convenor positions. Generally Independent convenors are shadowed by SNP vice-convenors, probably reflecting the latter’s shortage of councillors with previous service.

The posts go to the vote at the Council meeting on Thursday 31st May.

The Focus Team is back on the streets delivering another newsletter, with the election results, a “Thank You” to those who supported Alex Graham and John Farquhar Munro MSP in the elections earlier this month, some local news and action, comment by Danny Alexander MP on post offices, and the Cllr/MSP/MP contact details.

Current estimates are it will take about a fortnight to deliver the newsletter to all the homes in the ward. Some landward area residents will receive the newsletter by post.

For many residents this is probably the earliest they have ever heard from an elected representative after an election. The newsletter will be delivered regularly to all homes in the area, as part of the Liberal Democrat commitment to keep in touch throughout the year and not just at election time.

The direction of Highland Council for some time to come will be set at the meeting on Thursday 31st May 2007.

The administration of Independents and SNP will propose, and almost certainly achieve, a committee structure of 8 committees, including the return of the recently-abolished Gaelic Committee which is now full status committee. In the previous Council it was a “Select Committee” which was of reduced powers.

Resources Committee
Education Culture and Sport Committee
Housing and Social Work Committee
Transport Environmental and Community Services
Committee Planning Environment and Development Committee
Audit and Scrutiny Committee
Gaelic Committee
Inverness City Committee

Membership of these committees will be a party basis in proportion to the number of seats held.

The administration is proposing the following Senior Member posts:

Chairman of Resources Committee (Remuneration £23,600)
Vice Chairman of Resources Committee (Remuneration £18,600)
Chairman of Education Culture and Sport Committee (Remuneration £23,600)
Vice Chairman of Education Culture and Sport Committee (Remuneration £18,600)
Chairman of Housing and Social Work Committee (Remuneration £23,600)
Vice Chairman of Housing and Social Work Committee (Remuneration £18,600)
Chairman of Transport Environmental and Community Services (Remuneration £23,600)
Vice Chair of Transport Environmental and Community Services (Remuneration £18,600)
Chairman of Planning Environment & Development Committee (Remuneration £23,600)
Vice Chair Planning Environment & Development Committee (Remuneration £18,600)
Chairman of Audit and Scrutiny Committee (Remuneration £23,600)
Chairman of Gaelic Committee (Remuneration £23,600)
Provost of Inverness (Remuneration £23,600)
Chairman of Caithness Sutherland and Easter Ross Planning Applications and Review Committee
(Remuneration £19,600)
Chairman of Ross Skye and Lochaber Planning Applications and Review Committee (Remuneration £19,600)
Chairman of Inverness Nairn Badenoch and Strathspey Planning Applications and Review Committee (Remuneration £19,600)
Chairman of Caithness Sutherland and Easter Ross Licensing Committee (Remuneration £19,600)
Chairman of Ross Skye and Lochaber Licensing Committee (Remuneration £19,600)
Chairman of Inverness Nairn Badenoch and Strathspey Licensing Committee (Remuneration £19,600)

The Convenor’s salary is £36,055. The Vice Convener will be paid £27,041.

(These figures include the basic councillor salary of £15,452 and are NOT in addition to it.)

NOTE ON COUNCILLORS’ SALARIES

The way in which councillors are paid has been radically altered. Under the previous system, councillors received a basic payment of £7,000 – £8,000 and those who were committee chairmen or vice-chairman recieved an additional responsibility allowance. In some authorities most councillors received a responsibility allowance, while in others it was fewer.

From May 2007, under a system set up by the Scottish Executive, all councillors will receive a basic salary of £15,452. In addition Convenors, Civic Heads and senior councillor will be paid at higher levels, depending on the size of the authority. Only one quarter of the authority will be able to receive payment at the higher level.

As a Band C authority Highland Council levels are set as follows:

A) Councillor (59 members) – £15,452
B) Senior Councillor (19 members) – £18,600, £19,600 or £23,600
C) Convenor (1 member) – £36,055
D) Vice-convenor (1 member) – £27,041

The basic salary is included in the figures for Senior Councillor, Convenor, and Vice-convenor.

Only the Senior Councillor figures were decided by the Council, and that was within a total figure set by the Scottish Executive.

Hard on the heels of the controversial changes to Union Street/Church Street/Queensgate traffic arrangement, the Council has run into bother at Ness Walk, where a hasty U-turn was required just four days after a one-way system was introduced there. An “an adverse response to the introduction of the new measure” is acknowledged in the Council’s press statement which is here:

http://www.highland.gov.uk/yourcouncil/news/newsreleases/2007/May/2007-05-24-05.htm

A meeting of affected parties is to be held in the Columba Hotel on Wednesday 30th May.

The question of how the Provost of Inverness is chosen has become a major issue, with the Inverness Courier running this subject as its main front page story and also giving over its editorial column to it on Tuesday 22nd May.

This stems from the Courier’s discovery of plans by the Independent/SNP administration on Highland Council to have the Provost chosen in a vote involving all 80 Highland Council members rather than just the Inverness councillors.

The office of Provost dates back hundreds of years and has a significance in Inverness that the position has largely lost elsewhere. All those Alex Graham has spoken to were strongly opposed to the decision being taken by councillors from outwith the city.

Alex Graham commented in the Inverness Courier.

Councillor Alex Graham, newly-elected Lib-Dem councillor for Inverness West, thought the plan would go against the wishes of the people of Inverness.

“The provost of Inverness is a historic office,” he said. “The provost has been chosen by Inverness councillors for hundreds of years and I think it should continue to be chosen by representatives of Inverness.

“I would be very much opposed to it and I’m absolutely certain that other Lib-Dems and councillors of other persuasions would feel the same. The vast majority of people in Inverness would want the provost to be chosen locally.”

Councillor Jimmy Gray (Labour, Inverness Millburn) — himself one of those widely mentioned as a potential candidate — said, “The Labour group’s position is very clear — the Inverness Provost should be elected by Inverness councillors.”

This will be one of the main subjects of interest at the next meeting of the Highland Council, to be held on 31st May.

Plans lodged for Bught Highland Archive Centre

Highland Council has submitted a planning application for a major £10 million Archive Centre on Bught Road, next to the Whin Park playing field.

The centre will have a specially designed document repository, designed to safely store fragile old documents, as well a search room for examining papers, a family history centre, the office of the Registrar of Births, Marriages and Deaths, and a suite where civil marriages can held.

More information is available at:

http://www.highland.gov.uk/yourcouncil/news/newsreleases/2007/March/2007-03-21-06.htm

Here’s a photo of some very happy people.

Left to right: John Farquhar Munro MSP who retained Ross, Skye & Inverness West with an increased vote, Alex Graham who picked up one of the three seats in Inverness West, and Janet Campbell who was elected in the Inverness Central ward in a tough nine-cornered contest.

John Farquhar has been an MSP since 1999, and prior to that served in local government for 33 years. Alex was Liberal councillor for Kinmylies ward on Inverness District Council from 1980 until re-organisation in 1996. He stood down when it became part of Highland Council. Janet was standing for the first time after working in local government housing and finance departments for over 20 years.

John Farquhar and Alex are fluent Gaelic speakers whilst Janet, who hails from Glen Shiel, has some knowledge of the language.

Inverness West ward has Liberal Democrat representation at Highland Council (Alex Graham), Scottish Parliament (John Farquhar Munro), and Westminster (Danny Alexander).

This photograph was taken at the Cairn Housing development on the former Dalneigh Hostel site where 33 flats for rent and 10 flats for shared equity (Homestake) are under construction.

Warmest congratulations to Pauline Munro and Jimmy Macdonald, who were elected as councillors for Inverness West on May 3rd along with Alex Graham.

Pauline is a Scottish National Party (SNP) councillor and Jimmy is an Independent. Alex is looking forward to working with both of them in the interest of the ward and also Inverness and the Highlands in general.

Contact details for Pauline and Jimmy are on the Ward Contact Details page.