A new community council in the Drylaw/Telford area was not set up after the recent community council elections, but since then twenty people raised a petition to establish a community council in the area.
The matter was discussed and the procedure approved at the Neighbourhood and Communities Meeting yesterday. Convener, Councillor Maureen Child mentioned the fact that if nominees have to publish their home address some of them are put off, and wondered if that could be changed. The council officer confirmed that it would be a matter for the whole council to decide, and a report would be required.
The election will be delayed until the new year. This will allow time for the nomination process to name new community councillors, and for any polling should too many nominations be received.
Online and polling place voting will be used in this process as it was in Leith Links in the autumn.
The nomination period will run between 9-30 January 2017. The poll will be notified on 6 February and then any subsequent voting if needed will take place on 23 February 2017.
The community council gets an annual grant of £620.16 to cover administrative costs, This is already budgeted for.
If a poll is required that may cost around £7,500 and again is budgeted for.
Councillor Hinds will act as returning officer.
There are details of how community councils work and what they do here.
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