The 47 community councils in the city can make a difference to their local areas, and often work in tandem with local councillors. The nominations process has opened in Edinburgh and will run until 27 February, allowing anyone interested in becoming a community councillor the chance to do so.
In Barnton and Cramond there is a particular need for the community council which continues to pressure the owners of the former Dunf College to provide sports facilities as they were supposed to do some time ago. AMA have owned the site for almost 30 years, but the obligation to provide replacement sports arrangements for those lost when the college was sold and developed into housing has not yet been fulfilled. This matter has been discussed repeatedly at community council meetings.
Now it seems that the community council is in danger of becoming extinct unless half a dozen new people do not step up to continue the work of their forebears.
Ian Williamson, the Secretary of BCCC has written to members: “February 27 is the D day for the Community Council. If it cannot encourage a minimum of 6 or 7 new members to submit nominations by that date then the CC will cease to exist come the end of March.
“Even if you choose not to become an office bearer you will share in our efforts to engage with the local community and understand the issues, especially those involving local service delivery, that are of concern to them.
“You will contribute to the discussions and decisions pursuant to our efforts to influence the City of Edinburgh Council, the Airport, bus service operators and other service providers. There is no other tier of the local government structure that is solely representative of and created to champion a single local community council area. And that is unfettered from any political affiliation.
“If we cease to exist then what difference will it make. The opportunity to continue to input considered local suggestions for improving the plans for the remaining phase of the Campus development will be lost. The momentum gained in challenging the limitations of the new bus service (32) will be wasted. The inputs to the change programmes covering noise and flight paths at Edinburgh Airport diminished. Changes to the Barnton junction where the impact on the local community is of secondary importance to the Council will be without meaningful, objective, input. .
“At a more local day to day operational level the conduit from the City of Edinburgh Council to the community on local planning applications, proposed traffic orders, road closures, bus service changes, recreational events, etc etc will simply cease to exist.
“As will the mechanism for applying for local grants for small projects. All gone.
“Don’t leave it to someone else. Can you give up some of your time to help maintain our local voice and our challenge to the decision-makers. It’s down to you.”
The nomination form is below.
https://www.edinburgh.gov.uk/community-planning/community-councils
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Founding Editor of The Edinburgh Reporter.
Edinburgh-born multimedia journalist and iPhoneographer.
