Storm looms over ‘imbalance’ in council reforms review body

Ruling coalition accused of breaching agreement

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LOCAL government in the Highlands is on the verge of another potentially expensive programme of reorganisation – the fourth in little over 30 years.

And there is anger that the membership of a review body expected to deal with the fall-out from last year’s locally enforced reforms is likely to exclude all 21 Liberal Democrats and seven Labour councillors.

A full council meeting in Inverness today is expected to approve the creation of a working group comprising 14 or 15 of the 52-strong ruling Independent-SNP coalition.

Fourteen names have so far been put forward, none from the opposition.

Lib Dems claimed yesterday that the exclusion would breach a “gentleman’s agreement” among Scottish councils requiring political balance on all committees and sub-committees.

That pact was made with the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities because such rules, under the 1989 Local Government Act, do not apply in Scotland.

Highland Lib Dem group deputy leader David Alston said it was sad that the agreement was likely to be breached in the Highlands, adding: “The administration can set up its own internal working group at any point it wants, so it could have done this a month ago and got on with the work.”

A report from chief executive Alistair Dodds to go before councillors today proposes a working group “to survey all members of the council to ascertain their views on the current political structure”.

It would also examine the key committee structure, new area planning and licensing arrangements, operation of area wards introduced last May and “the potential for technological solutions to secure improved access to the democratic process” for councillors and public.

It emerged in January that at least a quarter of the 80 councillors believed last year’s sweeping reforms had left a legacy of an “uninformed, unfair and undemocratic system” of local government.

Labour group leader Jimmy Gray was unavailable for comment yesterday.