Community leaders in areas under threat from Highland Council’s plans to close the majority of its service points yesterday hit out at the handling of the controversial issue.
The council’s ruling coalition made the shock announcement last month and it was voted through by 13-9 at a committee meeting last week.
But on Thursday the administration announced that the planned 15-month “implementation period” for closing the 23 service points, many in remote areas, would now become a consultation period and each site would be looked at on a case-by-case basis – with no closure if it was not backed by a business case.
Gerry Bishop, of Dornoch and District Community Association, said he had “grave reservations” about the council’s ability to finance its pledge to provide face-to-face contact for every resident who requests it following any service point closures and still make the projected £160,000 saving.
He said by his calculations if only one in 50 people using the service points asks for a face-to-face appointment the council could be hit with a bill of £129,000.
He accused council leader Drew Hendry of “financial irresponsibility” in putting forward the pledge with no costs to back it up. He said: “To me, it seems that he’s writing cheques that he can’t cash.”
He added: “The fact that they are now looking to consult with local communities is seen as some sort of victory, but that’s something that should have been done in the first place.”
Kilmuir and Logie Easter Community Council chairman, John Boocock, also criticised the council leader for his handling of the crisis. He said: “How dare he write to us and tell us we’re going to be consulted when he’s supposed to be doing it anyway? The situation is extremely unclear and it should have been made clear from the start.”
Mr Hendry said: “We’re listening to the fact that people felt there hadn’t been sufficient consultation. That’s why the 15-month implementation period is not longer about simply implementation but actually about looking at service points on a case-by-case basis.”
He said he was “confident” the money the council was planning to invest in the service would be sufficient to deliver it.
He added: “If we have to modernise the service points and if we don’t make the full savings, we will have to find that money from services elsewhere.”