An emergency meeting will be held to review a decision to slash almost £500,000 of annual Highland Council grants to voluntary groups and village halls.
An unprecedented number of councillors – 27 – yesterday demanded a rethink, amid claims there was a lack of methodology behind the decisions.
Education director Bill Alexander insisted on Wednesday that there was “significant discussion about what criteria might be used” during a council debate in 2014 and since.
Lochaber councillor Andrew Baxter reaffirmed yesterday, however, that when he asked officers what criteria and what scoring system had been used “the response was there wasn’t one.”
He is particularly angry that a £166,000 grant for Fort William’s Nevis Centre will plummet to £91,000 within two years.
The education committee had reluctantly agreed the cuts on Wednesday as the authority expects yet another cut in government support in 2017-18.
Council leader Margaret Davidson told the Press and Journal that the grants review would delay the process and risk “greater budget pressure.”
“There was a process parties signed up to. They did their job,” she said. “Now what?
“These cuts have everything to do with the previous (SNP/Liberal Democrat/Labour) administration. The independent group fought tooth and nail not to have that cut instigated but it came and now we’re here.”
The pause means the grant cuts cannot be implemented at the moment. A date is still to be set for the special meeting.
Eden Court was set to retain most of its £507,000 grant and the Aviemore Highland Resort was to see its grant increase from £150,000 to £180,000. However, 20 organisations faced grants being reduced to zero within two years.
Skye, Lochaber and Badenoch SNP MSP Kate Forbes said: “It’s important that all avenues and alternatives are explored so organisations and village halls don’t face such brutal cuts.”
