Highland Councillors Propose Review to Break Up Authority

A group of councillors has put forward a proposal to dismantle Highland Council, which is Scotland’s largest local authority in terms of geographical area. They advocate for a review to explore how the region could be more effectively administered by several smaller, new authorities. Highland Council covers one-third of Scotland’s landmass, having been established three decades ago as part of local government reforms. The proponents of this idea, which is scheduled for future discussion, contend that the council’s extensive geographical scope prevents it from delivering sufficient services to all its communities. Previous studies indicate that Highland is among Scotland’s most rural council areas, with approximately half its residents residing outside communities of 3,000 or more individuals. While growth has been observed in Inverness and its vicinity, worries persist regarding population decline in Caithness, Sutherland, and Lochaber. A motion, initiated by Andrew Jarvie, has garnered the signatures of nine councillors, requesting Highland Council to formally approach the Scottish government regarding the initiation of a review. Andrew Baxter, a Fort William and Ardnamurchan councillor and one of the nine signatories, advocates for the devolution of powers, including those related to planning applications, to the most localized level feasible. He stated: “I think we have a form of local government that is particularly detached from our local communities. “Bigger is definitely not better and that’s been proven over the last 30 years since we’ve had this system of mega unitary authorities.”A smaller form of local councils would deliver better results for local residents.” He further commented: “It’s a nonsense that someone living in Culloden is able to decide on a planning application in Kilchoan.”Aberdeen is closer to Culloden than Culloden is to Kilchoan, and no one would ever suggest that someone in Aberdeen should decide our planning policy.” Matthew Reiss, who serves as a councillor for Thurso and north west Caithness, also backs the proposal to dissolve the authority. He noted that residents in his ward were dissatisfied with what they perceived as insufficient progress in addressing growing difficulties affecting life in the north Highlands. Mr. Reiss specified that these issues encompassed the inadequate condition of the road network and anxieties regarding health services, especially those utilized by women. He stated: “Caithness and Sutherland has about 15% of Highland Council’s population, and the perception has been allowed to grow over the years that the remote areas just do not seem to matter.” Thomas Prag, who previously served as a Highland councillor for 10 years and also held positions chairing council committees, argued for the advantages of maintaining the current structure. He suggested that past smaller district councils were not as “wonderful” as some might imagine. Mr. Prag commented: “Highland Council like any council has its problems and it’s always a slightly glib solution to recreate it in a different form and think that will solve everything. “I’m not convinced it would.” He further cautioned: “Beware what you ask for. If you ask the Scottish government for a review they will have to review all the council areas and we may not come out of that particularly well.” Mr. Prag also noted that smaller authorities might ultimately find themselves in competition for funding. The Scottish government affirmed its dedication to fostering a more robust relationship with local government, founded on “mutual trust and respect.” This commitment, it stated, is integral to its new accord with councils, known as the Verity House Agreement. A spokesperson additionally stated: “Local authorities play a crucial role and the Scottish government wants to devolve power to more local levels. “That’s why we jointly launched the Local Governance Review with the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities (Cosla) to ensure communities have greater control and influence over decisions that affect them most.” Copyright 2024 BBC. All rights reserved. The BBC bears no responsibility for the content of external websites. Information regarding its approach to external linking is available.