“Bring back local committee”

Screams the banner headline of the Nairnshire with their take on Alistair Noble’s submission to the Combined Community Council meeting last week. Interesting reading and subsequent comment provided from Liz and Oor Graham after the event. Although I kind of get the impression that Graham doesn’t get the idea that people in Nairn want real political power back and are not just on about expanding voluntary services. It is very difficult for Graham really, he is part of the centralising administration that has taken so much power from Nairn yet he has to go along to meetings in Nairn and listen when folk lament all that is lost and could still be lost.

Mention is also made of the low turnout on the public benches. It’s an interesting point, folk stay away from regular meetings of the CC’s but when something kicks off, like an OTT planning application, then folk will arrive in their droves. Again this observer feels that the sentiments expressed by Alistair and his colleagues will find sympathy and support from the great majority of the Nairnshire population even if they are reluctant to attend the meetings.

Iain Bain tackles the subject too in his editorial and supports the sentiment expressed last Monday night. He says:

“The final turn of the screw came in 2007 when electoral reform saw new wards brought in and the end of the Area Committee system which had preserved to a diminishing extent the shades of the former District tier of local government. We would like to return to some kind of community representation and we are in broad agreement with the principle that Dr Noble states.”

Much more of this editorial on a newsstand near you. Keep up to date with this week’s edition of the Nairnshire Telegraph.