Taking the grass cutting in Nairn back under local control?

On Wednesday night River CC outlined their intention ( with the involvement of Suburban and West CCs) to submit an expression of interest to Highland Council under the Community Challenge fund to outline their intention to seek to return the grass cutting in Nairn to local control.

The recent cut of areas that to some observers didn’t seem to need attention helped to focus minds for this topic. Also mentioned were the complaints received over the last two years over the state of the cemetery. Simon Noble outlined the requirements of the Challenge fund and he stated that the criteria seemed easy to fit but there was a requirement to show community support for any initiative. Over and above organisational stumbling blocks and employment issues etc there was one major problem that Liz outlined. She mentioned an initiative going forward with the cricket pitch that had come up against the fact that the land was actually Nairn Common Good land and not Highland Council Land. There was some debate in Glenurquhart Road circles it seems about whether the fund could be applicable to Common Good Land. Liz also mentioned that the rent from the Caravan site that comes into the fund gets spent on cutting the Common Good areas.

Liz is to go and speak to the Highland Council’s chief executive and find out whether Common Good land can be part of such a bid. The Challenge fund according to Liz is about: “Communities taking over responsibilities for looking after their areas, either doing a better service than the Council can do or at a more efficient cost. So it’s about the Council as well trying to save money.”

No doubt we will hear more from the River CC and Liz after she has a word with the high heid yin through in Inverness.

Other news from River CC later this weekend on the Gurn. In the meantime congratulations to new River CC member Jacqualine Hutcheon who was elected unanimously onto the watch dog body on Wednesday night as a co-opted member.