Bringing grass cutting back under local control - latest from River Community Council

On Wednesday in the URC Church Hall Tommy gave his fellow councillors an update on River CC’s submission to the Highland Council’s Community Challenge Fund. Regular readers will remember that the River folkies are desirous of bringing grass cutting in the town back under local control – see previous Gurn article here.

Tommy reported that he had received an encouraging reply from Highland Council and he read out the text of a letter he had received:

 ”I write further to your expression of interest for funding from the Community Challenge Fund. Your expression of Interest was carefully considered by a panel of elected members following a review and input from relevant Council officers. The panel understands that your Community Council has the support of local Highland Council members and that it is intended to discuss this proposal with other neighbouring Community Councils to explore whether a further proposal will be submitted covering a wider part of the Community. The panel has therefore agreed to place your expression of interest on hold pending these discussions and has also asked that, if required, Council officers have further discussions with your organisation regarding your proposal. The lead officer Richard Guest, head of Roads and Community, will be happy to discuss this with you. I hope that the information provided will enable you to take your project forward. ”

Tommy did report that one thing had changed however, and that was that the other two Community Councils in the town no longer seemed interested in joining in the bid to take control of the grass cutting. Tommy believes that River will have to go forward alone.

This observer finds it very difficult to understand why Suburban and West Councils do not seem to be very interested in the proposal from River. There has been much talk in recent years in bringing local democracy back to Nairn. What better way to start than getting the grass cutting back under Nairn control? Obviously there is a long way to go and a lot of work involved for the River Councillors but the idea does have the support of local Highland Councillors and the language of the correspondence is very favourable. Could River be pushing at an open door?