Forres Campaigners: “We want the Scottish Goverment to involve local people in decisions relating to Common Good assets.”

The Forres Gazette Reports: "A petition with more than 1600 signatures was handed over to the Scottish Government by Forres people last week, calling for more local control of community assets.

Stewart Noble, vice-chair of Forres Community Council and campaigner for the Battle for Bogton group, handed over the petition with 1,617 signatures to Moray MSP Richard Lochhead. “We want local interests to be in local people’s hands,” said Mr Noble. “We want the Scottish Goverment to involve local people in decisions relating to Common Good assets.” "

The petition read:

“Our common land is too precious a resource for our children, as well as citizens now, to be left to such poor management. We, the people, require that this land is managed both correctly and transparently by the local community for the local community. We believe, therefore, that our community councils should be the guardians of the common good fund and, furthermore, that local people should have full access to the accounts at all times. We also hold that the local community should have the final vote on any such changes to said land. We ask that you consider this petition and make such necessary changes to the law.”

More in a large article in this week's edition of the Forres Gazette. Interesting stuff and simmering discontent over Common Good issues mirrors the feeling in Nairn