Frustration with Highland Council 'inaction' prompts Assynt community council 'stand down' call amid pledges to fight on
Register for free to read more of the latest local news. It's easy and will only take a moment.
A NORTH west Sutherland community councillor has suggested members of the group should stand down in protest at inaction by Highland Council.
Katherine Anderson put forward the idea at a meeting of Assynt Community Council last Thursday.
The community council has previously made its frustration with the local authority clear, complaining that its emails are not responded to, it is not consulted about road and other improvement works, and its requests for work to be carried out are not acted on.
In June the group sent a detailed dossier citing its concerns and specific cases of inaction, dating back years, to chief executive Donna Manson with copies to other officials.
It is understood the authority has responded stating much of the actions requested are not deliverable because of a lack of funds and in many instances, it is under no obligation to deliver them.
Ms Anderson said: “We should all stand down and have no community council because we are doing no good. All we are doing is getting frustrated.”
But chairman Liam Taylor countered that the community council should keep going and not “stop fighting”.
He said: “We are one of the most vocal community councils in the Highland which is great.
“We should not stop fighting.
“We should make the response public so people can see we are trying to fight behind the scenes and not just sitting on our hands.”
A spokesman for Highland Council previously said: “The council believes that it has responded timeously and courteously to all Assynt Community Council requests for information regarding roads and winter maintenance, and has attended meetings with them when requested to do so”.
