Councils join forces to slam Perth chief

Published on Wednesday 1 July 2009 21:59

COMMUNITY councils in Perth and Kinross have passed an unprecedented vote of "no confidence" in the local authority's chief executive, claiming they are being "ignored and marginalised" by the council, it was revealed yesterday.

The members of the Convention of Perth and Kinross Community Councils delivered the no confidence vote after a summit meeting where leaders of local councils throughout the area spoke out against their treatment at the hands of chief executive Bernadette Malone and other senior officials.

They claimed that their opinions and requests were being ignored by the council and that, while community councils in other parts of Scotland each receive thousands of pounds in funding, organisations in Perth and Kinross are barely covering their administration costs.

The action was led by Dave Cuthbert, the chairman of Kinross Community Council. Earlier this year the community council which he chairs condemned Perth and Kinross Council after discovering that the future of the old Kinross High School site had been decided by councillors at a private meeting without consulting the community.

Two months ago The Scotsman revealed that the 12 members of Scone Community Council had quit en masse in protest at the verbal abuse they claimed to have suffered at the hands of a local councillor and the way in which their efforts to support their local community have been "attacked and undermined" by Perth and Kinross Council.

Mr Cuthbert told the convention: "We are of the opinion that the chief executive is simply not interested in what the residents of the area think and believe that it is time for a vote of no confidence in her."

Yesterday he accused the council and its chief executive of attempting to "destroy local democracy".

He claimed that when community councillors tried to raise local issues with the council they had been met with a brick wall.

His claims were backed by Joe Richardson, the convention's vice chairman. He said: "Something has to be done to get more recognition because our community councils are being ignored and marginalised with every passing year.

"Under the Local Government (Scotland) Act we are the statutory body that gives the public's views to the council. But we are not being asked for our opinions on planning issues. We don't have the right of objection."

Jim Irons, the deputy chief executive of Perth and Kinross Council, defended the local authority and its chief executive.