Texas trip puts council meet on hold

A COUNCIL meeting in West Lothian is to be postponed because too many members will be away on an official visit to Texas.

The full council was due to meet on September 16, but since that date was drawn up plans have been put in place for several elected members and council officials to visit Grapevine, Texas, as part of a recently established twinning agreement.

Officials said that travel arrangements would make it "impractical" for elected members and officials to attend the meeting, which is now set to be put back to September 23.

A planned meeting of the Education Policy Development and Scrutiny panel on the same day is also likely to be postponed.

The decision is likely to cause some anger amongst opposition councillors, who slammed an initial visit to Grapevine last year by councillors as little more than a "junket to a wine festival".