Concerns community council could fold

Published 19 Apr 2010 14:01 0 Comments

GALASHIELS could lose out to other towns in the Borders and find it more difficult to attract major investment to the area if its community council folds, it has been claimed.

Chairman Bill White spoke out after he was forced to cancel the April meeting of Galashiels and Langlee Community Council in the town's Burgh Chambers last week when only four members turned up.

He explained that the community council needed a quorum of at least five members to hold its monthly meetings.

However, despite fears over the future of the town and a last-gasp attempt to contact members who had failed to show, community councillors were outnumbered by members of the public who had to be turned away.

Mr White said: "It was a disappointment but I didn't get any advance warning from anyone who wasn't coming along."

Last year, a number of community councils in the Borders - including Hawick - were forced to fold due to a shortage of members.

Galashiels and Langlee Community Council currently has 12 members. But, among the absentees last week, two were on holiday and two were sick.

Community councillors are planning to reschedule the meeting for April 28.

"There are a couple of community councillors who haven't attended for a number of meetings and I was due to take that issue up with them tonight," Mr White said. But he added: "If they are not coming back they need to hand in their resignation."

The role of the community council is to represent the views of townsfolk and act in their interests. Membership is open to anyone living in the area who is aged 18 or over, and whose name is on the electoral roll.

This month, community councillors were due to discuss fears that parts of Galashiels had become a no-go area. But, without a quorum, the two police officers, along with three councillors from Scottish Borders Council, in attendance were forced to leave without giving their monthly report.

However, with a further three local residents in attendance, planners behind an application to build new student accommodation at the Heriot-Watt University campus in Galashiels were allowed to give a brief presentation before the meeting closed.

Addressing the meeting last week, a slightly embarrassed looking Mr White said: "Unfortunately we don't have enough members to have a meeting. I have phoned round but we only have four and we need five. What we can do is listen to the presentation bu the rest will have to wait until the next meeting."

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