THE BATTLE over the future shape of local government in the Highlands
was rejoined yesterday when district council leaders made a last-minute
plea to Scottish Secretary Ian Lang not to opt for a single unitary
authority for the area.
The protests by district councils follow reports in The Herald this
week that Scottish Office Ministers are likely to back the option of
creating one authority to cover the whole of the present area of
Highland Regional Council as part of the planned reorganisation of local
government.
Highland region refused to speculate on the outcome of the local
government review, but added that if the Scottish Secretary did support
its case for a unitary Highland council, it would be because he had been
convinced its proposals were the best suited for this unique area.
Ministers are currently in the process of taking final decisions over
difficult areas like the Highlands, with a view to publishing a White
Paper on reorganisation within the next two or three weeks.
The Highland districts, which include Inverness, Ross and Cromarty,
Sutherland and Caithness, argue that if smaller areas such as Greater
Eastwood or Stirling are to have individual authorities, the imposition
of a single local authority on one third of Scotland cannot be defended.
In a statement yesterday, Provost William Fraser of Inverness, who
chairs the association of the eight Highland District Councils, said:
''We feel that at least three units should be created to meet the needs
of communities, and that the history of local government in the
Highlands shows the willingness and ability of smaller units to
co-operate when necessary to provide even large-scale services.''
Councillor Fraser said Mr Lang himself had identified the need for
greater accountability by members of councils. This objective could not
be achieved by creating a single authority covering an area bigger than
Wales, and containing so many distinct communities of interest.
Highland region vice convener Peter Peacock said that from some of the
comments he had seen, the district councils did not seem to have read or
understood the region's case.
The region wanted to continue strong efficient local government and
maintain local identity by taking further its existing model of devolved
political decision-making and administration.
''The whole basis of our response to the Secretary of State is to
build on the strong Highland identity that exists, while recognising,
maintaining and developing the diversity of the Highlands within a unit
of local government capable of delivering modern professional local
services,'' he said.
The districts, however, claim that the decentralisation of management
and services under a single Highland authority cannot be a substitute
for direct democratic accountability.
They argue it is essential that elected local councils are genuinely
in charge of local situations, and that local communities can hold
decision makers to account.
Also yesterday, representatives of the Save Caithness Campaign, which
is seeking the creation of an all-purpose authority to cover the
Caithness area, handed in a petition of 6000 signatures to the Scottish
Office.
Its chairman, Mr George Bruce, said that an independent survey carried
out by the Association of Highland District Councils had shown that
82.8% of respondents in Caithness believed that their own district as a
unitary authority would provide more efficient and effective services
than a unitary authority for the whole of the Highlands, as the
Government appeared to be supporting.
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