Gibson calls for 'power to the people' of Caithness
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POWER should be returned to the people of Caithness, according to the local MSP.
Rob Gibson has accused the Highland Council of being "distant" and has proposed taking back certain powers to community level.
The SNP politician spoke out this week when he launched a public consultation seeking the views of the public over such a change.
"Folk in Caithness are hungry for local control," he said. "Every doorstep I visited during the election campaign and every voter I spoke with in the street told me they wanted to see more community control in this county, and I wholeheartedly agree."
The MSP kick-started the debate with a questionnaire asking constituents whether they would prefer to devolve certain powers from the Highland Council to community controlled bodies – raising the possibility of a Caithness council.
Mr Gibson said it has been a long-term aim of his to instigate this debate about the future of local government in the Far North.
The consultation, entitled "Small Works", asks locals if they think the authority for issues such as planning, culture and leisure, economic development, environmental management and licensing should be taken from the Highland Council and given to a local body. The MSP hopes the consultation could pave the way to a return, of sorts, to the setup that prevailed in the county previously.
Prior to the current Inverness-convened local authority there existed a Highland-wide council and area committees, which had a set amount of responsibility over certain issues.
Before that the local government setup involved Highland Regional Council and district councils. The latter in Caithness had significantly more control over local decisions and financial matters in the county.
In the introduction to his consultation, Mr Gibson explains how he thinks local government has grown "distant", particularly in the Far North.
"We have a situation in Caithness where councillors hundreds of miles away can decide planning applications for projects and where spending decisions are made by officials with little or no knowledge of this area," he said.
"Ordinary folk in the Far North feel disconnected from their council, and many businesses and voluntary groups feel frustrated by the lack of local involvement in council matters.
"This must be addressed."
Mr Gibson said that in a time of limited budgets and difficult spending decisions, local communities would "surely benefit" from taking responsibility for any cuts that have to be made.
The MSP said the same principles could be applied for inward investment as a local body would put forward a more convincing argument for funding, compared with a centralised body. He added: "I would like to encourage as many folk as possible to get in touch and respond to this consultation." To request a free copy call Mr Gibson’s parliamentary office on 0131 348 5726.
There was no-one available from the Highland Council to comment as the Groat went to press.
