Main Menu

Search the site

Web Site Go

Community Council

Your Community Councillors are:

Sandy Stoddart (Chairman) 740285
Rachel Shepton (Vice Chairman) 740553
Jonathon Baxter (Treasurer) 740318
Steve Bignell
Chris Pearman
Pat Young

Hon Minutes Secretary - Becky Coope, North Acharn, Duror Tel: 01631 740598 r.coope@btconnect.com

Community Councils in Scotland are created by statute and only exist if local people are willing to stand for election. In November 2011 the new Highland Community Council Scheme was established. The council receives funding and support from Highland Council and like all community councils is stated to be "non-party-political and non-sectarian" in their discussions and decision making. The two Acts of Parliament governing Community Councils allow for them to "take any action" they deem appropriate to improve their community. Community Councils are entirely voluntary and accordingly rely on the available time of those involved to tackle appropriate priorities.

Duror and Kentallen Community Council is a statutory consultee for all Planning Applications and for the Highland Council’s wider policies and structure plans. Our general agreement has been to welcome development especially where this may help support or enhance the fragile infrastructure of the villages. In so doing we are always conscious of road safety and environmental issues. We are also routinely consulted, or at least given the opportunity to hear about, initiatives which impact communities on a local, regional or national level. Even where we don’t have a voice, contact with these initiatives by Councillors greatly improves engagement. It also puts Duror and Kentallen on the map and in the mind of public-sector officials. The council is very conscious that our location on the periphery of the region can lead us to being overlooked. Other bodies with whom we have regular contact are Transport Scotland, Transerv, The Forestry Commission and neighbouring Community Councils.

Your Council has an active and positive interest in other ongoing issues which directly affect the community. Principal amongst these are improving road safety at the trunk road junctions, the linking of our community by the Oban to Ballachulish cycle track and the retention of our much loved Primary School.

Community Councils have a fiscal duty with a small budget to distribute to community projects. It has also a small fund which can help support a community project. Other projects have been suggested and are being investigated.

Of course, the Community Council exists for the benefit of the community. For this reason a key part of any Councillor’s role is to be in touch with community members. With this in mind we encourage all members of the community to approach any Councillor with their views, opinions or concerns.

Monthly meetings are held in the Community Centre, normally on the second Monday of each month at 7pm. The minutes of these meetings are posted on this site and on Community notice-boards. These meetings are open to the public although (rarely) the Chair may deem it appropriate for the Council to have a private session once all views have been received. Please support us.

2020 Minutes

2019 Minutes