Did you know that 16/17 year olds can now vote in Community Council Elections in West Dunbartonshire?
If you are 16 years old on or before 8 March 2012 and reside in West Dunbartonshire you may be eligible to vote in the Faifley Community Council elections.
If you really want to get involved you can also stand for election to serve on your local community council. Community Councils make sure your voice is heard on issues such as planning applications, council services and community events, so this is an ideal opportunity for you to participate and make a difference.
If you want to vote you need to make sure your name appears on the electoral register. To find out if you need to register and/or obtain a copy of the registration form please contact Craig Stewart on 01389 737251. If you want to stand for election, nomination forms will be available from 12 January 2012 onwards.
If you are 16/17 years old, the last date to register for the forthcoming Community Council Elections is 26 January 2012 so don’t delay register today.
Community Councils - Who Needs Them? You Do!
Community Councils were set up by Act of Parliament in 1973 to carry out the following activities:
Their role is to:
- Find out the views of their community
- Co-ordinate and express these views to the local and public authorities
- Act in the interests of their community
In order to do this Community Councils need to:
- Be proactive and consult the community
- Encourage community spirit
- Represent the whole community including young people, disabled people, lone parents and elderly people
- Be familiar with West Dunbartonshire Council policies
- Keep the Council informed
- Be prepared to expand their activities
Community Councils bring local people together to help make things happen. They talk to West Dunbartonshire Council and other agencies about issues affecting their area, from children’s playgrounds, busy roads and streetlighting to public transport and community safety – anything of interest or concern to local people.
They are run by people in your neighbourhood and ensure that local concerns and issues are reported back to your local authority and other relevant public authorities.
West Dunbartonshire Council has a Community Council Forum; an umbrella organisation which co-ordinates the views of local Community Councils and offers them the opportunity to meet and discuss matters of common interest.
Local Authorities must consult with Community Councils on planning applications. However, West Dunbartonshire Council also consults with them on a whole range of other issues as a matter of policy. Furthermore, the West Dunbartonshire Community Council Forum has representation on the Council’s Community Participation Committee and on the West Dunbartonshire Council Planning Partnership Board.
These are some examples of what local Community Councils have achieved in West Dunbartonshire:
- Asked the local authority to lower pavement edges for prams and wheelchairs to improve access for local people
- Won grant aid to install smoke alarms, door chains and spy holes for local elderly people living alone
- Generated funding for new children’s play areas
- Helped establish a community newspaper
- Anti-litter campaigns
- Carried out local surveys on a range of issues
- Advised, petitioned, recommended, influenced, prompted and advocated numerous causes and cases of concern on behalf of householders, parents, individuals and local communities in West Dunbartonshire.
Revised Scheme for the Establishment of Community Councils
At a Special Meeting held on 30 March 2011, West Dunbartonshire Council agreed to approve the revised Scheme for the Establishment of Community Councils and the Code of Conduct for Community Councils.
In addition, the Council agreed a timetable for the adoption of the new scheme and a timetable for the nomination and election process.
Click here to access a copy of the new scheme and its associated documentation.
At present there are 9 active Community Councils in West Dunbartonshire. Download a list of contact details for the Community Councils. Contact list for the Community Councils.
Areas where there are currently no Community Councils operating are:
Dalmuir and Mountblow
Linnvale and Drumry
Duntocher and Hardgate
Faifley
Renton
Alexandria
Dumbarton West
Dumbarton North
At any time, twenty electors within an area designated as a community council area may apply for a community council to be established by completing and returning a Requisition Form which can be obtained by contacting Craig Stewart in the Legal, democratic and Regulatory Services Department, Council Offices, Garshake Road, Dumbarton G82 3PU; Tel: 01389 737251 or email: Craig Stewart.
