Are you passionate about making difference to places where you live in Edinburgh ?
Free event for BME communities ahead of the Community council elections.
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Tag: community council elections
Stand and make a difference, say West Pilton West Granton CC
All community council positions become vacant and members need to stand again for election. I’m providing you with information on what’s involved if you are interested in standing (writes PETER FAASSEN DE HEER)
I would strongly urge you to stand and make a difference.
A strong community council is vital to help our community tackle local problems like crime, litter and bins as well as promoting all the good stuff like our parks, housing improvements, community projects and heritage. We engage with the police, council and all the wonderful local initiatives in the area.
City of Edinburgh has all the information you need here:
Our Returning Officer is Councillor Jim Campbell from Forth Ward. If you have any questions about the process or what Community Councillors do, you can email Jim at Jim.Campbell@edinburgh.gov.uk
The only requirement for someone to nominate or second is that you are on the electoral roll in the West Pilton West Granton area, and that you can only nominate/second one candidate. You must be 16 or over.
Key Dates
- Monday 9 September – publication of Notice of Election (start of nomination period)
- Monday 30 September 4pm – deadline for nominations (forms to Returning Officer)
- Monday 30 September 4pm – deadline for withdrawal of nominations
- Thursday 10 October – publication of Notice of Poll (if a poll is required)
- Thursday 31 October – polling day (if a poll is required)
Peter Faassen de Heer
Secretary, West Pilton West Granton Community Council
Community council elections go hi-tech!
Local people wishing to vote in three city Community Council elections will be able to do so online for the first time.
Following the closure of the nomination period, there were more prospective community councillors than there were places available in three areas – Craigmillar, Liberton & District and Portobello – so elections are now taking place, and for the first time an online option has been introduced making it easier for more people to take part. Votes can now be registered securely over a special website until the voting period closes at 8pm on 24 October.
All voters on the electoral roll in the three areas are being given the opportunity to vote over the internet, or they can attend a polling place on the 24 October to vote in person if they would prefer. Postal votes are also available for residents who prefer this option.
Councillor Maureen Child, Convener of the Communities and Neighbourhood Committee, said: “Our aim is to deliver democratic processes that people can take part in and trust. To offer a range of options for voting, including online voting, we hope to make it easier for people to have a say and that can only be a good thing for local communities. We hope that by offering flexible ways to vote that it will attract even more interest in these elections.
“Community Councils are an ideal way to support communities to thrive, to allow people from all backgrounds to meet and share ideas and to make change happen. They are a fantastic way of making public sector agencies aware of the needs of local areas, and can really help to make changes for the better.”
Community Councils each receive a grant to cover running costs and training is available for the members. They are represented on each of the city’s 12 Neighbourhood Partnerships and work alongside elected members, representatives from NHS Lothian, Police Scotland, the voluntary sector and Scottish Fire and Rescue Service.
Community councils were first established in Edinburgh in 1980 and now more than 500 people are members of 41 community councils across the city. While elections are needed in three neighbourhoods, however, other areas are still looking for local people to make up their full complement of community councillors. Nominations are currently being sought for new members of the Gilmerton/Inch Community Council, and Drylaw Telford – one of the city’s original community councils – is one of a number of community councils with vacant positions.
“Following the nomination period we have five vacancies so we are very keen to encourage residents – old and new – to get involved”, said Alex Dale, chairman of Drylaw Telford. “Anyone interested in find out a bit about what we do should check out our website, or better still come along to our next regular monthly meeting on Wednesday 30 October at 7pm in Drylaw Neighbourhood Centre. Our meetings are always open to the public and It would be great to sign up some enthusiastic new members.”
