Clackmannanshire Consultation Database

We asked for final comments on the content and wording of a proposed new Scheme to ensure it is clear and fit for purpose.

The provision for more frequent elections would be a distraction from core community council business, but that community councils should still be able to replace members who leave and recruit to fill vacancies within the election cycle as long as safeguards were in place to ensure democratic legitimacy.

We re-worded some of the text for clarity without changing the principle. 

We removed the provision for top-up elections and amended the provision for elections which community councils can request when their numbers drop. 

We added a clause to the provision for co-option to require community councils to  publicise in advance the procedure for co-option as well as the intention to co-opt to replace a member who has left.

We asked for your views on the proposed Scheme and in particular what we felt were the key aspects of

• how people become community councillors
• how community councils involve residents
• how to maintain standards of representation

You said

• community councils should be able to replace quickly members who leave
• community councils should be able to involve residents in a volunteer capacity
• there should be a complaints procedure for community councils and a way of dealing with a community council which is not functioning to the standards expected of a community council

We have proposed

• the addition of a provision for co-opting people to fill vacancies arising in between elections
• no major changes regarding how community councils involve residents, but amendments to the constitution to make it clear that involving people as volunteers is allowed
• research to look at a complaints procedure that can be adopted by all of Clackmannanshire's community councils, but not as a provision in the Scheme at this stage.

Following the first stage when you gave us your views on boundaries and membershop, we asked for your comments on other content of the Scheme for the EStablishment of Community Councils.

We gave you two options for responding:

1. to make any comments or suggestions for the content of the Scheme
2. to focus on what we feel are the key aspects

You commented mostly on the key aspects.  The feedback can be found at that consultation.

We took the comments and our analysis of them to the December meeting of Clackmannanshire Council and asked for permission to take a draft Scheme to the third stage of consultation