‘Words fail me’ – town and country clash over plans to give Lerwick more cash

Town and country representatives clashed over proposals to award more funding to Lerwick Community Council.

Lerwick South member John Fraser was branded “petty” and “ridiculous” by colleagues after raising the amendment at today’s (Tuesday) SIC meeting.

Members were discussing the latest version of the community council scheme review, which included a new funding mechanism.

If implemented, it would see community council budgets determined by factors including population size, remoteness and access to key services.

No council would see a reduction in its budget and most would see an increase though none by more than £2,400.

Mr Fraser’s proposed amendment would have required every community council pay a one per cent “town levy” - totaling £1,800 - to bolster LCC’s funds.

He said this would be in recognition of the large number of funding requests LCC received for Shetland-wide projects.

Mr Fraser, who had been a member of LCC for around 12 years but stood down recently to enable his participation in today’s debate, said the requests from outside organisations was unique to LCC.

While he was “heartened and gratified” by the community council’s frequent support for such requests, Mr Fraser said he had a “degree of concern” about the financial implications.

He said the additional funding would have a “negligible” impact on the other councils while providing wider community benefits by enabling LCC to continue its support for organisations throughout Shetland.

But the proposal was emphatically rejected by colleagues, with 11 votes against and only fellow Lerwick South councillor Neil Pearson voting in support.

North Isles councillor Ryan Thomson was so shocked by the proposal he had to ask for clarification on what was being proposed.

“Am I hearing this right?” he said.

“Reduce everyone else’s budget in order to increase Lerwick Community Council’s budget.”

“Words fail me - that’s unbelievable.”

Shetland Central member Moraig Lyall said it was “quite unhelpful to start pitting town against country”.

She said there was “very little basis” to support Mr Fraser’s claim that LCC did more to serve other areas and it should be left to the community councils to decide how they spent their money.

Davie Sandison, who also represents Shetland Central, said he was “disappointed” by Mr Fraser’s comments and also questioned his assertion Lerwick had been “disadvantaged” by the funding mechanism.

He said the proposal seemed “a little bit petty”.

Even fellow Lerwick councillors came out against the amendment.

While Lerwick North and Bressay councillor Stephen Leask agreed LCC was faced with a “disproportionate” level of funding requests for projects outwith Lerwick, he said he was not going to be drawn into a “fight about town and country”.

Mr Leask suggested LCC may need to be more “Lerwick-centric” in how it awarded funding - though it was down to members to decide.

Dennis Leask, who represents Lerwick South, said it was about “fairness” and suggested that making a “special case” for LCC would cause more problems than it would solve.

Shetland Central member Ian Scott said Mr Fraser’s funding mechanism was a “blunt tool” and “ridiculous”.

Allison Duncan, who represents Shetland South agreeing with Mr Scott - something he rarely does.

By this point in the debate, Mr Fraser could tell his proposal held little chance of approval.

However, he stuck to his guns, saying: “A clear conscience is a soft pillow”.

Mr Fraser said his fellow councillors were rightly hailed as “community heroes” when they stood up for their wards and questioned why he was being criticised as “petty” for doing the same.

“It is neither my intention to be petty nor is it my intention to pit town against county - exactly the opposite.”

Despite the resounding opposition, Mr Fraser jokingly suggested it had been a worthwhile proposal if only for achieving the partial agreement between Mr Duncan and Mr Scott.

The latest proposals will go for a third phase of community consultation before returning for councillors’ approval next year.