South Perthshire shocked has entire communtiy council quits

Oct 9 2009 by Alison Lowson, Perthshire Advertiser Friday

THE mass resignation of the last four remaining members of Braco and Greenloaning Community Council has stunned South Perthshire.

The shock move came on Monday night at a heated public meeting, during which a member of the public questioned whether a vote of no confidence from 35 members of the public would lead to the community council stepping down.

Local resident Douglas Lindsay said: “The issue started a couple of meetings ago when Karen Baker began querying points, which weren’t addressed.

“Then last week when it was raised for the third time, chairman Steve Forsyth closed the meeting.

“The meeting on Monday was a continuation of that meeting and it got argumentative right from the start.”

Mr Lindsay, who is an ex-member of the community council, explained that he felt he had stayed silent long enough.

“I was sitting thinking ‘enough is enough’. Steve Forsyth refused to discuss what had happened the previous week and I was getting a bit angry, so I asked whether a vote of 30 people would lead him to resign.

“He and the other community councillors stood down there and then, which wasn’t my intent.

“It is my feeling that the meetings I attended during his time as chairman were not run in a proper manner, and they were more closed and controlled.”

The mass resignation comes only days after a BGCC meeting saw the resignation of community councillor Karen Baker, who left in a cloud of controversy.

Despite stepping down primarily due to a job relocation, Karen took the opportunity to air a number of grievances with chairman Steve Forsyth and secretary Michaela Robertson.

In her resignation letter she said: “Whilst I regret leaving the Community Council, I believe that the members, in particular the chairman and secretary, have been acting unconstitutionally, and have largely ignored the rules that prescribe the way a community council should be run.”

She continues to state that both Steve Forsyth and Michaela Robertson had been creating minutes of meetings that were “either inaccurate or have selectively omitted information”.

The letter concludes: “The community council, and the cChairman, in particular have been directly responsible for division and bad feeling in this community when our collective duty is to be representatives of that community.

“I apologise for my part in any upset caused by the actions of the community council that went unquestioned or unchecked by myself. I believe Braco and Greenloaning deserves a lot better and I am only sorry I shall not be here to see a properly run CC put into place.”

Rumours circulating in Braco allege that this isn't the first bust up Steve Forsyth has had with fellow community councillors. Locals feel that he has been the reason for a number of long-serving councillors stepping down.

Perth and Kinross Council confirmed that a new community council will be formed.

A council spokesperson said: “Due to the resignation of its members, Braco and Greenloaning Community Council is currently in abeyance.

“Perth and Kinross Council will seek nominations in order to form a new community council in due course.”

Steve Forsyth declined to comment.