There were angry scenes at Highland Council’s Inverness HQ yesterday as the axe fell on the local authority’s public service counters across the north.
Opponents of the move fear hundreds of vulnerable people will now be left out on a limb.
Councillors voted to get rid of the majority of service points after a two-hour debate, during which tempers flared and emotions ran high as opposition members battled to save the counters.
The council’s SNP leader, Drew Hendry, was loudly heckled by a man in the public benches at one point – and independents were applauded for their efforts to sink the closures plan.
Many members fear the elderly and illiterate, particularly those living in rural areas, will be most affected by the plans to cut face-to-face contact between the public and council staff.
And there are concerns that service point workers – who are mostly women – will struggle to find new roles at the local authority.
The council’s administration has also been heavily criticised for tabling the proposals – which will save just £160,000 – before consulting communities.
But the local authority’s finance, housing and resources committee voted 13-9 to close the 23 counters. The council plans instead to provide an outreach service and redesign its website. Opposition councillors poured scorn on the plans, which they claim have not been fully detailed or costed.
There are also concerns about how residents will register deaths, births and marriages, which must be done in person.
Last night, the opposition vowed to fight on and challenge the controversial decision at the full council on March 13.
Opposition leader Carolyn Wilson said her group had lodged a notice of amendment that would mean the issue being debated again in front of all 80 councillors.
Her colleague, Black Isle councillor Isobel McCallum, said “alarm bells should have rung” because of the effects on country communities, which she described as “discriminatory”. She added: “Rural areas should not be expected to have a second-rate service because of where they work and live.”
Officials said just 9% of service point visitors used the offices earmarked for closure, but Councillor Andrew Baxter said these were the people who most needed the service because they were “disadvantaged and vulnerable”.
He said: “It seems that rather than extending a helping hand, we are taking it away and sticking two fingers up to the people of Highland instead.”
Speaking after the meeting, Dornoch resident Gerry Bishop said: “It is a death tax because people are obligated to register a death within eight days.”
The administration said the changes were necessary because of a fall in the number of people visiting services points since 2010, when the council removed their ability to carry out cash transactions.
Mr Hendry said: “No resident who wants or needs a face-to-face appointment will be denied it in the communities affected.”
The closures will not take place until June 2105. The service points earmarked for closure are: Acharacle, Ardersier, Bettyhill, Bonar Bridge, Broadford, Brora, Dornoch, Durness, Fort Augustus, Fortrose, Gairloch, Grantown, Helmsdale, Hilton, Invergordon, Kingussie, Kinlochleven, Kyle, Lairg, Lochcarron, Lochinver, Mallaig and Muir of Ord.
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