Community projects across Banff and Buchan were given a boost yesterday when councillors backed a move to use unspent administration expenses to pay for local initiatives.
Councillors from the local area committee held a special meeting in Banff yesterday to discuss the future of community councils, and to back a scheme which will disperse a pot of more than £3,000 to fund projects in the area.
Community councils can now apply for money worth 80% of a project’s cost – to a maximum of £1,000 – to improve their towns and villages.
The move – which was spearheaded by Aberdeenshire’s education director Maria Walker – was unanimously backed by the committee.
In her report, Mrs Walker stressed that the area committee would retain ultimate responsibility for deciding which projects receive funding.
She added: “This enables the budget to be used responsively to address the needs of communities and maximises the use of scarce resources.”
The discussion sparked a debate about how community councillors are trained, and whether or not they are up to the task of objecting to planning applications.
Fraserburgh and District councillor Brian Topping called for anyone who serves of a community council to undergo training.
Mr Topping said: “If they’re going to be making comments on planning matters they should have training. Community councils are statutory consultees.”
Area manger Margaret-Jane Cardno said the authority “recognised” this is an issue but that community councils have now power to reject planning applications, only to comment.