Linlithgow Community Council urgently needs new members

With both the chairman Graeme Grant and secretary Dorothy Wilson standing down at the next meeting on February 28, and only seven members left, the community council may not be able to continue.

An appeal for new members on social media in November drew no interest.

However, Graeme hopes that this week's appeal in the Journal and Gazette will galvanize people into action.

For there is much work to be done by the statutory body, which organises the town's annual advent fayre and remembrance parade, in addition to voicing the views and concerns of local residents.

While Graeme is having to take a back seat due to work and family commitments, he is in little doubt of the importance of an active community council – particularly in a town laid siege by developers.

He said: "As a statutory body, we are consulted on all new developments via West Lothian Council.

"At the moment, there are five or six housing developments going through or about to go through the planning process, which would increase the town’s population from 11,500 to 15,000.

"Locals are well aware that our services are already at breaking point, from the High Street being used like a car park to GP practices full to bursting .

"It’s critical that the community council continues to ensure that we don’t leave the door open to all of these developments. It’s an attractive proposition for house builders as a home that sells for £350,000 in Bonnybridge attracts a price tag of £850,000 in Linlithgow – for exactly the same home.

"That’s why we urgently need people who care about the town and its future to join the community council now.”

When Graeme and Dorothy stand down at next month’s meeting in the Burgh Halls, only seven members will be left, making it difficult to continue.

While members can be as active as they choose, Graeme makes no bones about the fact that both the chairman and secretary roles require people who have time on their hands.

He explained: “I’ve been chairman since October 2020, when we lost both our chairperson and secretary.

"In the months following that, two people served as secretary but found that the role was too demanding.

"Dorothy is a friend of mine who agreed to step up to help out for a few months but we both work full time and have family commitments too.

"The secretary shoulders the biggest workload, taking on the burden of the administration – from answering website queries to engaging with West Lothian Council on planning applications.

"We need someone who has the time to dedicate to the role and the wherewithal.”

The community council operates several sub-committees, including a planning forum which was instrumental in creating Linlithgow’s Plan for the Future 2022-2032. It has been lauded by councils across Scotland as a shining example of how communities can influence planning.

Anyone who is interested in joining the community council should email [email protected].