North Uist meeting opposes estate buyout 14/5/14
A move towards a community buyout of North Uist estate has being overwhelmingly rejected
by an audience at a meeting held over the proposal.
The majority present at the forum in Paible School on Tuesday night made it crystal
clear they were happy with their present private landlords, the Granville family.
A show of hands - conceded after repeated demands from the crowd - indicated only
three people (4%) out of the 70 or so people backed a commissioning a feasibility
study to examine the pros and cons of community control.
An estimated 75% of the audience who voted wanted to kill off the idea.
Nevertheless, all islanders will be asked to formally vote over the proposal to set
up a steering group and obtain a feasibility report, which could be funded by HIE.
A secret island-wide postal ballot to be commissioned by the island’s three councillors
will be organised independently by the Comhairle’s election team.
Cllr Neil Beaton explained it was felt unfair that the bulk of the population who
couldn’t attend the event nor a similar forum in Lochmaddy Hall on Wednesday evening
would be denied a voice.
A properly conducted independent ballot would give everyone a chance to have their
say whether or not to grant a mandate for a steering committee. An information leaflet
would be widely distributed beforehand.
If the process was voted down by a fair and democratic ballot, then “at least everybody
had the chance to express their view,” he stated.
Mr Beaton said the three councillors saw the huge extra amounts of public funding
being put into new community-buyout estates to the north and south of the island.
North Uist was a “blackhole in the middle,” missing out on the advantages directed
at them, he said.
Cllr Uisdean Robertson highlighted North Uist was missing out because of the priority
for inward investment cash directed to community owned estates.
This would be exacerbated in the future by the financial cuts faced by public agencies
such as the Comahirle and HIE which would further slash funding into the island.
A similar meeting about the proposed buyout is being held at 7.30pm in Lochmaddy
Hall tonight (Wed).