Highland Council's green credentials slammed
The Scottish Green Party has slammed Highland Council’s green credentials accusing the new leadership of “taking its eye off the ball”.
Anne Thomas, issues co-ordinator for the Highlands and Islands branch, said the new ruling minority Independent group installed six months ago appeared to have less focus on green issues.
She said: “I think there’s a range of opinions amongst the Independent group. The same is true of the SNP group - but I do not think they (Independents) have got the same sort of vision. The actual mind-set is not there. The Carbon Clever scheme still seems to be running but it’s not got such a high profile as far as I can see. We need to keep them to task if they have transferred away from the green agenda. They’ve taken their eye off the ball.”
Council leader Margaret Davidson insisted the council was still striving towards its energy saving commitments.
But Mrs Thomas said the fact that the council did not hold a green energy conference this year suggested the minority Independent group was less committed to environmental issues than the former coalition run by the Scottish National Party, the Liberal Democrats and Labour.
The green energy conference was hosted by the council last November for the second year in a row.
Former council leader Drew Hendry chaired the event and Richard Lochhead, cabinet secretary for rural affairs and the environment, was a speaker.
Mr Hendry, who is now the SNP’s MP for Inverness, Nairn and Badenoch, was concerned to hear Mrs Thomas voice her disquiet.
The carbon clever scheme had been seen in council circles as largely his pet project.
Mr Hendry said: “I am concerned that there has been no conference this year. I would hope that’s just a blip and once they have got to grips with all their different ambitions they will reinstate that because it is a useful way to make sure that other parties and the council are all staying focussed on what they can do.”
Council leader Margaret Davidson insisted there had been no change to the council’s Carbon Clever scheme.
But she was not aware that the green energy conference was an annual event in the council’s diary.
She said: “I didn’t know it was an annual thing and the first question I would ask is how much would it cost to put one on because really we have to be looking at the cost of everything. I’m sitting looking at the budget gap which is going to be very difficult to fill.”
