Highland Council rejects claim that proper procedure was not followed at Carbisdale Castle land buy-out meeting

Highland Council has rejected claims that proper procedure was not followed at a community council meeting last week when a vote was taken not to support a bid by Carbisdale Castle owner Samantha Kane to buy public land.

Ward councillor Michael Baird, who was present at the extraordinary meeting called by Ardgay and District Community Council, has told a national newspaper that the community council failed to follow the correct code of conduct.

He told the Daily Mail that the vote “would not count” because Ardgay and District Community Council failed to follow the “Ward Management Code of Conduct”.

Cllr Baird, representative for the north, west and central Sutherland ward and a Bonar Bridge resident, is quoted as saying: “They have to wait for six months to bring it (a motion involving the land purchase) back again. So the truth of the matter is that the community council is null and void.”

However, Highland Council has told the Northern Times that that is not the case.

A spokesperson for the local authority said: “We do not have any evidence that Ardgay and District Community Council did not follow the Community Council Standing Orders at the extraordinary meeting held on November 21, so consider the decision to be competent.”

Ms Kane, who is vice-chairperson of the community council, declared a conflict of interest and was not present for the vote.

Earlier in the meeting she had sought to persuade members of the public and community councillors to support her bid to buy 7.4 acres of steeply sloping land immediately adjacent to the castle from Forestry and Land Scotland.

But after public debate and discussion, the four community councillors voted unanimously not to support the application to allow the transfer of ownership of the land.

It is understood that a woman was reported to police for a disturbance in Ardgay following the meeting.

A police spokesman said: “On the evening of Thursday, November 23, police were called to a report of a disturbance in the Carron Place area of Ardgay.

“Suitable advice was provided and one woman was issued with a Recorded Police Warning following an earlier disturbance on Tuesday, November 21.”

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