Fife Council calls special meeting on region's coronavirus recovery

Councillors in Fife are to attend a special meeting to discuss the region’s recovery from coronavirus.

And the impact of the pandemic on the local authority could also lead to shake up of its governance arrangements.

The decision to convene a full council meeting one month earlier than scheduled was taken at today’s policy and co-ordination committee which was again held online.

It agreed to instruct Provost, Jim Leishman, and chief executive, Steve Grimmond, to convene the special meeting of all 75 councillors early next month to give them an opportunity to discuss the impact of the pandemic, and review their own committee structure to amke sure it is fit to lead the Kingdom’s recovery from lockdown.

Councillor David Ross, co-leader, who tabled the motion, said: “Our next scheduled meeting of the full council isn’t until September which is far too late.”

He said the move was necessary to help councillors focus on the major challenges ahead.

VIDEO - The shocking decay of former college campus in Fife

Cllr Ross said: “ The challenge for Fife Council is not only to safely restore local services, but also as the elected local government of Fife, to provide leadership and support for the economic, social, community and health recovery of Fife as a whole.”

To do that he believes the council needs to put in place “revised and streamlined governance arrangements.”

At present, the local authority has operated around its policy and co-ordination committee with cross-party representation, but many ‘backbench’ councillors have not been at the table since lockdown began.

Councillor Altany Craik, who convenes the economy committee, said: “ Backbench colleagues can feel disconnected because of the slow meeting cycle. Now, with no meetings, it is even harder to keep up.

“We have to empower all councillors and put them to work.”

Thank you for reading this story on our website. While I have your attention, I also have an important request to make of you.

In order for us to continue to provide high quality and trusted local news on this free-to-read site, I am asking you to also please purchase a copy of our newspapers - the Fife Free Press, Fife Herald, St Andrews Citizen and East Fife Mail.

Our journalists are highly trained and our content is independently regulated by IPSO to some of the highest standards in the world. The dramatic events of 2020 are having a major impact on many of our local valued advertisers and consequently the advertising that we receive. We are now more reliant than ever on you helping us to provide you with news by buying a copy of our newspaper.

Thank you

Allan Crow, Editor, Fife Free Press