Public 'should have a say'on £1million fund

SNP demand consultation

- JUDITH TONNER

Opposition councillors have called for residents to “have more of a say” in deciding how a new £1 million fund for local projects is distributed across every area of South Lanarkshire.

The local authority's SNP group says locals should have a say in determining how the £50,000 for each ward is spent and described plans for councillors to make the decisions at an executive committee meeting as “an outdated and out-of-touch approach”.

Group members criticised “the administration's decision to exclude any form of public consultation or engagement” but council leader Joe Fagan says the process following the announcement of the new funding in February’s budget is “intended to get this money into the community as soon as possible” and allows councillors to put forward ideas from the community.

South Lanarkshire’s “building back” budget for 2025-2026 included allocating £1m to a local action fund, to be split evenly between the 20 wards of the local authority.

Guidance sent last month to elected members asked for local ideas and proposals for one-off projects in the current financial year, inviting each group of ward councillors to discuss potential options “and if able to agree a single suggestion for their ward”, with submissions to be made by May 2.