Call for nominations for Kirkwall and St Ola Community Council Vacancies

A public meeting is due to take place on 27 November to elect new members to the Kirkwall and St Ola Community Council.

Kirkwall & St Ola Community Council is a voluntary organisation set up by Orkney Islands Council and run by local residents to act on behalf of the area, meeting in the evenings once every 6-8 weeks.

There are currently three vacancies to fill – and a call has gone out for nominations to fill those vacancies.

All electors entered on the current Register of Electors for the Kirkwall & St Ola area have the right to be nominated as a candidate.

Anyone wishing to fill one of the vacancies must be nominated by two electors who are also on the current register for Kirkwall & St Ola and those nominators must then be present at the meeting to make the nomination.

The candidate must either be present at the meeting or have submitted a request to OIC Democratic Services by midday on 27 November indicating that they wish to stand for election either:

• In writing - Democratic Services, Orkney Islands Council, School Place, Kirkwall, KW15 1NY.
• By email -  communitycouncils@orkney.gov.uk

Should the number of candidates exceed the number of vacancies a secret ballot will be held at the meeting. 

The meeting takes place on Monday, 27 November 2023 at 7:00pm in the St Magnus Centre, Kirkwall.

Ross Cunningham is Orkney Islands Council’s Service Manager for Democratic Services and Communications. He said: “The most exciting part of being a member of a Community Council is the ability to be directly involved in many of the decisions affecting whichever part of Orkney someone calls home.

“Community Councils have many responsibilities - they can influence important planning decisions and council policy, campaign on local issues affecting members of the community, engage with public agencies on behalf of the area, and have an annual budget which can be used to support local groups, causes and events.

“There are currently vacancies on the Kirkwall & St Ola Community Council, so I would ask anyone living locally who wants to make a difference to their home town and to be directly involved in local decision-making to consider putting themselves forward for nominations at the public meeting on 27 November.

“It’s open to anyone living in the area, whether you’ve lived here all your life or have moved here in recent years, and you don’t need any prior experience. Being part of a Community Council is also a great way to learn more about local democracy and to build your skills and experience.”

If you are considering standing but would like more information please email communitycouncils@orkney.gov.uk or phone 01856 873535 ext 2264.