Comments invited on Community Warden Agreement

Residents and organisations in Invergordon and Alness are being asked if they are happy with the agreement between The Highland Council and their community that sets out how the Community Warden Initiative will run.

The agreements, or Community Warden Compacts as they are officially known, are being reviewed for the first time since they were developed and officially signed by The Highland Council and representatives of each community last year.

Each of the three areas with a Community Warden has its own Compact.

Stephen Callan, Assistant Area Housing Manager for Ross and Cromarty, said the original compacts were developed in response to Scottish Executive guidelines, consultation with local organisations and the responses of individuals in the first household survey we conducted in Spring 2004.

"Each area’s Compact sets out all the details of the Initiative. Who’s responsible; how it will run; who’s involved; how we are going to manage, monitor and review the scheme; what contribution residents can make and what the Wardens can and cannot do," he said.

"Now the Compacts have been used for a year we want to try and improve them and are asking people to let us know what they think will do that." Stephen said.

Copies of each Community Warden Compact can be obtained from Alness and Invergordon Service Points. Local organisations and individual residents of the Coulpark, Firhill, Kirkside, Milnafua and Westford in Alness and South Lodge in Invergordon are invited to send their comments in by 11 November 2005 to Donna MacKenzie, Principal Housing Officer, Alness Service Point, Market Square House, Obsdale Road, Alness.

The improvements made to each compact will be one of the points discussed at public meetings reviewing the Initiative in December.

The Highland Council will continue to review the Community Warden Initiative and the Compact at set intervals when the communities involved will be invited to have their say again.