We put key issues facing Angus to new council leader Bill Duff – this is what he said
by Liam Rutherford · The CourierNew Angus Council leader Bill Duff has a bursting to-do list as he takes up the new role.
The SNP councillor replaced Beth Whiteside following her resignation from the top post in July, who said at the time “personal reasons” were behind her decision to step down.
Taking up the mantle Mr Duff will have to address the lingering issues caused by the devastating Storm Babet, a multi-million-pound funding gap and stabilizing a council chamber plagued with recent controversies.
We sat down with the new leader to find out what he had to say on the matters.
And his stark early message to Angus residents includes a warning of a double-digit council tax hike and tough spending choices in key areas such as schools
Storm Babet
The Montrose representative promised to make Brechin a priority as he steps into the new role.
It is almost a year since the devastating Storm Babet battered Scotland’s east coast.
But in Brechin, one of the worst hit areas during the disaster, 60 council houses still remain uninhabitable and might never be re-occupied.
He said: “Brechin is probably the number one challenge, I would say that for me is the most important thing because there was a huge amount of devastation.
“People have been upset they have had to move house, there are lots of businesses impacted”
He added: “I would have to say I think our communication on Brechin has been perhaps not the best.
“I think that’s something we definitely need to improve on, in terms of letting the community know what’s going on, what we are doing, when we are doing it and what to expect. ”
Climate change
Tackling the climate emergency is another issue high on the new incoming leader’s list of priorities.
At the moment the council is spending half of it’s £120m five-year capital plan on the building of the new Monifieth learning campus.
But councillor Duff has warned that more of the council’s budget going forward will be spent on climate change mitigation.
“Now as we go forward I think the percentage of the capital plan that will need to be spent on mitigating climate change – that’s going to take a larger and larger proportion of our budget going forward,” said Mr Duff
“We will have to spend more of the capital on things more related to climate change and less on other things.
“This is something that’s going to be a fact of life and we’re going to have to accept that.
“Perhaps on things like schools, sports centres, all that sort of thing, it will be difficult to spend as much money on that going forward given the pressure of dealing with climate change.”
Council Tax hike
Stepping into the top role Mr Duff has to steer a council that is wrestling with a £37.5m funding gap in the next three years.
However, the councillor has warned with fewer money-saving options on the table to fill the gap Angus locals can expect to face a significant council tax increase.
“We have done a lot of cost saving, it’s now getting increasingly difficult because all the easy stuff has been done,” said Mr Duff.
“The amount of money we can save from the conventional cost saving is getting less and less.
“We are going to have to increase council tax, we flagged up some ago that it’s likely to be a double-digit increase.
“There was an estimate of 10%, but there was still a deficit so that 10% wasn’t enough on that basis.
“We’ve got to be honest with people, it’s going to be that level of magnitude.”
Stabilizing the council
Mr Duff also wants to unify the council chamber after what he said was a “turbulent” summer” for the authority.
Beth Whiteside stood down as the leader of the council.
SNP councillor Linda Clark also replaced former Angus Provost Brian Boyd, who resigned after an outburst during a council meeting left a fellow councillor Lois Speed in tears.
“It’s been quite a turbulent summer, I think an element of stability is needed,” said Mr Duff.
“We need to all work together and I think that goes beyond just the administration group.”
However this week councillor Serena Cowdy announced that she is quitting the SNP party over Scottish Government cuts, resulting in the new leader inheriting a minority administration.
Mr Duff said: “It will be more challenging, we will have to negotiate and discuss with other groupings and getting things done will be a bit more difficult.
“We might have certain things we won’t be able to do, inevitably we might lose some votes, we just have to accept that – that’s life as a minority administration.”