Renfrewshire Council has given an update on how it plans to work with other local authorities which have resigned from the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities (COSLA).
Renfrewshire Council Leader Mark Macmillan said he had held meetings with his counterparts at the City of Aberdeen, Glasgow, and South Lanarkshire councils to discuss the creation of the new Scottish Local Government Partnership.
The Partnership will be formally created by March 2015 and has an agreed purpose, set of guiding principles, and ways of working. It is currently establishing Terms of Reference.
The agreed purpose of the Partnership is “to promote and secure the legitimate role of its member councils in the governance of Scotland”.
Membership will be open to all Scottish local authorities.
This means the membership will be diverse and, as a principle, the Partnership will recognise this diversity from the outset in its priorities, governance and support structures.
Cllr Macmillan said: “Councils across Scotland are facing unprecedented funding challenges and are working hard to find innovative and more efficient ways of working.
“The changing face of local government in Scotland requires a new partnership to represent local democracy and push for greater devolution from the Scottish Parliament and to local communities.
“Our absolute priority is to provide the best possible services for everyone who lives and works in Renfrewshire and the partnership signals the best way forward in ensuring we continue to deliver.”
The Partnership will be a lean organisation with a small directorate and secretariat. The directorate and secretariat will be hosted by a member authority.
The Partnership’s decision-making body will consist of all Leaders of member authorities. Decisions will be taken by consensus, rather than by a majority vote. Dissenting members will have the flexibility to operate outside the consensus while retaining membership of the Partnership.
The next steps for the Partnership are to agree the Terms of Reference and begin engagement with the Scottish Government and Trade Unions early in the New Year, with the aim to formally create the Partnership in March 2015.