A COMMUNITY ASSOCIATION is to hold discussions with Moray’s MSP over concerns they have about their relationship with a local Estate owner and the Moray Council.
Residents at Newmill will attend a meeting hosted by Richard Lochhead next week following several concerns being expressed to the Holyrood representative, including a lack of maintenance to roads owned by the Newmill Estate, a derelict building situated in the Newmill Square and the level of services being provided by the local authority.
The MSP has promised residents that he would hold a meeting “to bring the community together”, allowing them the opportunity to discuss the challenges faced by the village but also the potential opportunities that working together could create – in particular in light of the recent ‘Community Empowerment’ legislation that passed through the Scottish Parliament.
Speaking ahead of the meeting, Mr Lochhead said: “Many members of the community in Newmill have been in touch with me to express concerns about the lack of attention paid to the village by the Estate, which owns a number of the roads and lanes within the village, and their desire to see the infrastructure improved.
“I know that local Councillor Gary Coull, and the community association have been working hard to put pressure on Newmill Estates for some time now but unfortunately to this point have had limited success.
“At my recent surgery in Newmill, I met with a number of constituents who live in the village who feel that the community is often overlooked by both the Estate and the Council, and it was clear that they wanted more of a say in the future of their community and the services that they require.
“The purpose of Monday’s meeting therefore, is to bring residents together allowing them the to opportunity to air their views on the challenges they face as a community and how they can work together to shape the future of Newmill.”