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Plea to save Lockerbie Community Council

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By Fiona Reid
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Plea to save Lockerbie Community Council

AT LEAST 20 letters of support are required to re-establish Lockerbie Community Council — following its collapse.

Residents are being urged to pledge their support to the group after it was announced last week that it will disband.

The long-established community group needed at least six members to continue operating, but only five locals expressed a desire to serve as community councillors in its next term.

This means the group is set to dissolve on October 23. Tuesday will mark the last meeting of the current seven community councillors — many of whom decided not to stand for re-election.

Current chairwoman Jan Andrews put her name forward and is dismayed that the organisation is set to fold.

She said: “I think it’s awful for a town the size of Lockerbie with such a big community for this to have happened.”

She added: “This won’t be the end of Lockerbie Community Council. Hopefully we will be able to recruit new members and get the committee back up and running again soon.”

Annandale North Councillor Stephen Thompson, who attends every meeting as an elected member, is also hopeful that locals will rally.

He said: “The community council will be able to re-establish but enough people need to volunteer and come forward to make it work. “

If at least 20 residents write to the local authority calling for the community council to be reformed then it will be allowed to continue.

However, it will still require six or more people to come forward to serve. And if there are less than six nominations then there will be a minimum 12 month period before another attempt can be staged.

Letters calling for the re-establishment of the community council will not be considered before December 25 this year.

And if enough are received, existing valid nominations will be carried over.

When the group dissolves next Friday all its assets, including its funds, will be transferred to Dumfries and Galloway Council to be held in trust until the group reforms.

If after four years no group is established then the money will be gifted back to the community council area in some format.

Lockerbie Community Council will meet on Tuesday at 7.30 pm at Lockerbie Town Hall, with chairwoman Jan Andrews encouraging as many interested locals as possible to attend the meeting and commit to the organisation’s future.

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