Silverknowes Boundary Success

9/11/06

Margaret Smith MSP has welcomed the Scottish Executive’s decision to overturn the Boundary Commission’s recommendation that Davidson's Mains should be split in three at next year’s council elections.

Silverknowes will now be part of Almond Ward with Davidson's Mains Village and part of Corbiehill. As local MSP, Margaret Smith has played a key role in the fight to get the decision overturned and has met with Deputy Minister for Local Government, George Lyon MSP, to make the case for keeping Davidson's Mains together.

Margaret Smith said: "I’m delighted that the Minister has listened to our concerns. This is a fitting reward for all the hard work local residents and the Davidson's Mains and Silverknowes Residents’ Association have put in. I’ve been pleased to play my part. Many people thought we had no chance of getting this overturned but I’m delighted that the Lib Dem/Labour Executive has listened to the hundreds of local people who contacted them and the Boundary Commission about this decision. My only disappointment is that the Minister didn’t accept that Corbiehill should all be in the Almond ward , on the grounds of parity of ward sizes. We have been trying to get some clarification from the Electoral Registration Office at the Council about which houses in Corbiehill will be in Almond and which will be in Inverleith but they don’t know yet. I will endeavour to keep residents posted on this issue.“

Margaret Smith MSP , Cllr Jim Lowrie and local activist
Neil MacLean welcome the Silverknowes boundary news

More than 600 residents, the Davidson's Mains and Silverknowes Residents Association, other community groups and local Liberal Democrats Margaret Smith MSP, John Barrett MP and Cllr Jim Lowrie wrote to the Commission last year condemning their decision to split the community. More recently, after the proposals were passed to Ministers more than 200 local people wrote to the Scottish Executive.

Meanwhile, the Liberal Democrat Group on the Council proposed a motion condemning the Commission’s plans and this won cross party support – unlike a similar motion the group had tabled in May 2005 which was not supported by the Tory or Labour groups. Finally, as a result of the second motion, the Council wrote to Ministers in August asking them to overturn the decision of the Commission.

Margaret Smith has also welcomed the Minister’s decision to accept ward name changes put forward by the Council.