Action must be taken now to assist island communities to recover from the Covid-19 pandemic, say the SNP Group at Comhairle nan Eilean Siar.
The Group successfully added five recommendations to the Council’s Corporate and Political Strategy at last week’s meeting of full council.
The recommendations put forward by the SNP Group included a full review of the Energy Strategy; a poverty needs assessment Post-Covid to direct future actions against poverty by December 2020; and a cost/benefit analysis on establishing research and development hubs in the Outer Hebrides.
Group Leader Cllr Gordon Murray said the Corporate Strategy could only be meaningful if the document was backed up by action.
He said: “A corporate strategy can only be a meaningful document if it is backed up by action. It is futile without commitment to its implementation.
"We now need to not only implement the corporate strategy but also measure its impact on the local economy. We need to ensure that the council enhances the local economy and does not shrink it with its actions."
"We want to encourage more and more employers to pay the Living Wage during this time. In-work poverty is a real concern and our recommendation for a poverty needs-assessment analysis by December 2020 will advise us on any direct intervention the council needs to take to prevent our people slipping into poverty."
"A new-normal is the new cliché but we have to look at different ways of working. It is great to see the council finally agree with our campaign for flexible working and our staff have really responded to working at home or in their locality. This will have a transformational effect on our communities and especially localism. "
"We want to see improved employment growth and by growing certain businesses we would like to see partnership working between the local college and businesses in reducing skill shortages. our Business Gateway has such an important role to play and the council needs to support them to ensure not only an increase in business start-ups but also improve the 3 year business survival rates."
"We would also like to see an increase in jobs in social enterprises and hope to see developments arising from crown estate monies and other initiatives."
"Our recommendation for a cost/benefit analysis on the potential for research and development / science hubs. In order to develop a dynamic competitive knowledge industry locally, the knowledge triangle (research, education and innovation) must be central to that strategy. This has the potential to improve the demographic balance of people by age in employment.
“These additional recommendations when implemented will allow us to target resources in helping people who have been badly affected by the pandemic. It also allows us to review where we are in terms of our Energy resources and localism.
“I am particularly pleased that the Comhairle agreed with the group on a costs/benefit analysis on research and development hubs which have great potential in bringing high-tech, highly paid jobs to the island and bringing millions into the local economy.
