Community council elections for seven areas
(Story dated: May 7, 2003)

Nominations for Orkney’s community councils closed on Tuesday this week with a mixed response in different areas.

Public meetings will have to be called to attract more people to serve on the local councils from the North Walls area of the South Isles, Stronsay and Wyre in the North Isles, along with Holm, Kirkwall, South Ronaldsay and Burray and St Andrews and Deerness.

In contrast, there will have to be elections in seven areas where more candidates put their names forward than there are places available.

These are in Egilsay, Orphir, Sanday, Shapinsay, Stenness, Stromness and Westray.

Where there are exactly the same number of nominees as community council places, the people who submitted their names are automatically elected. These are in Birsay, Evie and Rendall, Firth, Graemsay, Harray, Hoy, Longhope, Rousay, Sandwick and Scapa.

There will be a postal ballot to elect community councillors in Eday, Flotta, North Ronaldsay and Papa Westray.