POSTIES Park, Bowling Harbour and A82 road safety; these are just some of the issues Dumbarton’s community councils have been able to influence.

However, for one community council, membership has now dwindled to a point where they urgently need new blood.

Dumbarton East and Central Community Council (DECCC) will be holding its annual general meeting (AGM) next month and the group’s secretary is inviting residents to come along and meet its members.

“Community councillors are presented with a large variety of local issues and problems,” said Dorothy Heron. “Some may affect a single constituent, some the entire community and beyond, and they have to make a balanced decision on what issues they will tackle and how.

“Whatever issues or campaigns are taken on, they must be issues that are the will of the majority of the constituents.

“Local authorities are supportive of community councils and as far as Dumbarton East & Central is concerned, we have a good relationship with councillors and Police Scotland representatives who attend our meetings to discuss and answer any issues which are raised by the community council.” Community councils were created in 1973 and have statutory rights and powers. Anyone is able to join the condition they live in the area served by that community council and are elected by registered voters.

Dorothy added: “Some of the issues which have involved community councils have been the local beaches clean-up campaign — either near the Rock or down at Levengrove. We were also invited to be part of the consultation on Bowling Harbour and the protection of the Kilpatrick Hills as well as giving our views on making the A82 safer, for example, speed limits.

“A big part of what we do is discussing any outstanding planning issues, like the building of any new house in the area, and also being part of the consultation on improving the retail areas and town centre to attract more people there.” Dorothy says it’s important residents don’t forget the key role the community councils had in the council’s u-turn on Posties Park as a preferred site for the new Our Lady and St Patrick’s (OLSP) High. She added: “Community Councils were instrumental in instigating the initial Save Posties Park campaign by gathering signatures for a petition which was presented to the council to retain the green space at Posties — this campaign highlighted a public spirit in Dumbarton which showed what people power could do.

“The views of the public do make a difference and community councils can be a channel in which to publicise those views.

“Members are urgently needed from residents who reside in the area from Dumbarton East to Risk Street.” Meetings are held on the second Tuesday of each month, bar July, at 7pm in St Augustine’s Church hall, Dumbarton, and the next meeting is the AGM which will be on Tuesday May 13.