AS the elected member of Inverclyde sent to Westminster to represent all of Inverclyde, I value the work done locally by councillors and community councils.

We have a structure that not only allows but encourages participation from every citizen.

Whether they want to take part is their choice, but the mechanisms of democracy are in place for them to do so.

In Inverclyde we have 11 community councils, but they are not all active.

Community councillors are volunteers that give their time and effort free for the betterment of their local community.

And that ‘local’ is very important.

It’s because they care about and understand their community that they organise, galvanise and represent the people who live closest to them.

Unfortunately, the recently proposed changes to the boundaries of community councils undermine that ability.

In some cases, the better supported ones are being asked to expand and cover almost twice their current geography to compensate for less well supported areas.

This extra burden would lead to the demise of those community councils which is the polar opposite of what is required.

I often attend community council meetings and I am always impressed by the knowledge and passion of both those on the committee and those attending.

While councils call for extra funding and the powers to allocate that money, they must also appreciate that community councils could benefit from funding and powers.

Stretching them so far that they break is not a good strategy.

We need more community engagement not less and we need a community council structure that encourages more citizens to get involved.

Inverclyde Council is currently running a consultation on the proposed changes. I would ask everyone that cares about their community to feed into this consultation and let the council understand your requirements.

Don’t leave it to a handful of people and the goodwill of the council.

Who knows their community and its potential better than the people who live in it?