Brief: QDCC is an elected council of local residents, working voluntarily to represent the interests of the district and its residents. Covering Queensferry (Scotland), Dalmeny and as far east as Craigiehall. We are not part of City of Edinburgh Council or any other authority, we merely represent residents and the town to those authorities on a voluntary basis.
Detailed version: Queensferry & District Community Council is a non-political voluntary but statutory body of local residents representing the people of Queensferry and Dalmeny, involved in a wide range of issues making local representation on areas such as Planning, transport, housing, education, licensing, safety, health, environment and policing.
Sub-committees of the community council meet local stakeholders and officials regularly to take forward issues on behalf of the community in addition to monthly business meetings of the full community council.
Primarily appointed to represent the views of the community with the local authorities, government bodies & agencies and Police Scotland, QDCC are statutory consultees on planning and licensing matters. We engage with developers on the large applications and ensure that adequate public consultation meetings are held.
We work closely with many local interest groups supporting them with the voluntary/charity work they do e.g. Sea Cadets, Rosebery Hall, CleanFerry, Green Ferry, Queensferry HeritageTrust, Queensferry History Group, Christmas in Queensferry, etc. and represent local business’ interests.
QDCC attends many meetings representing the community such as Forth Bridges World Heritage Management Committee, CEC convenors’, officers’ and Directors’ meetings on Transport, Planning, Waste & Cleansing, Parks, Education, Almond Neighbourhood meetings, Safety Forum meetings, Community Alcohol Partnership, CruiseForth, etc
To find out more about the work of the community council please continue to browse our site. Our contact details can be found on the ‘Contact ‘ page.
Up to date information and topical discussion can be viewed on our public Facebook page here. (No Facebook account required to read). Also in the monthly reports here.
QDCC has a maximum of nine elected voluntary local representatives and up to six nominated voluntary representatives proposed by local interest groups. Community Officers from Police Scotland regularly attend meetings.These are joined by the four Almond Ward councillors.
Current membership as at 1st Aug 2024:
Elected Community Councillors (Voluntary local residents)
| Keith Giblett | Chair |
| Terry Airlie | Vice Chair & Correspondence Secretary |
| Diane Job | Treasurer & Planning/Housing Convenor |
| Grant Sangster | Transport & Environment Convenor |
| Graeme McKinley | Communications Convenor |
| David Flint | Education & Recreation Convenor |
| Neil McKinlay | Environment sub-Convenor |
| Anne Mitchell | Health & Wellbeing Convenor |
| Anne Marie Boyd | Community councillor – Education & Young People |
Local Interest Group Nominated Representatives
| Mark Meredith | Queensferry Boat Club |
| David Learmond | Queensferry Heritage Trust |
| Gillian Smith | Queensferry Churches Care in the Community |
| Vacant | Queensferry Business Group |
Associate Members
| Laura Sexton | Resident |
| Liz Holmes | Minute Secretary |
| PC Euan Sinclair / PC Donald Macleod | Police Scotland |
| Kenny Manson | Queensferry High School |
Ex-Officio Members
See ‘Contact Us’ page for more details
| Cllr Kevin Lang | Almond Ward Councillor | Scottish Lib Dems |
| Cllr Norman Work | Almond Ward Councillor | Scottish National Party |
| Cllr Lewis Younie | Almond Ward Councillor | Scottish Lib Dems |
| Cllr Louise Young | Almond Ward Councillor | Scottish Lib Dems |
What is a Community Council?
Community councils are voluntary but statutory bodies with rights and powers granted under UK and European legislation. They play a vital role in local democracy by ascertaining and coordinating the views of local people and conveying these to a range of organisations.
Community councils were established under Section 51 of the Local Government (Scotland) Act 1973 to ‘ascertain, coordinate and express to the local authorities for its area, and to public authorities, the views of the community which it represents, in relation to matters for which those authorities are responsible, and to take such action in the interests of that community as it appears to be expedient and practicable.’
Queensferry & District Community Council (QDCC), first formed in the summer of 1986, is today one of the longest running community councils in the region and is widely respected across Edinburgh as being one of the strongest and most active community councils in the city. Under the Edinburgh Council Scheme fifteen members are permitted.
QDCC covers the communities of South Queensferry and Dalmeny bounded by the River Almond to the east, the West Lothian Council boundary, and the M9 spur to the south.
Community councils are required to operate in accordance with the Scheme for Community Councils administered by the local authority. The Constitution, Standing Orders and Code of Conduct govern the order of business for meetings and the responsibilities of community council members. Responsibility for ensuring community councils comply with the Scheme rests with the collective membership of each community council.
The membership of the Community Council comprises of:
- Four membership types: community councillor (elected or co-opted), nominated member, associate member and ex-officio member.
• Elected members returned through the community council elections or co-opted by the community council to fill a vacancy.
• Nominated members represent local interest groups and must apply to the local authority to be represented.
• Associate members can be appointed by community councils where the individual has a particular area of knowledge or expertise that would assist the work of the community council. Such areas of expertise may include for example planning legislation, transport policy or IT.
• Local authority councillors, MPs, MSPs and MEPs whose wards or constituencies fall wholly or partly within the community council’s area are ex-officio members of the community council.
Office-bearers for the Community Council consist of:
- Every year at the AGM the community council appoints a Chair, Vice-Chair, Secretary and Treasurer.
• The Chair is the chief spokesperson for the community council and chairs the monthly business meetings.
• The Secretary deals with all ingoing and outgoing correspondence and is the main point of contact for the community council.
• The Treasurer manages the community council’s finances and is required to arrange an annual audit of the accounts.
QDCC Convenors and Sub-Committees
The community council appoints Convenors to oversee the work on a specific area or issue. Topics include transport, planning, communications, environment, tourism, health, housing, recreation and education.
Transport and Planning Convenors are supported by sub-committees of QDCC members to deal with and progress issues outside of the monthly business meetings and to liaise with external stakeholders eg, developers, transport authorities etc.
Sub-Committees can be convened for set periods on specific issues or developments if required eg, Forth Crossing Bill, City Budget Bid etc.
The role of QDCC members is to seek out and champion the views of local residents and bring matters of importance to the attention of the community council.To work in the best interest of the community by progressing such issues with the relevant authorities or agencies, with the support and backing of the community council. To support the office-bearers ensuring that work is shared across the community council membership and not placed excessively with the office-bearers.
QDCC members responsibilities are to comply with the Edinburgh Community Councillors’ Code of Conduct. Collective responsibility to ensure the community council complies with the Scheme, Constitution and Standing Orders. Collectively ensure monthly business meetings are conducted efficiently and in a business-like manner by keeping discussions on topic and following the directions of the Chair.
Monthly business meetings
Queensferry & District Community Council meets on the fourth Monday of every month from January to November, with meetings normally held at 7.30pm in the Burgh Chambers*, under the museum on the High Street, South Queensferry. Members of the public are welcome to attend and make representations. If there is a specific issue you would like to be discussed at the meeting, please email us.
Notice of all meetings is given by the issuing of an agenda by the Minute Secretary 7 days before the meeting takes place. Monthly business meetings feature reports from the office- bearers, ward councillors, convenors and a police report. Decisions of the community council are made by the presenting of a Motion which must be seconded. Where a Motion contrary to one already tabled is presented, the decision will be made by a simple majority vote of the members.Only elected and nominated community council members may vote or move motions. All meetings are advertised on QDCC Facebook, Twitter and local notice boards.
* since the pandemic, meetings have been online as mentioned.