By Eric Nicolson

A PEACEMAKING Perth and Kinross councillor last night attempted to take the sting out of the boundary row which has erupted with their neighbours Dundee City, by accentuating the harmony that exists between the two local authorities.

Councillor Colin Young, who is the convener of Tayside Joint Police Board, is keen to get away from “headline grabbing” statements made by councillors on both sides yesterday on the possibility of boundary changes.

East Carse councillor Peter Mulheron feels part of his ward is under threat and said Dundee City Council was “simply trying to bolster its cash flow problem.

Perth and Kinross Council subsequently passed an emergency motion insisting the quality of local services would radically deteriorate if they were put under Dundee’s control.

This move was branded “hysterical” by the leader of Dundee City Council’s administration, Councillor Jill Shimi.

Taking on the role of diplomat, Mr Young said, “One could be forgiven for thinking that elected members from Dundee, Perth and Kinross, and Angus are constantly in dispute over the boundaries between their respective council areas.

“Fortunately this is far from the truth and the recent assertion by the Finance and Public Services Minister, Tom McCabe, that he was prepared to discuss plans to expand Dundee’s boundaries should be exposed as a blatant attempt to influence the deliberations of the Boundaries Commission.

“Thankfully, most of the politicians in local government are sufficiently experienced to recognise that working in harmony with neighbouring councils is far more productive than ministerial interference of this sort.

“The tripartite arrangement between Angus, Dundee and Perth and Kinross councils that oversees Tayside Police, Tayside Fire Brigade and Tayside Contracts works extremely well, and all the conveners work on a Tayside-wide basis to ensure good delivery of services, regardless of which local authority they come from.”

Mr Young added, “It is highly rewarding for all of us to be able to see that the communities in our respective council areas are provided with the services that they deserve without entering into cross-boundary disagreements.

“Each council has its own set of very different problems but we can learn from one another’s experiences and, hopefully, continue to improve all services.”