Highland Council Elections 2012; progress so far on seeking views

Further to my last post I thought I would update readers with respect to my search for local election candidates views on planning matters and most especially encouraging community involvement in planning.


One of the most obvious tasks was to print out the list of candidates (list only provides the candidates home addresses) from the Highland Council web site.  You may or may not be surprised to read that there are some 170 Candidates across Highland competing for 80 positions.


Then armed with the list and a selection of coloured highlighter pens the job of attempting to contact the candidates began in earnest.  To contact candidates by post would have been prohibitively expensive so email seemed the most cost effective option.


I had already managed to email all the current Highland Councillors; I had realised  that not all were seeking re-election but I thought I would give the outgoing councillors the chance to send a brief, 'planning farewell' if they were so minded.  Bright green highlights then denoted 'existing councillors contacted' .


Then I contacted some candidates directly where I was able; names now highlighted in bright pink.


I then set about contacting the main political party offices.  


Full marks to the worker at the party office of the Scottish Conservative and Unionists for being friendly, polite and gently helpful; agreeing to forward a message to their Highland candidates and keeping me updated of the progress of my request.  This site also gets full marks for having a telephone number for me to call and a personal email supplied for me to contact with further details after my phone call.


Next came the polite efficiency of the Labour Party Office - although I did have to call directory Enquiries for a number first and there was no 'Enquiry Form' option on the web site.  However all the Scottish Lab Candidates in Highland should be getting an email from me via the main Scottish Labour party office.


Lots of bright purple highlights now against the Conservative and Labour candidates denoting candidates being contacted via party offices.


I have left messages on the SNP, Scottish Lib Dems and the Scottish Green Party web sites enquiry forms requesting assistance.  I have also sent an email to the info address on the Scottish Christian Party Site.  


I am making strenuous efforts to contact the All Scotland Pensioners Party and the Scottish Anti-cuts Coalition.  


I hope to be able to highlight the above mentioned parties candidates names in purple soon.  Fingers Crossed.


I am setting about addressing envelopes to get in touch with the independents and other candidates that I cannot find email addresses for.


I hope that this all falls into place by the weekend and all the comments can then start flooding in.


Wish me luck.