A private meeting to clear the air is be held by community councillors in Cove and Kilcreggan, after claims that visitors were shocked by their behaviour in meetings.
Last week disputes around planning issues were raised again, as well as wider issues about language in emails and meetings.
Community councillor James McLean had lodged a complaint, saying he had arranged a meeting with Argyll and Bute planners but convener John Auld had intervened unexpectedly.
“I took a lot of time and trouble to organise a meeting with the planners and my meeting was disrupted,” he said.
“All I wanted to do was go and talk to the planners about what relationship we could form between the planners and use, and I wasn’t allowed to report back.”
Complaints by members including Mr Auld about Mr McLean’s behaviour in a meeting in July 2022 were upheld by Argyll and Council, while at the meeting in May the same year Mr Auld accused people commenting on planning issues for land he owns of being ‘nimbies’.
At last week’s meeting vice convener Ali Mills said: “Various people in the community council and people who have been in the audience have been quite shocked by how people talk to each other within this group of people.
“It feels like it is more vociferous or stronger than maybe some people are comfortable with.
“It would be really nice if people could be kinder to each other in their communications by email and within meetings.
“It’s putting people off – people have said they will never come again.
“If we can’t be decent with each other, what example are we setting with the rest of the community?”
Nick Davies said Ms Mills had made a good point: “I think we all need to resolve to treat each other with respect.
“It would be a fairly useless community council if there were never any disagreements, but the bottom line is, I don’t think there is a single person in this that hasn’t got the objective of doing what’s best for this community. We just have different ideas of how one should go about that.
“There are issues that we need to air.
“My suggestion is that we have a private meeting in the next month or so at which we can have a full and open discussion, at least to identify where the differences lie.”
The private meeting would be at a neutral venue, preferably with an independent facilitator.
At the beginning of the meeting, a proposal that members who declared an interest would not have to leave the room when that matter was discussed was agreed.
Mr Auld became convener of the community council earlier this year, but Mr Davies chaired the part of last week’s meeting where complaints were discussed.
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