Do you agree with the Commissions's proposals that Islands Council Do you support the overall pattern of should have 21 councillors, the same wards that the Commission has ID number as at present? - Agreement Please provide reasons for your answer - Text box proposed? - Support Please provide reasons for your answer - text box Organisation type? - About you

Although I believe that there is over-representation in Overall, this would appear to be a sound proposal. However, given the variation from parity in the Orkney, if the agreed ratio of councillors to voters is East Ward, I would be tempted to consider reducing councillor numbers for this Ward by OIC1 Yes 1:800 then this comes close to meeting that. Yes one and adding that into the North Isles Ward to reduce the negative variation there. Member of the public OIC2 Yes I believe it is the optimum number. Yes I believe it is the best geographic balance. Member of the public OIC3 Yes Yes Over-representation for the Isles is a necessity. Member of the public

21 is sufficient to cover the islands of Orkney. Although the current method of multi member wards does not work well. This may be because most councillors are extremely poor at communicating with the public. They do no hold surgeries so most people have no idea who is covers a very large area with quite different issues across it. I don't like islands representing them. It might be better if the wards were being lumped together and I particularly feel that is not well represented as has a OIC4 Yes smaller . No much bigger population (and electorate). Member of the public

I think there needs to be 4 reps for North Isles as not enough recognition of additional burden on elected members of travel, etc. Difficult to cover more than 3 Islands each Councillor. Islands all have their own organisations to engage with, infrastructure, transport OIC5 No issues, etc Yes Member of the public

If the research already carried out can be evidenced then the organisation should just get on with it without too much more messing around. Being part of in England in the early-mid 90s,the best thing is just to OIC6 Yes push on. Yes Keeps it all very clear. Member of the public

OIC7 Yes Think that is right number no need for more No No need to change what's working Member of the public

It has always felt about right up until now and I see no They are logical in terms of balancing less and more populated areas of Orkney and those areas that OIC8 Yes reason to change the total number Yes feel they fit together Member of the public

OIC9 No They are all useless, get rid of the lot of them No Waste of time, the councillors do not represent the voice of the people anymore.

Kirkwall being split into these two wards gives Kirkwall an overall advantage over all the other We need the same number but we need them to wards in Orkney. OIC officials need to be held responsible for their actions and sacked not given a remember they are representing the people not OIC golden handshake, pushed sideways and promoted. They will use this to their own advantage to OIC10 Yes incomer officials No have more of their hairbrained schemes that the people of Orkney don't want or need. Member of the public

There are too many councillors at present and the number should be reduced. The present councillors in Kirkwall west appear to do nothing or at least they dont The islands all bunched together in the north isles has not worked in the past due to the particular keep the electorate informed of what they are doing and Island councillors giving favour to the island that they stay in. The mainland wards have much they are quite difficult to get a hold off. In this day and higher numbers in them and generally get better looked after as they are for instance in Kirkwall age of cutting costs then the numbers should be reduced and there are two groups of councillors totalling 8 or 9 and there is from my perception anyway a OIC11 No as they have done with OIC employees No bit of the old boys club going on and this should be stopped. Member of the public

The reason for change is not apparent...change for changes sake! Larger wards but no real change in councillor numbers, how does this make a difference to how we interact with our elected members? It seems to be a case of action but no benefit wasting OIC12 No taxpayer money yet again. No See earlier response Member of the public

Get it down to 11. At least 10 are so lightweight and lack the required abilities.

This would provide a substantial saving immediately.

Currently the number of severe financial mistakes and OIC13 No poor judgment displayed is legendary. Yes We have a population of around 21,000 and do not need a councillor for every 1000 people. Member of the public

OIC14 Yes Approx 1000 people per councillor is a good average. Yes Agreed on the provision that councillors each have approx 1000 constituents. Member of the public

Very Few Listen To The Public And Can Not :look AtThe OIC15 No Islands As A Whole No Too Many With Different Egenders We Should Be Looking For Solutions As One Island Member of the public 21 is a good number appears at present to work quite OIC16 Yes well Yes looks fine to me Member of the public

There are too many for such a small population and half OIC17 No of them are a waste of space. No

South Ronaldsay and should be separate from east mainland due to Island nature have OIC18 No Less number to reduce the differing opinions No different requirememts Member of the public

The Council needs to be reviewing all aspects of its services as part of its budget review/constraints. This Should be following the way the health board have approached grouping of areas so the 2 statutory must include councillors numbers too - not just front line bodies are following the same principles - or sit down with health board to agree how to group. OIC19 No services. No Essential the 2 bodies are able to consult, communicate and inform the same groups Member of the public

Although the overall population may be smaller the dynamics, logistics and general needs between the areas on the mainland alone are very different never mind the inner and outer island populations. There is rural, town, semi-rural, areas linked by causeways or only accessible by ferry or islander planes. By having the diversity represented in the number of councillors then there is representation equally for all islanders no matter where they are living. Not everyone will get what they want or sadly sometimes need from the council but will have had I am pleased that there is no reduction in linked or outer isle councillors. I would rather have seen a voice through their representative. Island communities an additional north isles councillor and 1 less for as there would be similar like mine will die if only a limited core of people have issues/people groups represented whereas 3 between all the north isles is not such even OIC20 Yes representation . Yes representation. It is the problem with numerical type splitting. Member of the public The inner isles of , and Wyre and would be better served by being associated with their mainland landing point - West Mainland and Kirkwall respectively - in the same way that Hoy, Walls, and are associated with Stromness. These inner (close isles) are very different in nature to the Outer North Isles of , Papay, , Sanday, and . This would better reflect the way in which services and transport connections function for the inner isles. This would also increase the number of elected members with an interest in the isles, which is sadly Decision-making could be more effective with a lesser lacking in the current arrangements, meaning it is difficult to ‘compete’ with mainland issues for OIC21 No number of councillors No attention in the chamber. Member of the public

22,000 divided by 7or 8 is 2-3000 constituents per councillor. Any moderately capable representative should manage this number. Most MP’s cope with around 65,000 so it would not be particularly onerous. Some allowance for Geographic distribution but the It’s difficult to discern the numbers from your maps but anything which brings the total down OIC22 No current situation is ludicrous. Yes makes sense. Member of the public

Numbers seem fine, Orkney is not a big authority , but OIC23 Yes distribution may be a consideration. Yes In terms of demographic numbers I see the argument & generally a fair representation.

There are a lot of difficult decisions to be made in these tricky times. It is good to have a number of councillors to make these decisions or you end up with officers taking OIC24 Yes actions undemocratically and wrong. Yes They work Member of the public

OIC25Yes No I think the West Mainland could do with another Councillor Member of the public OIC26 Yes Ieave alone if it works Yes Again if not broke leave alone

I know that the outer isles already have more councillors per capita, but it still does not give them any say overall. The majority of Orcadians live on "connected isles" and have very little understanding of the challenges faced by those who have to use ferries just to get to the dentist. Connected Orcadians recently suggested that the outer isles would need no facilities to charge their electic cars, for example, and the voice of just 3 councillors (who may or may not be on the island of a particular person) don't hold any sway in discussions like that. Inter island travel is not widely considered important (except to those under-represented who use it). I believe that the unconnected outer isles should have at least one third of all councillors, if not half, so that the expensive but necessary changes to infrastructure finally get heard and tackled. While Kirwall, for example, has massive spending on roads, the outer isles got some temporary fix to cover up mile- long potholes, and while cruise ships get a lot of attention, the outer isles do not even have regular bus services, useable paths, maps, signage, hire cars, or fitting and adequate accommodation. These things will never change, and Orkney will never benefit from the huge tourist potential of the It seems enough, but the focus of concillors needs to be outer isles unless the centric political landscape is altered in favour of the under-represented. The more on the outer islands rather than their current ratio of councillors should reflect the necessary spending in any area, and the outer isles need the OIC27 Yes centristic view. No same spending regardless of the severe (and of course increasing) sparsity of population. Member of the public The outer isles are under represented. Perhaps a way forward would be looking at joining island wards eg Westray/papay and rousay Having 2 counsellors. Sanday/ Stronsay North Ron OIC28 No having two , eday /shapansay having 1 No Local issues and accessibility Member of the public OIC29 Yes see attached. Yes see attached.