West
Lothian Council
www.westlothian.gov.uk
West Lothian Council scores 1/10.
In their letter to us in 2005, the Council stated that, although all land owned by the Council is digitally plotted on a map-based land terrier system, there is no information within the system to reveal what land is Common Good and which is not.
The Council thus does not know what property forms part of the Common Good of the 4 burghs within its area. The exception is Linlithgow which is the only burgh to be noted in the Accounts as having a Common Good Fund.
This is an unsatisfactory state of affairs and reflects the fact that the Council, like so many others, have simply taken over previous records in an unquestioning manner and never reviewed whether or not they are keeping proper records of Common Good assets. It also reflects the fact that too many Councils regard Common Good status as being synonymous with the Common Good Account. This is misleading since what is or is not admitted to the Accounts is not how Common Good is defined - it is a legal concept. Whilst that which is included in the Accounts can reasonably be assumed to be strong evidence of its Common Good status, omission carries little such evidential status to assume the contrary.
www.westlothian.gov.uk
West Lothian Council scores 1/10.
In their letter to us in 2005, the Council stated that, although all land owned by the Council is digitally plotted on a map-based land terrier system, there is no information within the system to reveal what land is Common Good and which is not.
The Council thus does not know what property forms part of the Common Good of the 4 burghs within its area. The exception is Linlithgow which is the only burgh to be noted in the Accounts as having a Common Good Fund.
This is an unsatisfactory state of affairs and reflects the fact that the Council, like so many others, have simply taken over previous records in an unquestioning manner and never reviewed whether or not they are keeping proper records of Common Good assets. It also reflects the fact that too many Councils regard Common Good status as being synonymous with the Common Good Account. This is misleading since what is or is not admitted to the Accounts is not how Common Good is defined - it is a legal concept. Whilst that which is included in the Accounts can reasonably be assumed to be strong evidence of its Common Good status, omission carries little such evidential status to assume the contrary.
1/10