Time added to council action case

Edinburgh Council is bringing a court action to a community council

A judge has granted an Edinburgh community council time to try and obtain lawyers to challenge a court action brought by a local authority.

Edinburgh Council has launched a judicial review seeking to have the appointment of Paul Nolan, Craigmillar Community Council chairman, set aside.

The community council told the Court of Session in Edinburgh on Wednesday the city council would not give it a grant.

Lord Uist recommended a further application to the city council.

He said the problem was the community council relied on the local authority for funding and it needed funds to pay for legal advice.

The judge said the only way it could challenge the local authority decision would be to bring a judicial review of it, but it did not have the money for that.

He added: "It is not very fair on the face of it."

Lord Uist said: "The interests of justice require that the respondents (the community council) be given an opportunity to obtain legal representation."

He said this might be done through a further application to the city council or the Faculty of Advocates free representation scheme.