Highland Council members have called for the local authority, Scotland’s largest by geographical area, to be broken up.
They want to see a review into how the area could be served by smaller councils.
A motion to be considered today says the current governance arrangements were ‘forced upon’ the area nearly 30 years ago in ‘nothing more than an experiment’.
It adds: ‘No amount of good intentions and efforts from this chamber and council can realistically deliver the best for such a diverse population.’
The Highland Council serves a third of the land area of Scotland, including the most remote and sparsely populated parts of the UK.
The motion, signed by nine councillors, calls on the council to acknowledge ‘repeated’ statements made by Holyrood politicians that the area is too large.
It concludes: ‘This council agrees to take up offers made by several members of the Scottish Government and Parliament to seek a review into [how] a new local authority and/or governance arrangements would better serve the vast and wide range of needs of our Highland communities.’
If the motion is approved, the council leader will write to the Scottish Government about the proposals and establish a working group to capture members’ views.
