THE latest meeting of West Dunbartonshire Council proved to be a hotly disputed affair when members met at Clydebank Town Hall last Wednesday.

Before the start of the meeting there was a two minute’s silence to commemorate the recent terrorist attack victims, the victims of the Grenfell Tower tragedy and 19 year-old Aaron Keenan, whose body was found near Kilpatrick rail station on Sunday, June 25.

Once matters got under way the Labour group announced three emergency motions they wished to discuss.

One related to the recent public meeting in Alexandria Community Centre, where almost 300 people gathered to discuss plans to reduce the GP Out of Hours service at Vale Leven Hospital.

Labour wanted a special meeting of the health and social care partnership convened, allowing elected members to pass a resolution confirming their opposition to the proposed cuts.

Another related to Singer Station and their plans to apply for charitable status.

The Labour group wanted council to agree to “earmark” the sale of 124 Main Street, Bonhill to the Singer Station School of Music and Performance, subject to the group achieving charitable status.

And the third item they put forward as an emergency motion was Armed Forces Day 2017, attacking the SNP dominated administration and accusing them of “failing” to join the rest of the country in supporting the day with events and processions on Saturday, June 24.

However, William Hendrie, the Provost, rejected Labour’s proposals to have the items included as “emergency” motions.

He did, however, allow the motions to be heard but the items were not discussed among rival parties.

A statement from the West Dunbartonshire Labour group said afterwards: “At a meeting of West Dunbartonshire Council on Wednesday, June 28 the new ‘open and transparent’ SNP administration refused to allow councillors to discuss a motion on the proposed closure of GP Out of Hours Services and instead, SNP Provost Willie Hendrie used his chairman’s powers to reject Labour’s calls to rule out any reduction in out-of-hours services at the Vale of Leven Hospital and convene a special meeting of the HSCP board to allow elected members to pass a resolution confirming their opposition to the cuts.”

Labour also accused the SNP of not sending a representation to the public meeting.

However, Jonathan McColl, the SNP council leader, stated that he was due to meet GP Brian Mclachlan, one of the main campaigners opposed to a reduction in the out of hours service on Thursday.

Mr McColl continued: “I am meeting with Brian and I’ll find out exactly what the feelings are. There is currently a review (of the out of hours service) and, at the moment an issue seems to be getting GP’s to fill these vacancies because it’s not meeting their pay expectations.

“There’s a lot of general issues that need to be resolved. There’s a lot to talk through and I will met with the chief executive of the health board too.

“In terms of pay expectations it seems our doctors are being treated differently from other doctors in NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde and if that’s the case we have to sort it.”