COUNCILLORS have blasted plans to increase the number of elected members in their area.

Inverclyde Council's head of Legal Services has formally written to the Local Government Boundary Commission for Scotland fundamentally disagreeing with plans to change ward boundaries.

All 32 local authorities across the country have been asked for their views on proposals to change area boundaries, with the 2-month consultation closing yesterday.

If agreed nationally, the changes would mean Inverclyde increased their number of councillors from 20 to 22 - a move they say is a waste of taxpayers' money.

The local authority currently pays councillors £16,234 in remuneration costs every year.

In Glasgow, the proposals are to up the number of elected members to 85 - an increase of six people and an extra £12,699 per head.

Inverclyde Council leader Councillor Stephen McCabe said: "The boundary review has made a fundamental flaw in their proposals for Inverclyde.

"They have included us alongside Glasgow as a comparator authority.

"That doesn't make any sense trying to compare one of the country's smallest councils with one of the country's largest."

"With there being no justification for an increase in Councillor numbers even the financial consequences are unwelcome.

"Our point is there could be a fair distribution of councillors to electors by reviewing ward boundaries without an increase in elected member numbers which would have an impact on the public purse."

"The Council has now formally written to the Local Government Boundary Commission for Scotland to fundamentally disagree with the proposals and to re-state our preference to remain at 20 councillors for Inverclyde."

The local authority, which presides over Greenock, Gourock and Port Glasgow, claims the Boundary Commission's calculation for electoral numbers is wrong as it does not include new housing developments in the area.