MEMBERS of Cowdenknowes Com- munity Council have vowed to go it alone if plans to re-organise them are given the go-ahead next month.

Chairman Iain Freer and secretary Ivy Siegfried have spoken out against a review which would reduce the number of community councils from 20 to 12.

A report on the review will go before Inverclyde Council"s policy and strategy committee on Thursday 3 April.

They claim the plans, which would see them join with Hole Farm, Pennyfern and Overton, will destroy the community for which they have worked so hard since forming six years ago.

Mr Freer said: 'We are going to lose our community identity.

'The council don"t know what community means and with this review they are actually cutting off a lot of people who are part of this community.' Since forming in 1997, Cowdenknowes have campaigned tirelessly. Members have set up one of the largest neighbourhood watch schemes in Inverclyde, built a jubilee walk at Murdieston Dam, organised traffic calming measures, run bus trips and introduced an annual Christmas dance.

But Mrs Siegfried believes that if more areas are included, the community council will become unworkable.

She said: 'In this area we all know what we want and what we are looking for. But Hole Farm will want something else and that will different from Pennyfern, so how are we ever to reach an agreement?

'If this does go ahead we won"t be a part of the community council, we will form our own resident"s association.' Councillor Sandy Nimmo, whose ward includes Cowdenknowes, said he would be sorry to see them go.

He said: 'They are first class. They represent their community and they really help me to help them.

'I would be devastated if they folded.' Brian Purdie, head of customer service at Inverclyde Council, said: 'We are preparing a report for the policy and strategy committee following the consultation on the review.

'The report will include the representations of Cowdenknowes as well as other community councils and the committee will then consider the report and make a decision. It will then have to approved by the full council.

'We will just have to await the outcome.'