More council seats targeted by Greens in local authority elections
Greens are aiming to win seats on more than half of Scotland's councils in this year's local authority elections.
Greens are aiming to win seats on more than half of Scotland's councils in this year's local authority elections.
Party chiefs believe having just one or two members on an authority could "make all the difference" in terms of policies.
In the 2012 local government elections, the Scottish Greens got 14 councillors elected, giving it representatives on five out of Scotland's 32 councils.
The party has seen a surge in membership in the aftermath of the 2014 independence referendum, and in the 2016 Holyrood elections it saw its number of MSPs rise from two to six.
On the back of that Melanie Main, co-convener of the Association of Scottish Green Councillors, said they were "confident of some real breakthroughs this May".
She added: "Our campaign plans are already well-advanced, with most of our candidates in place.
"Our aim is get onto the majority of Scotland's councils, where even just one or two Green councillors will make all the difference.
"In these uncertain political times, it's important that people know that electing Greens means getting councillors who listen and who cut through the tribal bickering of other parties so that communities get a real say."
The Greens currently have councillors in Edinburgh, Glasgow, Aberdeenshire, Midlothian and Stirling, with representatives in the capital involved in work to ensure no-one is evicted as a result of the so-called "bedroom tax" and championing action to bring empty homes back into use.
Meanwhile, in Glasgow City Council, Scotland's largest local authority, they have worked to improve outdoor spaces and sports centres, and helped bring in a low carbon heating policy.
Ms Main, the councillor for Meadows and Morningside on Edinburgh City Council, stressed: "Our councillors will use any leverage they get to bring power back to local people.
"Our communities tell us that councils are often too remote and simply don't listen. We need to reverse the trend of centralised decisions.
"Greens have led the way in involving the public and improving accountability, through initiatives such as participatory budgeting and webcasting."