Tag: community empowerment

Empowering communities

Visit to group leading development of Inveraray Pier

First Minister Humza Yousaf met community group Inspire Inveraray to see first hand their ongoing work to regenerate the local pier as part of wider transformation plans for the area.

The community group purchased the pier in July 2023, using £121,374 from the Scottish Government supported Scottish Land Fund, to bring it back into operation, providing greater access for leisure and water sports, fishing activities and further connections to surrounding towns. The pier had previously been privately owned for 20 years and has been closed to the public for the past five years.

First Minister Humza Yousaf took a tour of the pier ahead of the 51st Travelling Cabinet and discussed how the funding had enabled the group to take on community ownership.

First Minister Humza Yousaf said: “Community empowerment is a key aim for this government and it was great to see in person a perfect example of a local group, supported by the Scottish Government, taking power of local assets for their community benefit as well as supporting the local economy.

“We are fully committed to ensuring that Scotland’s regions are able to thrive and contribute to a growing sustainable economy.

“I look forward to discussing this with the people of Inveraray and the wider Argyll and Bute area to achieve this within their local communities.”

Find out more about the Scottish Land Fund.

EXCLUDED: People from deprived backgrounds still left out of community empowerment action, say Holyrood Committee

A Scottish Parliament Committee has criticised the implementation of the 2015 Community Empowerment (Scotland) Act saying that not enough has been done to empower people from deprived backgrounds to take action in their communities.

The report by the Local Government and Communities Committee reflected on the impact of two key areas of the act aimed at empowering communities: participation and asset transfer requests. They concluded there is clearly work to be done in raising awareness of both, particularly in disadvantaged areas.

The Committee say a lack of resources and support at grassroots level is hindering progress in empowering communities, with the Scottish Household Survey revealing only 18% of Scots feel they can influence decisions affecting their local area.

They say more must be done to identify how to overcome barriers to engagement and have called on the Scottish Government to work with public bodies and COSLA to help communities use their rights to challenge and influence decisions and services.

With only just over 60 participation requests made since 2017, the Committee says it doubts whether, as suggested by one local authority, that indicates high levels of satisfaction with local services and that local communities feel more empowered.

They say that institutional views amongst councils that participation requests denote “failure” are holding back progress and need to change, and have recommended that the Scottish Government introduces an appeals mechanism to improve the process.

The Committee welcome the generally positive view stakeholders have of asset transfer requests. But they express concern with evidence that these requests can run into a wall, when the asset belongs to, or is operated by, an Arms-Length External Organisation (ALEO).

The report asks for clarity from councils and ALEOs to agree who owns which assets, and to make this information accessible to help improve the process.

Speaking as the report was published, Local Government and Communities Committee Convener James Dornan MSP said: “Our extensive engagement work has made it clear to us that community wellbeing is synonymous with community empowerment. Engaged and empowered communities are essential if people are to feel they have a real say in how their community operates.

“We’ve heard a number of really inspiring stories showing community empowerment driving positive change but it’s clear more must be done to ensure communities across Scotland, and particularly those from disadvantaged areas, can be a part of this.

“The Committee is concerned by evidence we have received of bodies coming across as indifferent or even hostile to the rights communities have to influence decisions.

“Knowledge is power and there is no doubt more must be done to raise awareness of participation requests and asset transfer requests which can give communities the tools to feel empowered.”

He added: “We appreciate that councils have faced unprecedented challenges this year as a result of the pandemic, but we are disappointed that local government did not play a bigger role in our inquiry.

“We are also very concerned by the low level of compliance from local authorities and public bodies with the formal reporting requirements outlined in the 2015 Act and this must be rectified so we can monitor the levels of community engagement.”

Democracy Matters: Communities want more local powers

New powers across areas of health, environment and leisure services could be given to local communities. Initial findings from the Local Governance Review published today, show that people overwhelmingly want more say about how public services are run in their area.

The review received more than 4,000 responses from across Scotland.

Publication today is the start of a process that could mean communities are given direct control of specific public services.

The Scottish Government is working with COSLA on the next stage of the review, which will look further into the type of powers communities would like to control. The results of the review will be published in 2021.

Communities and Local Government Secretary, Aileen Campbell, said: “A wide range of people with very different backgrounds, experiences and interests overwhelmingly responded that they want to have more say about how local public services are run in their area. 

“We want to see a step-change in democracy in Scotland where decisions on public services are made in communities – where they have the biggest impact.

“Options are open as to what services are devolved, and there is still a lot of detailed work to do but we have the opportunity to shape the future of democracy so local communities can really flourish.”

COSLA President Councillor Alison Evison said: “The initial stages of this review have made clear that local, democratic choice and control matters to people’s lives.

“There is now a need across the country to achieve improved outcomes for our communities, particularly those communities suffering persistent inequality.

“With leadership from Local Government and the Scottish Government, we will continue the conversation to get it right and give communities more say in decisions that impact on them.”

Director for Electoral Reform Society Scotland, Willie Sullivan, said:  “The biggest threat to democracy is that it does not grow and adapt quickly enough to meet the expectations of citizens.

“It’s clear that we have to remake democracy and governance for a time of rapid social and technological change and authoritarian threats. The only way to do this is from the local up and along with as many people as possible. The Scottish Government and COSLA seem to be embracing these ideas.

“Doing this well and getting it right will take time and attention. We welcome the progress made and will keep ensuring that democracy is at the centre of the hope for future transformation so that Scots can know the power and pride of running their own towns and villages”

Director of National Development for BEMIS Scotland, Mrs. Tanveer Parnez, said: “Utilising a human rights-based approach, in addition to facilitating participative democracy, within the Local Governance Review and associated Democracy Matters conversations, present an attentive and much needed approach to advancing democratic participation, active citizenship and empowerment for diverse communities at several levels.

“We have seen the impact of this approach through the positive and dynamic participation from diverse local communities in the first consultation phase, and we are fully committed to enhancing and progressing the equal partaking and participation of diverse communities in the next round of engagement and any new decision-making arrangements.”

Local Governance Review – Democracy Matters report

Read the full joint statement. 

The Local Governance Review has been delivered in partnership with COSLA and was launched to give local communities more say about how public services in their area are run.

We are encouraging everyone to get involved and help strengthen democracy in a way that makes Scotland a better place for all. If you want to stay in touch, you can sign up to our newsletter, email us at democracymatters@gov.scot and follow us on Twitter @CommEmpower.

Corra Foundation’s Change Convention: Thursday 28th March

Don’t miss the 2019 Change Convention!  Brought to you by the Corra Foundation, the day will explore the idea that for real change to happen we must be prepared to listen, hear challenges and be willing to change as a result. Continue reading Corra Foundation’s Change Convention: Thursday 28th March

Give communities more say in local planning, says Holyrood Committee

“A clear theme running through our report is the importance of empowering communities to have a meaningful say on the kind of place they want to live in” – Local Government & Communities Committee Convener Bob Doris

We want communities to have a stronger voice in planning what their neighbourhoods look like, says a Holyrood Committee today.

The Scottish Parliament’s Local Government and Communities Committee sets out recommendations to strengthen the Planning (Scotland) Bill in a report published today, while recognising that it has the potential to improve the planning process overall.

The Bill aims to streamline the system of development planning, support delivery of planned developments and includes a new right for communities to produce their own plans for their local areas called Local Place Plans.

Continue reading Give communities more say in local planning, says Holyrood Committee

Local Governance Review to ‘strengthen local decision-making’

Communities to have their say on how more decisions can be taken at a local level

 

The Scottish Government and COSLA have jointly launched a Local Governance Review, which will make sure local communities have more say about how public services in their area are run. The review will involve hearing from communities all across the country to get a clear understanding of the type of changes that are needed, and how these can be made to happen. Continue reading Local Governance Review to ‘strengthen local decision-making’

Reminder: Asset Mapping Research launch tomorrow

TUESDAY 31 MAY
3:30 – 5:30pm
The Prentice Centre
gis asset mapping
Please find attached an invitation to the gathering to hear and discuss the end report from the Granton Improvement Society Asset Mapping and Community Questionnaire.

Continue reading Reminder: Asset Mapping Research launch tomorrow

Soapbox: Fixing North Edinburgh

Muirhouse man and award-winning film maker Garry Fraser gives his take on his community’s current problems … 

poverty

It’s kinda ironic that the police put out their chopper every night and day, costing some were like £400 grand per month. The aim of this chopper is to catch the young team in their stolen cars and bikes. A’m sure the figures are out but North Edinburgh has the highest crime rate in Scotland. They have evicted folk, jailed folk, issued community sentence orders and then cut off another generation to jail as they are too old.

None of their policies work, which leaves the System scratching its head wondering ‘what are we doing wrong?’ You have a massive college in North Edinburgh where folk from around the world come to study – but only two streets away it’s another world. They shipped everybody out of Muirhouse when knocking down the Pennywell flats. Over the years they took away most forms of economic growth: i.e. the pipes and the gas works even Granton’s fishing boats.

Every local MP & MSP & councillor get in to their comfy seats and forget about this and do nothing, apart from sit over an HIV & smack epidemic that of course lasted through the 80’s & 90’s – now comes weed & legal highs.

garry fraserIts like south central Edinburgh.. How many police stay in the area were they enforce the morals? How many of those wee guys, if trained in whatever, would probably take a job or go and study but only if they were helped and supported through the college system. Every brickie or trades guy who makes it from Muirhouse, Pilton, Royston or Drylaw ends up being one of the best on the site – that’s a fact …

Most folk down there who get a real chance and opportunity in work or education grab it with both hands as they know what the alternative is … that’s robbing, stealing, dealing and living within the chains of masculinity. That is now, because there are no real opportunities.

Ye need to empower a community and let them come up wi’ their own solutions. You need to invest in education to reduce the gap in equality.

You need to have a rehab or treatment centre bang in the community to get three generations of methadone and other daft prescription drugs clean: ye can’t sell green to addicts through drugs policies then jail folk for selling weed to pay for food, power and for some their own smoke.

Ye can’t put shops with pubs chippy’s and bookies then wonder why folk get addicted to putting bets on! Fatty foods, drink then say ‘Oh, why are they dying of preventable illnesses well before their time?’

When I went to college they say I saved them £1.6 million  over three years in the social return on investment – imagine what these wee guys now are costing?

See whoever gets elected for the North Edinburgh do you think they will do anything about these injustices while they say they wish to cut austerity?

I taught maself to read, taught maself to write, love ma people and these rich folk take take take & give nothing back apart from academic reports done by their pals.

The system is rigged …

Putting the ‘power’ into Empowerment

HolyroodChanges are needed to ensure legislation designed to empower communities delivers on its promise, according to an influential parliamentary committee.

The Scottish Parliament’s Local Government and Regeneration Committee reports today on the Community Empowerment (Scotland) Bill.

Whilst fully supporting the general principles of the Bill, the Committee noted for communities to be truly empowered there needs to be a change in the mind set of public authorities. They have to be more open to communities setting the agenda and this must be coupled with support to communities to help them access these new powers.

The Bill aims to provide local communities with the power to participate in local decision making via participation requests. It also sets out powers for communities to take ownership or management of lands from public authorities into community control. Other measures include reform of allotment provision as well as changes to the rules governing Community Planning Partnerships (CPPs).

Committee Convener, Kevin Stewart MSP said: “During our consideration of the Bill we met with folks in communities across the country who said time and again that they wanted to be more involved in the decisions being made about them.

“There can no doubt this Bill is generally a welcome boost towards putting power in the hands of communities. However, for a Bill which is designed to empower, we were struck by the requirement that only groups with a written constitution could submit a participation request. This seems out of step with the whole ethos of the Bill. In the words of Jeanie Mackenzie – who responded to our video on participation requests: ‘Sometimes an individual has a very good idea for improving public services, but lacks the time or opportunity to find others and form a constituted group.”

Whilst noting the vital role of CPPs, the Committee expressed concern that local communities are not sufficiently involved in the decisions being made and CPPs were too focussed on a ‘top-down’ approach. The report recommends that the Bill should require CPPs to actively seek input directly from the community and not just its representatives.

The Committee also raised concerns about the language used around the proposals which in itself could be seen as a barrier to community involvement. 

Kevin Stewart MSP added: “During our consideration of the Bill we heard expressions used like ‘third sector interface’ and ‘partnership-framework’ when taking about community involvement. Language like this can act as a barrier for people getting involved. For the Bill to truly empower, public authorities must avoid ‘gobbledygook’ phrases which cannot be easily understood.”

Other recommendations in the report include:

  • Provision should be enshrined in the Bill for consultation and engagement with affected communities in relation to the National Outcomes.
  • There should be an explicit requirement on all CPPs to include community capacity building in local plans.
  • The Bill should stipulate a 6 month maximum time limit for public authorities to conclude contracts for community transfers.
  • Whilst agreeing that there should be no defined allotment size, guidance should be produced for local authorities outlining the different needs and good practice.