2011 Community Council Short-Life Working Group

Short-Life Working Group

Community Councils Short-Life Working Group

In December 2011, the Scottish Government established a short-life working group to consider and recommend how best to build the resilience, capacity, and capability of Community Councils in the future.

The Scottish Government would like to thank the Group for its final report and recommendations, which include consideration of internal operations; Community Councils’ engagement and relationships with local authorities; the wider public sector; the general public; and the communities that they strive to represent.

The Group agreed that in the spirit of partnership working and in recognition of the key role local authorities play in supporting Community Councils, its report should be presented to both the Scottish Government and COSLA to consider collectively and ultimately decide which recommendations should be taken forward. The Group also agreed that consideration of its recommendations would benefit from wider discussion and engagement with a range of stakeholders with an interest in the sector which will inform and support the future policy development of Scotland's Community Councils.

Membership

Alasdair McKinlay (*Chair - Scottish Government)

Alex Hewetson (COSLA nominated representative for Community Councils)

Sheila Garson (Shapinsay Community Council, Orkney Islands Council)

Keith Giblett (Queensferry & District Community Council, City of Edinburgh Council)

Logan Inglis (Reston & Auchencrow Community Council, Scottish Borders Council)

Stephanie Simpson (Lambhill & District Community Council, Glasgow City Council)

Jim Whyte (Irvine Community Council, North Ayrshire Council)

Sheila Armstrong (Dumfries & Galloway Council)

Lesley Baillie (Clackmannanshire Council)

Helen Geddes (Stirling Council)

Charles Reppke (Argyll & Bute Council)

Maureen Stephen (Aberdeenshire Council)

*The first meeting of the group on 7 December 2011 was chaired by Derek Mackay MSP, Minister Designate for Local Government and Planning, whose ministerial portfolio will cover Community Councils.

Remit

The agreed remit of the working group was to look at ways to build the resilience and capacity of Community Councils, in order to strengthen their role and relevance as voices for their communities.

Within this remit, the working group focussed its activity around five specific aims:

Supporting Community Councils to play an active role in their communities (including exploration of current legislative status) and to work together to share experience and good practice;

Strengthening the role of Community Council Liaison Officers in supporting Community Councils, including in the provision of training and development;

Increasing diversity of representation on Community Councils (including exploration of wider public perception and awareness of Community Councils);
Strengthening the link between Community Councils and Community Planning: and,
Role of Community Councils in project/asset management and service provision.

Meetings

The agenda and papers were made available shortly after each meeting, and minutes made available once agreed by the working group.

Meeting of 7 December 2011

Agenda

Paper CCWG 1.1 - Working Group remit and membership

Paper CCWG 1.2 - Secretariat and reporting arrangements

Paper CCWG 1.3 - Working principles

Minutes - Agreed minutes of the meeting of 7 December 2011

Meeting of 24 January 2012

Agenda

Minutes - Agreed minutes of the meeting of 24 January 2012

Meeting of 28 February 2012