Rural Community Gateway

Local People Leading review of A Charter for Rural Communities: The final report of the Carnegie Commission for Rural Community Development

By Di Jennings, Local People Leading

Local People Leading (LPL) endorses the calls made to government, local authorities, funders and other bodies in this charter that are aimed at enhancing the development of strong and sustainable rural communities.

In particular, LPL endorses the emphasis that has been placed in the report upon the importance of local activists or "fiery spirits". The effectiveness of these can-do local people that lead the way in local communities in the face of frequently difficult challenges cannot be overstated.

Optimising assets

LPL commends the emphasis placed in the Carnegie Report on community ownership and management of local assets. Unlike other parts of the UK, in Scotland, the transfer of public assets into community ownership at less than market value requires ministerial approval. LPL would like that responsibility to be devolved.

To encourage an easier process for asset acquisition by community groups, LPL also calls on the Scottish government to review the Land Reform Act and make it less bureaucratic and more user-friendly for rural community anchor organisations to utilise.

Currently only rural communities can benefit from the community right to buy aspect of the Land Reform Act. Accordingly, LPL calls on the government to extend this part of the act so that all communities in Scotland, both urban and rural, can benefit.

Empowering local governance

LPL agrees with the points made in the charter that empowering local governance is an important aspect of building strong and independent communities. In England and Wales, community and parish councils have the power to raise taxes, but this is not the case in Scotland. LPL would therefore like to see similar powers of precept granted to a similar tier of community anchor organisation in Scotland.

 LPL would also support the concept of "participatory budgeting" being explored in Scotland, along the lines of the ten neighbourhood-based pilot projects that are currently being initiated throughout England by Hazel Blears, Communities Minister.

A number of other points made in the charter resound with the LPL campaign. These include:

• The need to develop local people’s capacity through resourcing the provision of support from regional development agencies
• Encouraging the provision of relevant local services by community anchor organisations
• Encouraging the development of community enterprise (in particular, community owned, renewable energy projects) to create income streams for communities into the future.

Rural and urban

LPL acknowledges that the scope of the Carnegie Report does not extend beyond rural communities. However, the remit of LPL concerns the community agenda relating to both urban and rural communities. LPL acknowledges that rural communities face specific challenges due to their remoteness, but also observes that a sense of isolation can create a strong sense of community identity and cohesion that tends not to occur so readily in urban communities.

In fact, it would be fair to say that our most developed community anchor organisations are located in rural Scotland, and that whilst this progress needs to continue to be built upon, encouraging similar development in our deprived urban areas is a priority for developing a thriving and sustainable Scotland.

About Di Jennings, Local People Leading

Local People Leading promotes the principle of the devolution of power and resources from central and local government to a local level, to enable the ongoing development of strong and independent communities throughout Scotland.

Di has recently arrived in Scotland from New Zealand where she has a varied background that includes a career as a fashion designer, time spent working for Helen Clarke, NZ Prime Minister, and many years working at the grass roots as a community development worker and social entrepreneur. Back in 2004, Di came to the UK on a study trip and visited a number of Development Trusts. Di was so inspired by what she saw that she decided to return to Scotland and has recently started work as the Coordinator of the Local People Leading Campaign.

Links

A Charter for Rural Communities to be reviewed
Pip Tabor reviews Charter for Rural Communities
Geoff Fagan reviews Charter for Rural Communities
Scottish Crofting Foundation review Charter for Rural Communities
Three million? Not likely! Carnegie's Charter was "tremendous value for money"
Frank Burns reviews Charter for Rural Communities
Download A Charter for Rural Communities