Community Involvement

17. The full involvement of local people in the systems and decisions that affect their daily lives is potentially one of the key driving forces of rural development. Local people have invaluable knowledge and expertise about how things actually work in their local area.

18. In reviewing progress against this theme and setting out opportunities for action, we have been mindful that:-

• the scope of "community" covers a broader set of groups than just those people who live in a particular area. Communities also include parents of school children, groups of businesses, users of services and groups of people with a common interest or concern; and
• l involvement must mean more than consultation if it is to be meaningful. Consultation is an important way to give people a say about issues that affect them, but involvement also implies a role in shaping projects and programmes from the very start and consequently some "ownership" of the results.

19. There has been considerable progress since "Rural Framework" was published in relation to community involvement and wider participation in rural development. In terms of national structures, the establishment of the Association of Scottish Community Councils (ASCC) and the various associated federations has been a significant step forward. The ASCC was established in June 1993 following recognition that local government reorganisation offered a unique opportunity for community councils to achieve their latent potential through collective action. The ASCC has undertaken research which shows that the councils are active within their communities in tackling a wide range of problems and the full findings of this research will be published later this year.

20. The Rural Forum Rural Housing Service is committed to working in and with rural communities to help them analyse and resolve local housing problems. The Personal Housing Plan approach, based on home interviews with households to look at the full range of housing options available locally, was developed by the Service last year, supported by Scottish Homes and Skye and Lochalsh District Council. It was piloted in Skye and has since been extended. The technique is of benefit to the households concerned, the community and local housing providers. This year the service has been working with housing action groups on Mull, helping them and all the key housing interests to work towards agreed solutions to the serious housing problems there.

21. Local authorities have a key part in promoting community involvement and local community-based initiatives. An example is the role played by Western Isles Council (along with Western Isles Enterprise) in developing The Uist 2000 project, a community initiative established to prepare a development programme for the Uists: the Islands of North Uist, Benbecula, South Uist, Berneray and Eriskay. Western Isles Council and Western Isles Enterprise act as enabling bodies, assisting in arranging public meetings and workshops which have examined such topics as land and the environment, marine enterprise, tourism and leisure, culture and heritage, transport, natural resources and building and construction.

22. "Planning for Real" is a concept based on the desirability of involving local opinion while avoiding domination of the planning process by particular sectoral interests. Its aim is to enable communities to gain access to local authority expertise without being overwhelmed by it. A recent exercise, for example, has taken place in the Douglas Valley of Lanarkshire, supported by a range of public bodies including the local authorities. The direct involvement of local people in the planning and development process can help tap into local knowledge and meet local need.

23. Community based voluntary organisations are increasingly involved in the delivery programmes resulting from Care in the Community legislation. A good example of a bottom-up response to these changes is the Highland Community Care Forum which has been established to co-ordinate the work of voluntary organisations based in local rural communities. It is particularly important that low income groups, who might otherwise be excluded from consultation and participation processes, are involved. The Brechin Area Initiative and Network (BAIN) is aimed specifically at more disadvantaged families and localities in this part of Angus. The project is supported by Tayside Regional Council and the Scottish Episcopal Church and seeks to help people identify key concerns and address them effectively.

24. Arising from an approach to the Rural Focus Group, COSLA and Scottish Homes are working with the Corrom Trust to identify ways in which community involvement in rural areas can be further developed. Areas are being identified where partnerships between communities and a wide range of agencies could be established.

25. Many other examples of community involvement could be mentioned, reflecting different issues in different areas. In order to learn from the diversity of community involvement in rural policy, The Scottish Office has commissioned research from the Arkleton Trust to examine the rationale for community involvement as a mechanism for developing and implementing rural policy and practice and assess the effectiveness of mechanisms used to achieve involvement and participation. While substantial progress has been made in increasing the involvement of communities, this has not been uniform in terms of geographical coverage or sectors of activity. It is expected that the Arkleton research will contribute to identifying options for further progress.