Community Council Review 2021 Stage 2

Overview

The general purpose of a community council is to

• ascertain, co-ordinate and express to the local authorities for its area the views of the communities which it represents in relation to matters for which those authorities are responsible, and to
• take such action in the interests of that community as appears to it to be expedient and practicable.

Community Councils have a statutory role in the planning process, in relation to both development planning and planning applications.

Community Councils are competent objectors to applications for premises licences and occasional licences for premises within their area.

In addition to this, they also play an important role in

• Promoting the well-being of the communities they represent.
• Fostering community spirit
• Informing the communities they represent of matters of public concern, and
• Safeguarding and improving the amenities of the Community Council area

Why your views matter

Clackmannanshire's community councils work within a framework governing how residents establish  community councils in the first place and certain aspects of how those community councils then operate. The governing framework, called the Scheme for the Establishment of Community Councils,  sets out common parameters within which they should operate to ensure they maintain standards of democracy in keeping with their function.

At local level residents already have scope to influence much of how their community council goes about its business on a day-to-day basis.  This review is about consistency in the standards and aspects of governance all nine community councils have in common.

Your community council was able to make use of modern technology to find a way to continue business without breaching covid restrictions over the last 18 months.  You have the opportunity now to suggest further measures which will help community councils function to suit current conditions and to reflect prevailing attitudes to community representation and self-determination.

We are asking residents to comment on the document containing the broader aspects of how community councils operate.

This is the second stage of three of the statutory consultation to review the governing framework.

What happens next

This is the second stage of this consultation exercise.  The outcome of this stage will be reported to Clackmannanshire Council at the end of 2021 before the final stage begins.