Community Planning
"This means ... 3. That these plans, priorities and actions are informed by the views of its communities and key local partners" (Chapter 7)
Partnership and consultation characterise much local authority activity in Scotland so guidance here, as more generally, seeks to reinforce and build on existing good practice. Developing consultation into effective participation is an aspiration central both to Best Value and to sustainable development; it is also central to the ethos and requirements of community planning.
The requirements for participation are set out in the Scottish Executive guidance documents on Best Value, Community Planning and the Power to advance Well-being. The requirements range from having an open and responsive means of addressing complaints through to arrangements for partnership working between agencies. This guidance does not duplicate what is available from these sources and the key documents are available through the portal provided by the Scotland's Community Planning website at: http://www.communityplanning.org.uk/guidance.html
The formal requirement cited above (existing Best Value Guidance, Chapter 7 - point 3) relates to plans, priorities and actions at corporate and services level. Awareness raising and participation is a cross-cutting theme, and it has been referred to in several of the services in the preceding section. However, there are a few matters of particular relevance to contributing to sustainable development at a corporate level:
- In building links with community planning partners and enabling participation by the wider community, it is essential not to neglect that the democratic process is based on participation through elected members. They are elected to represent the views of their communities, and they should be central in ensuring that plans, priorities and actions are informed by the views of communities.
- A key resource on which to build is the experience and expertise developed through existing statutory requirements for consultation, in particular the broadly based public participation involved in the preparation of development plans under town and country planning legislation.
- There is also experience of innovative approaches to participation - such as citizens panels in Fife, 'community futures' piloted in the rural area of Stirling, planning for real, and a children's parliament in Edinburgh from which to learn.
- However, drawing on evaluation of Sustainable Communities projects by Forward Scotland, it is important to beware of consultation fatigue. In particular it is vital to try to avoid the frustration local communities may feel if after extensive consultation their views appear to be ignored, or when what has been requested or even agreed does not materialise.
To ensure there can be an effective exchange of views, it is essential that information is accessible and shared, how views are taken into account is shown, and the reasons for action explained. As well as the requirements of the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2003, there are specific separate requirements in the Environmental Information (Scotland) Regulations 2004, derived from the Aarhus Convention. This is reinforced through the information requirements of Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA). Access to environmental information (broadly defined) is an important part of public participation and achieving sustainable development. A public that is well informed has much to offer the decision making process by contributing a wide range of opinions and views.