Taking it further: links
Taking it further
On this page you will find collated links from all of the pages on this site. It sets out internet based sources which SSN and its members have found useful; it is not a definitive or comprehensive guide to all sources relevant to sustainable development and Best Value.
Please contact us if any of the links need amending, or if you are aware of a more up to date or useful resource.
Local Authority: North Lanarkshire Council 5
These activities complement the work on business and the economy with the Lanarkshire Economic Forum, set out in the economic strategy 'Changing Gear: Towards 2010', and on the Social Inclusion Strategy. Further action on community well-being is designed to promote healthier lifestyles through improved nutrition, greater use of recreational facilities and reduced dependency on drugs, alcohol and smoking; it also aims to improve housing choice (and support where needed) and community safety.
Key Contact: Lorna Bowden, Department of Planning and Environment, North Lanarkshire Council, Fleming House, 2 Tryst Road, Cumbernauld G67 1JW, Tel: 01236 616243 email: BowdenL@northlan.gov.uk
Source: NLC website
Agencies
Scottish Executive Sustainable Development Directorate
Sustainable Development Commission Scotland
WWF (Scotland)
Sustainable Scotland Network
COSLA
The Improvement Service
Audit Scotland
Best Value
The starting point for guidance from the Scottish Executive on Best Value in local government is at: http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Government/14838/Local. This has a direct link to the Local Government in Scotland Act 2003 Best Value Guidance: http://www.scotland.gov.uk/library5/localgov/lgsbvg-00.asp
There is also guidance on Best Value in public services at: http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Government/14838/Services and a toolkit for sustainable development and Best Value is the wider public sector is being prepared during 2006
Sustainable Development
The UK Framework and the Scottish Sustainable Development Strategy set the policy context:
One Future - Different Paths: the UK's Shared Framework for Sustainable Development 2005 DEFRA, London, March; available on line from: http://www.sustainable-development.gov.uk/publications/uk-strategy/framework-for-sd.htm
and at: http://www.sustainable-development.gov.uk/publications/pdf/SD%20Framework.pdf
Choosing Our Future: Scotland's Sustainable Development Strategy 2005 Scottish Executive, December; available on line at: http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Publications/2005/12/1493902/39032
SOLACE, with I&DeA (the Improvement and Development Agency) and the LGA (Local Government Association) has published a Best Value and Sustainability Checklist, http://www.solace.org.uk/misc/checklist.pdf. It is based on a service by service basis, and may be seen as a pre-cursor to this guidance.
WWF UK has a web page on sustainable development and Best Value: http://www.wwf.org.uk/localmatters/resources/t_0000000005.asp
Mainstreaming:
European Structural Funds in Scotland, in which local authorities are partners, have mainstreamed sustainable development and equal opportunities. The East of Scotland European Partnership (ESEP) has documented its approach to Mainstreaming Sustainable Development in Regional Regeneration available from the downloads page at: http://www.esep.co.uk/
While developed for UK businesses, the BRE MaSC (Managing Sustainable Companies) technique can facilitate the introduction and development of more sustainable practices. The approach is outlined at http://projects.bre.co.uk/masc/index.html and the matrix can be used as a way of elaborating the three stages in the self-assessment questionnaire in this guidance: http://projects.bre.co.uk/masc/pdfs/MaSC_matrix.pdf.
Forum for the Future UK works to promote sustainable development in partnership with business, higher education, central, regional and local government: http://www.forumforthefuture.org.uk.
International sources:
ICLEI is an association of local governments dedicated to sustainable development. It assists European local authorities in an accelerated implementation of Local Agenda 21, with a Secretariat situated in Freiburg, Germany: http://www.iclei-europe.org/. ICLEI worldwide is at: http://www.iclei.org/.
Education
Eco Schools Scotland is at: http://www.ecoschoolsscotland.org/.
Scotland's Sustainable Development Education (SDE) Action Network and the SDE Policy Network can be accessed from: http://www.sdenetwork.org/
Sustainability - Building our Future: Scotland's School Estate 2004 Scottish Executive, Edinburgh, November: http://www.scotland.gov.uk/library5/education/sbof.pdf or http://www.scotland.gov.uk/library5/education/sbof-00.asp
A Client's Guide to Sustainable Schools: A Draft for Development 2004 Gaia Research, Edinburgh: http://www.gaiagroup.org/CGschools.pdf.
On food and catering:
Hungry for Success: the Scottish Government's investment in revitalised school meals is set out at: http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Health/health/19133/17581.
Food for Life: the Soil Association's resource on school meals (with links to Feed Me Better (Jamie Oliver's school meals campaign) is at: http://www.soilassociation.org/foodforlife.
Forth Valley Food Links gives information on developments towards a sustainable local food economy for the Forth Valley area of Scotland: http://www.fvfl.org.uk/.
Sustain: the alliance for better food and farming, is a campaign group accessible at: http://www.sustainweb.org/.
Safe Routes to School, is part of Sustrans, the sustainable transport charity, with the aim to create a safe route to school for every child in the UK: http://www.saferoutestoschools.org.uk/.
Housing
Communities Scotland's Sustainable Development Policy (amended April 2003) can be found here.
The Sustainable Housing Design Guide for Scotland 2000 by Fionn Stevenson and Nick Williams was commissioned by Communities Scotland with support from SNH. The online version has been developed to widen access to the guide: http://www.archive2.official-documents.co.uk/document/depts/cs/shdg/
Sustainable design resources also include:
Sust: The Lighthouse on Sustainability, at Scotland's Centre for Architecture, Design and the City, provides a gateway to sustainable design in the built environment and to an on-line database of 'green' materials: http://www.sust.org/
The Royal Incorporation of Architects in Scotland, which has completed a pilot in sustainable building design accreditation: http://www.rias.org.uk/content/default.asp?page=s3_9
BRE provides advice and good practice assessment. BREEAM (BRE Environmental Assessment Method) is widely used for reviewing and improving the environmental performance of buildings: http://www.bre.co.uk/.
Social Services
Changing Lives: Report of the 21st Century Social Work Review February 2006 Scottish Executive, Edinburgh is accessible from: http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Publications/2006/02/02094408/0 and the Ministerial http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Publications/2006/02/06103323/0.
Social Justice
Closing the Opportunity Gap is the Scottish Government's Social Justice Strategy. It is accessible at: http://www.scotland.gov.uk/topics/people/social-inclusion/17415/opportunity
Economic Development
The framework is set by the latest versions of the Framework for Economic Development in Scotland (FEDS) and Smart, Successful Scotland, now complemented by the Green Jobs Strategy:
Framework for Economic Development in Scotland September 2004 Scottish Executive. http://www.scotland.gov.uk/library5/government/fedsm-00.asp or http://www.scotland.gov.uk/library5/government/fedsm.pdf
A Smart, Successful Scotland: Strategic direction to the Enterprise Networks and an enterprise strategy for Scotland 2004 Scottish Executive. http://www.scotland.gov.uk/library5/enterprise/sssen-00.asp or http://www.scotland.gov.uk/library5/enterprise/sssen.pdf.
Going for Green Growth: a green jobs strategy for Scotland. The Green Jobs Strategy http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Publications/2005/06/1693437/34386 and implementation plan (http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Resource/Doc/917/0024085.pdf) can both be accessed from: http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Business-Industry/Enterprise/18320/13232.
Senscot, a social enterprise network http://www.senscot.net/ has a guide to the social economy on Scotland at: http://www.senscot.net/docs/hisezwhoswho06.doc.
The Scottish Industrial Symbiosis Programme (SISP), part of the UK NISP, has been helping improve resource productivity of Scottish industry since 2003. Its website is: http://www.nispregion.org.uk/scotland/
Climate Change & Energy
Scotland's Climate Change Programme, updated in 2006, can be found from: http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Environment/Climate-Change/16327/4825. This site also has an excellent links section at: http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Environment/Climate-Change/16327/5516; the links include:
The Energy Saving Trust (EST)
The Carbon Trust
The UK Climate Impacts Programme (UKCIP), which gives support and advice on approached to Climate Change adaptation
Energy Efficiency Advice for Scotland (the Scottish Energy Efficiency Office)
Advice from the Local Government Association (LGA), which promotes the interests of English and Welsh local authorities, has produced advice with the EST and Energy Efficiency Partnership for Homes, set out in Leading the Way: how local authorities can meet the challenge of climate change June 2005 LGA, London, accessible from: http://www.lga.gov.uk/Publication.asp?lsection=59&id=SX6F10-A78309C9&ccat=1132
Transport
Key sources are:
Planning for Transport Scottish Planning Policy SPP17 Scottish Government, August 2005: http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Resource/Doc/57346/0016794.pdf or http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Publications/2005/08/16154406/44078.
Scotland's Transport Future: Guidance on Local Transport Strategies Scottish Executive, March 2005:
Transport Scotland is the new national transport agency for Scotland, responsible for delivery on rail and trunk roads: http://www.transportscotland.gov.uk/
Transform Scotland campaigns for more sustainable transport: http://www.transformscotland.org.uk/
Sustrans, the UK sustainable transport charity, has some information on Scottish good practice: http://www.sustrans.co.uk/default.asp?sID=1101207949546. Sustrans is also a member of Transport 2000.
Planning
The initial point of access to Scottish Executive guidance is at: http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Planning.
The key policies (the National Planning Framework for Scotland, SPPs and NPPGs) can be accessed from: http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Planning/PolicyLegislation/Policy.
Planning Advice Notes (PANs) are at: http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Planning/AdviceGuidance/PANs.
The role of planning in relation to sustainable development is set out in SPP1, though the new Planning Bill is set to strengthen the relationship between sustainable development and development plans.
The Planning System Scottish Planning Policy SPP1 Scottish Executive, November 2002: http://www.scotland.gov.uk/library5/planning/spp1.pdf or http://www.scotland.gov.uk/library5/planning/spp1-00.asp.
Environment
There is no environmental equivalent in Scotland to the Framework for Economic Development for Scotland, and Closing the Opportunity Gap (on social justice). Amongst the separate elements of environmental policy are:
Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA)
SEA contacts, links and advice are available through:http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Environment/SustainableDevelopment/14587.
Air Quality
The Scottish Government's Air Quality Management internet pages are at: http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Environment/Pollution/16215/4561.
Water Framework Directive (WFD)
The continued implementation of the WFD, under the Water Environment and Water Services (Scotland) Act 2003 is set out at: http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Environment/Water/17316/8084.
The Coast
The Scottish Coastal Forum links the 10 local coastal management initiatives throughout Scotland: http://www.scotland.gov.uk/environment/coastalforum/.
Natural heritage and biodiversity
The Scottish Biodiversity Strategy, Scotland's Biodiversity: It's in Your Hands was launched in May 2004, and can be accessed from here. It fits within the framework provided by the Nature Conservation (Scotland) Act 2004, itself on line at: http://www.opsi.gov.uk/legislation/scotland/acts2004/20040006.htm.
The special relevance here is: Best Value and Biodiversity in Scotland: a handbook of good practice for public bodies, 2004, edited by Joanna Lenthall, published by the Scottish Government: http://www.scotland.gov.uk/library5/environment/bvbs-00.asp or http://www.scotland.gov.uk/library5/environment/bvbs.pdf.
Greenspace Scotland, was launched in 2003, established by SNH and partners to drive forward the Greenspace for Communities Initiative: http://www.greenspacescotland.org.uk.
SNIFFER (the Scotland and Northern Ireland Forum for Environmental Research) is a key resource, well established across the environmental agenda: www.sniffer.org.uk.
Waste and Resource Use
The framework for waste is set by the National Waste Strategy, published in 1999, and the National Waste Plan which sets targets and commits funding.
These key documents are available at: http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Environment/Waste/17103/8893.
WRAP, the Waste and Resources Action Programme, aims to promote sustainable waste management and create markets for recycled resources. It has a representative in Scotland, and provides support for local authorities on reducing waste, collection advice, training and awareness and greener procurement: http://www.wrap.org.uk/local_authorities/. WRAP has also produced Procurement Guidance on recycled content and can also provide information and case studies on recycled content in the sustainable design and construction of housing.
Waste Aware Scotland runs national and local campaigns to encourage people to reduce, reuse and recycle: www.wascot.org.uk
Remade Scotland aims to assist the development of sustainable markets and strategies for recovery of resources previously regarded as waste. It supports local authorities on procurement, cost modelling and Strategic Waste Fund bids: http://www.remade.org.uk/
Envirowise is a Government programme which offers free advice on waste and resource management, publishes case studies, and has an Environment and Energy Helpline (0800 585794): http://www.envirowise.gov.uk/page.aspx?o=scotland
Community Recycling Network for Scotland (CRNS) supports community led groups in recycling, reuse, composting, reduction and waste education activities: http://www.crns.org.uk/
Community Health
Delivering for Health November 2005 Scottish Executive, Edinburgh, is the Scottish Executive's response to recommendations made in the Kerr report. It outlines future plans for the NHS in Scotland with focus on preventative and continuous care in local communities with resources to be targeted at the most at risk in the least well off areas. It is at: http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Publications/2005/11/02102635/26356
Joint Future is the lead policy on joint working between local authorities and the NHS in community care. Information can be accessed at: http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Health/care/JointFuture/Introduction
Health Scotland, http://www.healthscotland.com/, a Board of NHS Scotland, co-ordinates the Healthy Environment Network which aims to bring together organisations and professional groups with the ability to influence the environment to improve health and to work on areas of common concern.
The Scottish Public Health Observatory provides a new website for public health information in Scotland: http://www.scotpho.org.uk/. It has community profiles as well as disease specific information on a local authority basis.
Sustainable Procurement and Resource Management
The starting point is the Scottish Procurement Directorate, through: http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Government/SPD. The site has a section on sustainable procurement: http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Government/SPD/17839/16689.
The Canny Buyer initiative is a sustainable procurement initiative directed by Aberdeen City Council with funding from the Scottish Executive: http://www.cannybuyer.com/. The Canny Buyer Guide, published in 2004, also includes further reading and resources.
Also valuable to consult is Sustainability and Local Government Procurement by IDeA, 2003, accessible from: http://www.idea-knowledge.gov.uk/idk/core/page.do?pageId=1701516.
From a governmental perspective, it may also be useful to see the Framework for sustainable development on the Government estate: http://www.sustainable-development.gov.uk/government/estates/index.htm.
Local Multiplier 3, the tool for assessing the benefits of local procurement, has been developed the New Economics Foundation. Their information is at: http://www.neweconomics.org/gen/tools_lm3.aspx. The Northumberland case study described in the text is set out as a presentation at: http://www.sustainable-scotland.net/documents/conf/work_bm.pdf.
Participation and Community Planning
Scotland's Community Planning website at http://www.communityplanning.org.uk links to guidance, including on Involving Local People: http://www.communityplanning.org.uk/guidance.html.
The Scottish Community Development Centre works with community groups and public agencies to improve community participation: http://www.scdc.org.uk/index.asp.
Forward Scotland has supported Sustainable Communities projects and their evaluation. An example of a case study - West End Renfrewshire Sustainable Communities - can be found here.
Rural Communities
CADISPA stands for Conservation & Development in Sparsely Populated Rural Areas. The CADISPA Project is primarily concerned with developing a definition of sustainability which will be relevant to people living in sparsely populated areas and to the academic community, and Local Agenda 21. The results of the work feed into direct community action. This can be accessed at: http://www.strath.ac.uk/Departments/CADISPA/.
The Gateway for information and services to rural communities in Scotland is at: http://www.ruralgateway.org.uk/.
Indicators
The summary of the UK position on sustainable development indicators is at: http://www.sustainable-development.gov.uk/progress/index.htm#; within this, the UK Framework indicators are summarised at: http://www.sustainable-development.gov.uk/progress/framework/index.htm.
Indicators of Sustainable Development for Scotland: Progress Report 2005 Paper 2005/18 was published in August 2005 at: http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Resource/Doc/57346/0017025.pdf or http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Publications/2005/08/26122734/27353. The indicator set is being revised during 2006.
The position on sustainable development indicators in Wales is included within the Sustainable Development Annual Report 2005 Strategic Policy Unit, National Assembly for Wales: http://www.wales.gov.uk/themessustainabledev/content/annual-report-2005-e.pdf.
Indicators for local government
The Audit Commission (for England) conducted a Quality of Life Indicators Pilot in 2001/2002. This is available here. Following this pilot, the Audit Commission has published Local quality of life indicators - supporting local communities to become sustainable: a guide to local monitoring to complement the indicators in the UK Government Sustainable Development Strategy August 2005 Audit Commission, Wetherby.
This important work is available here.
The indicators are summarised here.
North Lanarkshire Council's Performance Report 2004-2005 can be found here.
Ecological Footprint
Scotland's Footprint is a resource flow and ecological footprint of Scotland: the method can be used to calculate the ecological footprint of local authorities; it can also be used to derive carbon emissions: http://www.scotlands-footprint.com/.
Ecological Footprint results are now freely available for every local authority area in Scotland. The ecological footprint accounts have been developed by the Stockholm Environment Institute for WWF. The data along with a summary report and supporting presentation is available for free from http://www.ecologicalbudget.org.uk.
Scotland's Global Footprint Project is a partnership between WWF and Aberdeen City, Aberdeenshire and North Lanarkshire Councils to use the footprint to inform Best Value decisions and Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) amongst a whole range of service strategies: http://www.scotlandsfootprint.org.
The Role of Scrutiny
Audits of Best Value and Community Planning published by the Accounts Commission can be accessed on line at: http://www.audit-scotland.gov.uk/publications/index.htm.