Community Council

About Community Councils

What are Community Councils?
Community councils are the most local tier of statutory representation in Scotland. They bridge the gap between local authorities and communities, and help to make public bodies aware of the opinions and needs of the communities they represent.

Their primary purpose is to ascertain and express the views of the community to the local authority and other public bodies. Many community councils also involve themselves in a wide range of other activities including fundraising, organising community events, undertaking environmental and educational projects and much more.

There are currently around 1200 community councils in Scotland, all composed of elected volunteers from the community.

Community Council legislation
Community councils were created by the Local Government (Scotland) Act 1973. The Act required local authorities to introduce community council schemes for their area outlining various arrangements including elections, meetings, boundaries, and finance. Local authorities have the freedom to tailor schemes to the particular circumstances of their area.

Local authorities and other bodies consult with community councils on issues affecting the community. These issues depend to a large extent on what is important to each community, however local authorities are required to consult community councils on planning applications and involve them in the Community Planning process.

Our Village, Our Community - Balerno Community Plan

Balerno Community Council (BCC) are updating the Local Place Plan which describes our community and offers suggestions as to how we might all wish it to be in the future. It also sets out some priorities for the future.

We believe that local people want a cohesive community, with a shared vision and a sense of belonging.

Furthermore, we are looking at what you, the local residents, have told us and we are also mindful of the results of Balerno Village Trust’s consultation, A Better Balerno.

Having a plan for our community is the difference between being pro-active and being reactive. It is the difference between trying to make our future as we would wish it, as against simply letting it happen to us.

BCC review the plan on a continuous basis and it will be adjusted as appropriate in the light of what you tell us.

Please contact us if you have any views on how we should move forward. You will see our representatives at the Farmers Market so please approach them for a chat. The next market is on Saturday, November 8.

You can DOWNLOAD AND READ the full plan here.

BRIDGING THE GAP: The newly refurbished Green Bridge over the Bavelaw Burn is shown above.

Meetings are public

Balerno Community Council (BCC) meets generally on the first Thursday of every month at 7pm in Balerno Community Centre.

The next one is Thursday, November 6 and members of the public are welcome.

They will be given an opportunity to raise relevant matters during public question time.

After that, members of the public can choose to stay for the whole meeting or leave after public question time.

Richard Henderson, BCC chairman

Recent Minutes