Community Council Areas Coming Together

I've recently learned that some community councils have come together to pool their CBF and leverage it to support the whole community.

Whilst not every area would want to do this, it would be good to see this idea supported and resourced where there is a desire to do so. e.g. preparing and publishing case studies

Why the contribution is important

a) because the current system of distribution creates competition between communities, with associated distrust and disruption of relationships

b) because the current system promotes inequalityand in some places the collapse of services enjoyed by the communities locally

c) because pooling resources gives more investment leverage for local communities e.g. into community ownership

d) because pooling resources creates more local resilience (which we will need going forward given what is coming down the line)

e) because pooling resources creates collaboration and potentially greater equality

by Insight26 on March 18, 2026 at 04:50PM

Current Rating

Average rating: 5.0
Based on: 3 votes

Comments

  • Posted by Flecala March 22, 2026 at 11:37

    Completely agree with Insight26. Any community benefit funding should be divided into two funds: Strategic and Micro. Any one Community Council is unlikely to have the capacity to correctly assess what is Strategic and what is Local and might just end up spending funds on flower tubs, park benches and fitba strips. If several CCs can collaborate and collectively arrive at a bigger picture it will mean more funds directed towards longer-term and longer-lasting benefits which should benefit generations to come.
    Additionally, if CCs cooperate rather than compete the whole process will be streamlined and will be easier to administer both for the developers and the CCs themselves.

  • Posted by LanarkCharity March 24, 2026 at 16:25

    Community Council areas often don't reflect how communities function how they use shared facilities an example is how in a rural area a Rugby club, Football Club, Tennis Club, business hub can be based in one village but serve a very wide area and is essential for rural cohesion of all the rural communities. Care needs to be taken relying too much on Community Councils and their geography's while considering eligible benefit areas.

  • Posted by strategicrenewablegroup March 27, 2026 at 16:26

    The Strategic Renewables Group is a group of, currently, 9 communities formed to optimise community benefit from renewable energy developments within the group’s catchment area and to ensure that it is subsequently used for long term sustainable benefit of the group’s catchment area.
    The group represents the combined catchment area of the following community councils: Cleish & Carnbo, Dunning, Earn, Fossoway & District, Glenfarg, Kinross, Milnathort & Orwell, Muckhart, and Portmoak. The catchment area is largely a rural community sitting within the shadows of the Ochils where there is a plethora of net zero energy developments.
    We consider that it is important that community benefit is clearly defined and is seen as a form of payment for the use of our community’s environment and that it is separate from compensation for the community for losses incurred during construction, operation and dismantling of the development.
    The Group is of a clear view that it is for the affected communities to determine the nature of the benefits to be realised. The Group continues to develop it’s purpose, but it is currently based on delivering benefits that are:
    • Tactical in nature and focused on each of the individual catchment areas; and
    • Sustainable and long term for the wider catchment area.
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