Item 07 - Status Update on Review of Scheme for Establishment of Community Councils
West Dunbartonshire Council · 29 April 2026
Back to West Dunbartonshire Council — 29 April 2026 and its agenda
Text extracted from the council's PDF. Layout and reading order may differ from the original.
Some pages contain no extractable text. They may be blank, graphics or scanned pages. OCR has not been applied.
Page 1
WEST DUNBARTONSHIRE COUNCIL Report by Chief Officer – Regulatory and Regeneration Council: 29 April 2026 ___________________________________________________________________ Subject: Status Update on Review of Scheme for Establishment of Community Councils 1. Purpose 1.1 The purpose of this report is to provide an update to Council on the progress of the review of the Scheme for Establishment of Community Councils (the Scheme) as agreed by Council on 17th December 2025. 2. Recommendations 2.1 It is recommended that Council note the status update on the review of the Scheme for the Establishment of Community Councils. 3. Background 3.1 Council agreed on 17th December 2025 to undertake a review of the Scheme. As noted at that time, undertaking the review provides an opportunity for meaningful consultation and community engagement on all aspects of the Scheme, while presenting the opportunity to promote and publicise community councils more generally in accordance with the Council’s Community Engagement Strategy. 3.2 The report to Council on 17th December 2025 set out a timetable for the completion of the review process, noting dates upon which special meetings of Council would take place. In accordance with the requirements of section 53 of the Local Government (Scotland) Act 1973, any occasions when Council is being asked to take decisions on the amendment of the Scheme will be constituted as special meetings of Council convened for that purpose, while updates on progress of the review, when required, can be included in the regular business of Council. 4. Main Issues 4.1 As recognised at the time of starting this review, a key aspiration of the review is to support all areas within West Dunbartonshire to have an active and sustainable community council. 4.2 Within West Dunbartonshire, there are seventeen defined community council areas. Currently, only eleven areas have an active community council, and within this number many operate with membership levels close to the minimum required. ITEM 7
Page 2
4.3 The first phase of the consultation process has involved engagement with community councils, citizens, community anchor organisations and other stakeholders. A range of drop-in sessions in local libraries and online discussions have taken place, and direct engagement has taken place with existing community councils, and with targeted conversations have taken place in areas where community councils are not currently active. Through these processes, the principles of co-production are supported, with community councils and citizens actively contributing to the development of ideas. 4.4 Within this ongoing first phase of the Review, the focus has been on community council boundaries and options for supporting increased membership to improve sustainability of the community councils. Through continuing discussion with community councils and other stakeholders, options which have been raised so far will be further considered to identify proposals which are practical to support the sustainability of community councils, and also recognise the needs and ambitions of communities within the area. 4.5 Proposals for formal consultation on community council boundaries will be brought forward for Council consideration once phase one of the Review is completed. 4.6 Looking ahead to stage two of the Review, this will consider and propose changes to the Scheme for the Establishment of Community Councils, the Code of Conduct, and the Community Council Handbook. Through initial engagement on the Review, including engagement with the Community Council Forum, feedback has been received which suggests that there is scope to beneficially simplify and modernise these documents, and proposals for these changes will be developed through working groups. 5. People Implications 5.1 The process will be led by the Council working closely with key community stakeholders including the Community Council Forum. Officers from Legal and Democratic Services will be fully engaged in the process. 6. Financial and Procurement Implications 6.1 There are no financial implications arising from the consultation but there may be some financial implications from any proposals to be considered in due course. 7. Risk Analysis 7.1 Developing and supporting community councils is a key part of the Council’s approach to Community Empowerment, as laid out in the Community
Page 3
Engagement Strategy. Failure to review the Scheme using the correct process could have a negative impact on the reputation of the Council. 8. Equalities Impact Assessment (EIA) 8.1 The review will be conducted as an inclusive process involving residents and stakeholders from a variety of equality groups in the area. Equality and accessibility considerations will be taken into account during the process and a full EIA will be presented to Council when considering the final recommendations on the Scheme. 9. Consultation 9.1 Officers from legal and finance have been consulted on the content of this report. The review process contains a series of consultations with local residents and stakeholders. 10. Strategic Assessment 10.1 The review is being carried out in manner which supports the Council Community Empowerment Strategy. Alan Douglas Chief Officer – Regulatory and Regeneration Date: 14 April 2026 Person to Contact: Graeme Forrester, Manager of Legal and Democratic Services; Tel: 07903 010 404; Email: graeme.forrester@west- dunbarton.gov.uk Appendices: None Background Papers: None Wards Affected: All
Page 4
No embedded text on this page.