Public reports pack
Argyll and Bute Council · 7 May 2024
Back to Helensburgh and Lomond Area Community Planning Group — 7 May 2024 and its agenda
Text extracted from the council's PDF. Layout and reading order may differ from the original.
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Kilmory, Lochgilphead, PA31 8RT Tel: 01546 602127 Fax: 01546 604435 DX 599700 LOCHGILPHEAD 29 April 2024 NOTICE OF MEETING A meeting of the HELENSBURGH AND LOMOND COMMUNITY PLANNING GROUP will be held ON A HYBRID BASIS BY MICROSOFT TEAMS AND IN THE MARRIAGE SUITE IN THE HELENSBURGH AND LOMOND CIVIC CENTRE on TUESDAY, 7 MAY 2024 at 10:00 AM, which you are requested to attend. Douglas Hendry Executive Director BUSINESS 1. WELCOME AND APOLOGIES 2. DECLARATIONS OF INTEREST 3. MINUTES (a) Meeting of the Helensburgh and Lomond Community Planning Group held on 13 February 2024 (Pages 3 - 14) 4. APPOINTMENT OF VICE-CHAIR OF THE HELENSBURGH AND LOMOND AREA COMMUNITY PLANNING GROUP (Pages 15 - 16) Report by Committee Manager, Argyll and Bute Council 5. COMMUNITY PLANNING PARTNERSHIP MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE UPDATE (Pages 17 - 20) Report by Committee Manager, Argyll and Bute Council 6. UPDATE ON COMMUNITY COUNCIL INTERIM BY-ELECTIONS (Pages 21 - 22) Report by Governance Officer, Argyll and Bute Council 7. ARGYLL AND BUTE HEALTH AND SOCIAL CARE PARTNERSHIP - PUBLIC HEALTH (a) The Annual Report of the Director of Public Health 2023 (NHS Highland): 'Medication & Public Health - Do the Right Thing' (Pages 23 - 24) Public Document Pack
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Report by Health Improvement Senior, NHS Highland 8. PARTNER UPDATES (a) Police Scotland Update (Pages 25 - 28) (b) Scottish Fire and Rescue Service Update (Pages 29 - 34) (c) Helensburgh Community Council Update (Pages 35 - 36) (d) Fun First Update (Pages 37 - 38) (e) Plastic Free Helensburgh Update (Pages 39 - 40) (f) Live Argyll Community Learning Services Update (Pages 41 - 44) (g) Helensburgh Community Hub Update (Pages 45 - 46) (h) Argyll and Bute TSI Update (Pages 47 - 50) (i) Opportunity for Verbal Updates 9. COMMUNITY WEALTH BUILDING IN ARGYLL AND BUTE - A FRAMEWORK FOR ACTION (Pages 51 - 102) Report by CEO, Argyll and Bute Third Sector Interface 10. COMMUNITY FOCUS (a) Save the Tower Community Buyout Steering Group Presentation by Save the Tower Community Buyout Steering Group 11. CLIMATE CHANGE (a) Opportunity for verbal updates on community based initiatives 12. DATE OF NEXT MEETING The next meeting will take place on Tuesday 20 August 2024. Helensburgh and Lomond Community Planning Group Sarah Davies (Chair) Contact: Julieann Small, Senior Committee Assistant - 01546 604043
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MINUTES OF THE MEETING OF THE HELENSBURGH AND LOMOND COMMUNITY PLANNING GROUP HELD ON A HYBRID BASIS BY MICROSOFT TEAMS AND IN THE MARRIAGE SUITE IN THE HELENSBURGH AND LOMOND CIVIC CENTRE ON TUESDAY, 13 FEBRUARY 2024 Present: Sarah Davies, Fun First/Plastic Free Helensburgh/Helensburgh Community Council (Chair) Stuart McLean, Committee Manager, Argyll and Bute Council David Hagerty, Community Development Officer, Argyll and Bute Council Suzanne Mason, Engagement and Communities Lead, Argyll and Bute Council Stuart Green, Corporate Support Manager, Argyll and Bute Council Mary Holt, Community Justice Co-Ordinator, Argyll and Bute Council Councillor Fiona Howard Councillor Mark Irvine Caryl McLean Argyll and Bute TSI Jen Broadhurst, Argyll and Bute Citizens Advice Bureau Victoria Daveney, Argyll College UHI Angela Anderson, Time for Change Argyll and Bute/Plastic Free Helensburgh Sergeant Sophie Marshall, Police Scotland Veronica Ferguson, Helensburgh and Lomond Living Well Network Allan Comrie, Strathclyde Passenger Transport, (SPT) Tony McGloin, Scottish Fire and Rescue Service Gill Simpson, Helensburgh Community Hub Angela Coll, NHS Highland Carol-Anne McDade, NHS Highland Alasdair MacCuish, Helensburgh Gaelic Group John Auld, Cove and Kilcreggan Community Council Fiona Baker, Destination Helensburgh George Freeman, Garelochhead Residents Association Attending: Councillor Paul Kennedy Pat McCann, Live Argyll Andrew Galloway, Local Democracy Reporter, Argyll and Bute 1. WELCOME AND APOLOGIES The Vice-Chair welcomed everyone to the meeting and general introductions were made. Apologies for absence were intimated on behalf of: Councillor Gemma Penfold; Morevain Martin, Garelochhead Station Trust; Monica Leslie, Department for Work and Pensions; Inspector Bart Simonis, Police Scotland; Jayne Burnett, Visiting Friends; Alan Morris, The Friends of Hermitage Park Association; Nicola Stobie, ACHA; Page 3 Agenda Item 3a
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Paul Monaghan, ACHA; Neil MacFarlane, Transport Scotland; Rhona Grant, Community Learning Services, Live Argyll; Susan MacRae, Skills Development Scotland; Duncan MacLachlan, Arrochar & Tarbet Comm Dev Trust/ Friends of Loch Lomond & the Trossachs; and David Gould, Includem. 2. DECLARATIONS OF INTEREST There were no declarations of interest intimated. 3. MINUTES (a) Meeting of the Helensburgh and Lomond Community Planning Group held on 7 November 2023 The Minutes of the Helensburgh and Lomond Area Community Planning Group meeting held on Tuesday 7 November 2023 were approved as a correct record. 4. GOVERNANCE (a) Area Community Planning Group Governance Arrangements The group gave consideration to a report which outlined the governance arrangements of the Helensburgh and Lomond Community Planning Group (Area CPG) specifically the Terms of Reference, membership and future meeting dates. Decision The Helensburgh and Lomond Area Community Planning Group: 1. considered and adopted the Terms of Reference submitted at Appendix 1 of the report and to agreed that they would be reviewed on an annual basis to ensure their ongoing currency and appropriateness for the work of the Area CPG as it develops over time; 2. considered and agreed the membership of the group at Appendix 2 of the report and agreed that the membership of the group would be reviewed on an annual basis to ensure currency and appropriateness for the work of the group as it develops over time; 3. agreed that the Committee Manager would invite Helensburgh Business Group, Helensburgh and Lomond Carers, the British Legion, Police Scotland Youth Volunteers, Scottish Fire and Rescue Service Youth Volunteers, Argyll and Bute Climate Action Network, and a Helensburgh and Lomond based Member of the Scottish Youth Parliament to join the membership of the group; and 4. noted the future meeting dates submitted within the report. (Reference: Report by, Committee Manager, Argyll and Bute Council, dated 13 February 2024, submitted) Page 4
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(b) Appointment of Chair of the Helensburgh and Lomond Area Community Planning Group The group gave consideration to a report providing information relating to the appointment of Chair of the Helensburgh and Lomond Area Community Planning Group and outlined the expected time commitment and information on the role. Angela Anderson nominated the Vice-Chair Sarah Davies, this was seconded by Fiona Baker. Sarah confirmed that she would be happy to accept this position and with there being no other nominations, this became the decision of the group. The Committee Manager advised that due to Sarah’s new position, a report would be considered at the next meeting seeking nominations to the Vice-Chair position. The Committee Manager encouraged partners to consider whether this was a role that they would be interested in fulfilling and if so to please contact him for further details. Decision The Helensburgh and Lomond Area Community Planning Group agreed that Sarah Davies be appointed as Chair. (Reference: Report by Committee Manager, Argyll and Bute Council, dated 13 February 2024, submitted) 5. ARGYLL AND BUTE HEALTH AND SOCIAL CARE PARTNERSHIP - PUBLIC HEALTH (a) Argyll and Bute Health and Social Care Partnership - Public Health Update Consideration was given to a public health update from Argyll and Bute Health and Social Care Partnership’s Public Health Team on the ongoing wellbeing and prevention activities overseen and delivered by them in Argyll and Bute. The update provided information on the Argyll and Bute Public Health Annual Report; the development of children and young people’s health and wellbeing profiles; ongoing health and wellbeing profile workshops; the Cool2Talk online support service for young people; and the annual Director of Public Health Report, which will be presented at the next cycle of the Area Community Planning Groups. Decision The Helensburgh and Lomond Area Community Planning Group: 1. considered and noted the information provided; and 2. noted that in the absence of a representative from Argyll and Bute HSCP Public Health team, any questions could be forwarded to them following the meeting and any responses circulated to the Group. (Reference: Report by Health Improvement Lead, Argyll and Bute Health and Social Care Partnership, submitted) Page 5
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(b) Presentation on Children and Young People's Health and Wellbeing Profile The group gave consideration to a presentation from Angela Coll, Argyll and Bute Health and Social Care Partnership’s Public Health Team, on the Children and Young People’s Health and Wellbeing Profile for the Bute and Cowal area. The presentation provided information in relation to the Profile themes; the purposes of the Profiles; the layout of the report and how to navigate it; the reasons for any gaps in the Profiles; and the type of data in the Profiles and ways in which this could be used by partners. Decision The Helensburgh and Lomond Area Community Planning Group considered and noted the information provided. (Reference: Presentation by Public Health Team, Argyll and Bute Health and Social Care Partnership) 6. DRAFT ARGYLL AND BUTE COMMUNITY JUSTICE PLAN 2023-2027 Consideration was given to a presentation which provided information in relation to the draft Argyll and Bute Community Justice Plan 2023-27. The report provided details in relation to the National Strategy for Community Justice; the core membership of the Community Justice Partnership; the overall strategic context of the Vision for Justice in Scotland and National Strategy for Community Justice; the development of the Community Justice Outcome Improvement Plan (CJOIP); the Community Justice Pathways Assessment process; and the timescales for the consultation and publication of the plan. Decision The Helensburgh and Lomond Area Community Planning Group considered and noted the information provided. (Reference: Presentation by Community Justice Co-Ordinator, Argyll and Bute Council, submitted) 7. INCLUDEM - YOUTH JUSTICE The Committee Manager advised that David Gould, Associate Researcher, Includem had submitted his apologies. Decision The Helensburgh and Lomond Area Community Planning Group agreed to continue consideration of this item at a future meeting. 8. PARTNER UPDATES (a) Scottish Fire and Rescue Service Update The group gave consideration to a report highlighting the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service’s (SFRS) FQ3 review of local performance across Helensburgh and Lomond Page 6
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for the period 2023-24. The report included information on the local firefighter training plan; incidents during this time period; unwanted fire alarm signals; road and water safety campaigns; community engagement activities; East and West Dunbartonshire and Argyll and Bute Local Senior Officer Activities and home fire safety. Officer McGloin also provided information regarding the British Heart Foundation’s application process for the supply and maintenance of defibrillators. He noted that applications were now open, and encouraged local community groups to apply. A link with information in relation to the application process is provided below: https://www.bhf.org.uk/how-you-can-help/how-to-save-a-life/defibrillators/apply-for-a- free-defibrillator-for-your-community Decision The Helensburgh and Lomond Area Community Planning Group considered and noted the information provided. (Reference: Report by Scottish Fire and Rescue Service, submitted) (b) Police Scotland Update Consideration was given to an update which provided information on the ongoing work of the Service and information on yearly crime statistics; fraud prevention and awareness, specifically relating to scam calls; personal safety inputs provided to Lomond and Argyll Advocacy Service staff; the success at the Divisional Recognition Awards 2023 and the support on the 16 days Against Gender Based Violence campaign. Decision The Helensburgh and Lomond Area Community Planning Group considered and noted the information provided. (Reference: Report by Police Scotland, submitted) (c) Ministry of Defence Police Update The Group gave consideration to a written update by PC Drew Omand, Ministry of Defence Police. The update highlighted that the storms over the last few weeks had caused disruption in the area around His Majesty's Naval Base (HMNB) Clyde and surrounding roads and that there has also been an increase of drone pilots around the area of HMNB Clyde/Coulport which is a security concern and advised that any sightings should be reported. The update also provided information on internet safety and road safety awareness which is being delivered in local schools in collaboration with Police Scotland; the rise in fly tipping on Ministry of Defence land and information on the Police Scotland Youth Volunteers who are looking for opportunities to support the local community. Decision The Helensburgh and Lomond Area Community Planning Group: Page 7
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1. considered and noted the information provided; and 2. noted that in the absence of a representative from Ministry of Defence Police, any questions could be forwarded to them following the meeting and any responses circulated to the Group. (Reference: Report by Ministry of Defence Police, submitted) (d) Helensburgh Community Council Update The group gave consideration to an update from Sarah Davies, Helensburgh Community Council. The update provided information on the current position in relation to the submission of a bid for the Waterfront; the Pier Regeneration Project; the provision of warm spaces and the petition to the Scottish Government to prioritise local participation in planning decisions. Sarah advised that following the sad passing of the Convenor Norman Muir, the Vice-Convenor Peter Brown has been acting as Convenor and that the Community Council will elect a new Convenor at the May AGM. Sarah reminded the group that the Community Council meetings are public and open to all. Decision The Helensburgh and Lomond Area Community Planning Group considered and noted the information provided. (Reference: Report by Helensburgh Community Council, dated February 2024, submitted) (e) Fun First Update The group gave consideration to an update by Sarah Davies from Fun First which highlighted that they continue to provide sessions for pre-school children and their parents with at least one session available every day in either Helensburgh, Cardross, Garelochhead or Rosneath; a grant had been received from the TSI Health and Wellbeing Fund to fund Fun First Friends sessions this year and leaders and committee members participated in First Aid for Mental Health training in November. Sarah highlighted that training is to be held in March to run outdoor sessions for parents and children, with Under the Trees Outdoor Learning from Falkirk delivering the training. Sarah advised that they are currently looking to recruit two new leaders and are always looking for new and interested members of the community to join the committee. It was noted that their AGM would be held on Wednesday 24 April at 7.30pm via Zoom and Sarah encouraged partners to join. Decision The Helensburgh and Lomond Area Community Planning Group considered and noted the information provided. Page 8
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(Reference: Report by Fun First, dated February 2024, submitted) (f) Plastic Free Helensburgh Update Consideration was given to an update by Angela Anderson, Plastic Free Helensburgh. The update highlighted that they had purchased four 2 minute litter picking stations with the grant received from the Supporting Communities Fund, the successful event with Scottish Water in November promoting their “ban the wipes” campaign and the question put to the Area Committee in December in relation to flooding and blocked drains in Helensburgh. Information was also provided on the combined beach cleans with Helensburgh Community Council. Decision The Helensburgh and Lomond Area Community Planning Group considered and noted the information provided. (Reference: Report by Plastic Free Helensburgh, submitted) (g) Helensburgh Community Hub Update Consideration was given to an update from Gill Simpson from Helensburgh Community Hub. The update provided information on the Reading Minds Book Festival which is to be held on the 22-24 March in collaboration with Jean’s Bothy and Helensburgh and Lomond Carers Centre; the Hub being chosen to be one of four Scottish programmes to be part of the exhibition in the Scottish Parliament being hosted by The Dollywood Foundation in March; reading for pleasure activities and collaborations; volunteer numbers and the need for collaboration to create a funded gardening project. The Chair highlighted her thanks to the Hub for the great work they do on the Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library Programme and advised that through her work at Fun First she directs people to this programme. Gill highlighted the need for volunteers in the Helensburgh and Lomond Area and a need for this to be co-ordinated. Gill encouraged partners to get in touch with her if they are interested in doing some work around volunteering for the area. Decision The Helensburgh and Lomond Area Community Planning Group considered and noted the information provided. (Reference: Report by Helensburgh Community Hub, dated February 2024, submitted) (h) Argyll and Bute Council’s Community Development Team Consideration was given to an update from David Hagerty, Community Development Officer at Argyll and Bute Council. The update included information on the Supporting Communities Fund 24/25, which is now open for applications; the Education Scotland inspection which was recently completed in January; the joint Webinars with NHS Public Health and the appointment of the Council’s new Gaelic Page 9
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Development Officer. Decision The Helensburgh and Lomond Area Community Planning Group considered and noted the information provided. (Reference: Report by Community Development Officer, Argyll and Bute Council, submitted) (i) Argyll and Bute TSI Update Consideration was given to an update from Caryl Mclean from Argyll and Bute TSI. The update included information in relation to funding grants from the Communities Mental Health and Wellbeing Fund 2023-24; funding which was available from the Argyll and Bute Climate Action Network Fund; future consultation and development of a TSI Strategy for 2024-29; the launch of the new TSI website on 20th February; and work with the SCVO on a fairer funding campaign. Decision The Helensburgh and Lomond Area Community Planning Group considered and noted the information provided. (Reference: Report by Argyll and Bute TSI, dated February 2024, submitted) (j) Argyll and Bute Citizens Advice Bureau Update Consideration was given to an update from Argyll and Bute Citizen’s Advice Bureau which provided statistical information on the number of clients who had contacted the Bureau between January and December 2023; the Volunteer Advisor training programme; the annual programme of energy efficiency advice sessions and services that the Bureau provide. Decision The Helensburgh and Lomond Area Community Planning Group: 1. considered and noted the information provided; and 2. noted that in the absence of a representative from Argyll and Bute Citizens Advice Bureau, any questions could be forwarded to them following the meeting and any responses circulated to the Group. (Reference: Report by Argyll and Bute Citizens Advice Bureau, submitted) (k) UHI Argyll Update Consideration was given to an update by Victoria Daveney, UHI Argyll. It was highlighted that they have around 40 students this semester beginning a range of course in Helensburgh with several students from Hermitage Academy attending college on a regular basis as well as several Ukrainian students on ESOL courses. Information was also provided on the courses for semester 2 and information on the open day held in January which was well attended, it was noted that a further open Page 10
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day was scheduled for 12 March. Victoria highlighted that the college building works are almost complete with only external painting to be completed and that the new classrooms are being put to good use and the new student hub proving popular with students. Decision The Helensburgh and Lomond Area Community Planning Group considered and noted the information provided. (Reference: Report by UHI Argyll, submitted) (l) Live Argyll Community Learning Services Update The group gave consideration to an update from Rhona Grant, Live Argyll - Community Learning Services. The update provided information on the HMI Community Learning and Development Progress Visit of Argyll and Bute Council; the newly elected Members of Scottish Youth Parliament for Argyll and Bute and the independent review of Community Learning and Development which has been actioned by the Minister for Higher Education, Further Education and Skills. Decision The Helensburgh and Lomond Area Community Planning Group: 1. considered and noted the information provided; and 2. noted that in the absence of a representative from Live Argyll Community Learning Services, any questions could be forwarded to them following the meeting and any responses circulated to the Group. (Reference: Report by Live Argyll Community Learning Services, submitted) (m) Opportunity for Verbal Updates The Helensburgh Gaelic Group In the absence of Alasdair MacCuish, the Committee Manager provided the following update which was submitted during the meeting: The Helensburgh Gaelic Group are still very much alive and kicking. We are 50% through this term and will start again after Easter. We welcome everybody to our group in Helensburgh Parish Church on Tuesday afternoons 1:30 to 3:30. Transport Scotland In the absence of Neil MacFarlane the Committee Manager provided the following update which was submitted before the meeting: A number of storm damaged trees were removed from the Loch Lomond cycleways. It should be noted that Transport Scotland are only responsible for some sections of this route with the others being maintained by the Park or the respective Local Authority. Page 11
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Improvements to Loch side laybys are forthcoming, an example of the type of work being undertaken is the replacement of bollards with one which have solar powered technology built in. Design work is underway to replace the fleet of Tourist Information signs on the loch side. Drainage works are ongoing at the A83 Rest and be thankful. Destination Helensburgh Fiona Baker highlighted that Destination Helensburgh have over 180 events scheduled for Helensburgh and Lomond this year and that they have been doing a lot of social media promotions to attract visitors to the locality. Fiona advised that engagement numbers remain very high. Strathclyde Passenger Transport, (SPT) Allan Comrie advised that there is no change to the supported services or timetables that SPT provide and that there is no change to concessionary fares for rail and ferry, advising that there would be an increase of 8.7% for rail and ferry fares in March/April time. Allan highlighted that SPT had lost capital funding from the Scottish Government as part of the Scottish Government budget but that they understand that other than capital funding may be available but this has not yet been confirmed. 9. LIVING WELL NETWORK The group gave consideration to a presentation from Veronica Ferguson, Helensburgh and Lomond Living Well Network. The presentation included information on what the Living Well Network are and the work they have been doing. It was highlighted that The Living Well Network is currently distributing funding received from the Alcohol and Drugs Partnership (ADP) to local charities doing work in the community that meets the ADP priorities. Veronica highlighted that they are hosting a Living Well event in Helensburgh Leisure Centre on the 16 June to encourage people to get out of their homes and see what is available to them. Decision The Helensburgh and Lomond Area Community Planning Group considered and noted the information provided. (Reference: Presentation by Helensburgh and Lomond Living Well Network Co-ordinator) 10. AREA PLANS UPDATE Consideration was given to a presentation by the Corporate Support Manager from Argyll and Bute Council, in relation to the Council’s Area Plans. The presentation provided background information in relation to the Plans, as well as details of the 8 Locality Plans across Argyll and Bute, and the purpose and principles of the Plans. The presentation also Page 12
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included context about the scope of the Plans; the importance of community engagement and efficient use of resources in the development of the plans; the overall approach, governance and phasing of the Plan’s development; and the ways in which information from the development of the Plans would be utilised. The Corporate Support Manager noted that it was hoped that the Area Plans would maximise the opportunities for funding for local projects. It was anticipated that the Plans would be developed and owned by the communities, and the Area Community Planning Groups would have an important part to play in the development of the Plans. He emphasised that the Plans were not seeking to take ownership of projects away from local community groups. The presentation provided details of how partners could assist with the Area Plans by identifying community groups in the area; identifying physical locations suitable for hosting consultation documents; and encouraging community partners to engage with the development process. The Corporate Support Manager advised that he would provide a list of currently identified community groups for circulation to the Group following the meeting, in order to reduce duplication in identifying any additional groups for consultation. Decision The Helensburgh and Lomond Area Community Planning Group considered and noted the information provided. (Reference: Presentation by Corporate Support Manager, Argyll and Bute Council, submitted) 11. COMMUNITY FOCUS (a) John Logie Baird Innovation Hub The Group gave consideration to a presentation on the John Logie Baird (JLB) Innovation Hub by Pat McCann on behalf of Live Argyll. The presentation included information on what the JLB Innovation Hub is and who it aims to support; what it offers to users and the various subscription packages and casual user prices. Decision The Helensburgh and Lomond Area Community Planning Group considered and noted the information provided. (Reference: Presentation by Project Officer, Live Argyll, submitted) 12. CLIMATE CHANGE (a) Climate Change Working Group Update The group considered a report from the Climate Change Project Manager, which provided an update on the Community Planning Partnership’s Argyll and Bute Climate Action project. The update included information in relation to the background and work of the Climate Change Working Group; funding requirements to support the implementation of a Climate Change Project Manager post; an Page 13
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overview of the work of the Climate Change Project Manager to date and future plans; collaboration with the Argyll & Bute Climate Action Network Hub; and updated governance arrangements for the Climate Change Working Group. Decision The Helensburgh and Lomond Area Community Planning Group noted the approach and status of the project, as outlined in the report. (Reference: Report by Climate Change Project Manager, ACT Now, dated 13 February 2024, submitted) 13. COMMUNITY PLANNING PARTNERSHIP MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE UPDATE The group gave consideration to a report which outlined matters discussed during a meeting of the Community Planning Partnership (CPP) Management Committee held on 12 January 2024. The report provided a summary of a presentation in relation to the Council’s Area Plans, as well as information on matters arising from previous Area Community Planning Group meetings across Argyll and Bute. The report also included updates on a number of cross cutting themes such as Climate Change; Financial Inclusion; Digital Communities; the Argyll and Bute Outcomes Improvement Plan (ABOIP) for 2024-34; and Community Wealth Building. Decision The Helensburgh and Lomond Area Community Planning Group considered and noted the contents of the report. (Reference: Report by Committee Manager, Argyll and Bute Council, dated 13 February 2024, submitted) 14. DATE OF NEXT MEETING The Group noted that the next meeting of the Helensburgh and Lomond Area Community Planning Group would take place on Tuesday 7 May 2024. Page 14
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Argyll and Bute Community Planning Partnership Helensburgh and Lomond Area Community Planning Group 7 May 2024 Appointment of Vice-Chair of the Helensburgh and Lomond Area Community Planning Group Summary The following report provides information relating to the appointment of a Vice-Chair for the Helensburgh and Lomond Area Community Planning Group. It outlines the expected time commitment and also gives information on the role. The Area Community Planning Group is asked to consider making an appointment to the position of Vice-Chair. 1. Purpose 1.1 This report asks the Area Community Planning Group to consider the appointment of a Vice-Chair. 2. Recommendations 2.1 The Area Community Planning Group is asked to consider the appointment of a Vice-Chair. 3. Background 3.1 The position of Vice-Chair has been vacant following the appointment of the previous incumbent to position of Chair. 4. Detail 4.1 According to the Terms of Reference the Vice-Chair, if elected, would serve for a term of 2 years with an option to be re-elected at the end of this time. However, no one person can serve for more than 2 consecutive terms. 4.2 In order to be considered as a candidate for the position of Vice-Chair the person must be a member of the Helensburgh and Lomond Area Community Planning Group. 4.3 Some further information on the commitment required for the role:- • Attend meetings of the Helensburgh and Lomond Area Community Planning Group; Page 15 Agenda Item 4
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• Attend meetings of the Community Planning Partnership Management Committee or the Full Partnership, if the Chair is unable to attend; • Time commitment of at least 4 CPG meetings per year in February, May, August and November and 4 pre-agenda meetings per year in January, April, August and October; • To participate in any Short-Term Working Groups as required; and • To engage with officers of the Council in terms of setting the Agenda for the Community Planning Group. 5. Conclusions 5.1 The Helensburgh and Lomond Community Planning Group is asked to consider the appointment of a Vice-Chair. 6. SOA Outcomes 6.1 This report does not link to any specific Outcome as it relates to the administrative arrangements. For further information please contact: Stuart McLean, Committee Manager (01436) 658717 Page 16
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Argyll and Bute Community Planning Partnership Helensburgh and Lomond Area Community Planning Group 7 May 2024 Community Planning Partnership Management Committee Update This briefing relates to the meeting of the Community Planning Partnership (CPP) Management Committee which was held on 10 April 2024. The briefing is for noting and relevant discussion. Summary HIGHLIGHTS Matters Arising from Area Community Planning Groups (ACPGs) An update was provided on the discussions which had taken place at all 4 Area Community Planning Groups during the February and March cycle of meetings. The Management Committee noted the appointment of two new area group chairs, Jean Moffat in Bute and Cowal and Sarah Davies in Helensburgh and Lomond. The Committee also noted that the position of Vice Chair in Helensburgh and Lomond and Chair of Oban, Lorn and the Isles groups would be considered at the next meetings. The Management Committee noted that Bute and Cowal ACPG had asked for the Police Scotland proposals for Greenock Police Station to be escalated to the Management Committee. Pippa Milne encouraged the ACPG members to contact Police Scotland directly on this issue. The CPP Management Committee met on the 10 April 2024 with the meeting being held on a hybrid basis from the Council Chambers, Kilmory and via MS Teams. This update provides an overview of the discussion which took place. Reports which were discussed at the meeting can be found by following this link - Agenda for Argyll and Bute Community Planning Partnership - Management Committee on Wednesday, 10 April 2024, 10:00 am - Argyll and Bute Council (argyll-bute.gov.uk) Page 17 Agenda Item 5
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CPP Governance The Communities and Partnership Manager, Rona Gold, gave an overview of a proposed new governance structure for the Community Planning Partnership to deliver the actions for the Argyll and Bute Outcomes Improvement Plan (ABOIP). The report noted that additional partner organisations must participate in the delivery of Community Planning as per the Community Empowerment (Scotland) Act 2015 and that other relevant partner organisations can be included in delivery but their involvement is not formally legislated. Miss Gold noted the need to move forward with a focus on action delivery. It was agreed that a Community Planning oversight group would meet in person, twice a year. A full partnership meeting involving all delivery partners would be held annually for a full day to discuss the delivery of the Outcomes Improvement Plan and to share information. Consequently the planned June CPP Management Committee has been cancelled with the first Full Partnership day in September 2024. Argyll and Bute Outcomes Improvement Plan (ABOIP) for 2024 – 2034 Outcome 1 - Transport Infrastructure John McLuckie, Partnerships Lead, highlighted the work being taken forward against this outcome, highlighting the current Islands Connectivity Plan consultation. Mr McLuckie advised that Transport Scotland are undertaking a number of events to promote the consultation which focuses on the strategic approach to the vessels and ports plan and the reliability, resilience, impact and affordability of ferry services. Outcome 2 - Housing The Communities and Partnership Manager advised that the Council hosted an Emergency Housing Summit in November 2023 with the Management Committee being asked to consider which of the resulting 34 priority actions points, under four key themes – delivering more market homes, delivering more homes for workers, delivering more affordable homes and making best use of existing homes, they could lead on or provide support to. Pippa Milne, Chief Executive Argyll and Bute Council, advised that there are now four Councils in Scotland that have declared a Housing Emergency (including Argyll and Bute) with it being explored nationally through COSLA, and in the Highlands and Islands via the Regional Economic Partnership and the Convention of the Highlands and Islands. The Development Policy and Housing Manager, Matt Mulderrig, highlighted issues around the systemic housing failures in Argyll and Bute and the lack of housing supply which has knock-on effects on economic growth and provision of services. Mr Mulderrig identified seven action points that he hoped CPP partners could specifically take a lead on or support, such as freedom to use Scottish Government housing funding more flexibly and as an allocation with local administrative control. Page 18
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Outcome 3 - Community Wellbeing The Communities and Partnership Manager highlighted the areas of focus for the Community Wellbeing priority and the activities in place to address these, including: - Broadening equality of access to Community leadership opportunities. - Furthering equality of access to services, facilities and community assets. - Working with partners to maximise sustainability of community facilities and services. - Enabling a voice in collective decision making. - Enhancing communications within communities, and - Better understanding how communities achieve a sense of connection and belonging. Projects CPP Climate Change Strategy and Action Plan Andy Macpherson, Climate Change Project Manager, highlighted the linkages of climate change work to the three outcomes of transport infrastructure, housing and community wellbeing and that he has aligned these to the National and Scottish outcomes. Climate Change Working Group Terms of Reference Miss Gold highlighted proposed changes to the Terms of Reference of the Climate Change Working Group. The CPP MC agreed that this Group should continue albeit with a less frequent meeting schedule of twice per year. CPP Community Wealth Building (CWB) Short Life Steering Group Takki Sulaiman, Argyll and Bute TSI, noted that further work was required on the framework for action draft and that this could be addressed by a wider steering group, noting the positive example of the Climate Change Working Group successfully working across, and engaging with, many partners. For further information, please contact: Stuart McLean, Committee Manager, Argyll and Bute Council (01436) 657605 Stuart.mclean@argyll-bute.gov.uk Page 19
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Argyll and Bute Community Planning Partnership Helensburgh & Lomond Area Community Planning Group 7 March 2024 UPDATE ON COMMUNITY COUNCIL INTERIM BY-ELECTIONS This briefing provides an update for partners to note on the membership of community councils in the Helensburgh & Lomond area following the closure of the nomination period for the interim by-elections. The briefing is for noting and relevant discussion. Summary Detail The Scheme for the Establishment of Community Councils in Argyll and Bute provides for an interim by-election to be held. This generally takes place at the mid- term of the 4 year term. The Returning Officer set the date of 2nd May 2024 for the by-elections. A nomination process commenced on 7th March and concluded on 21st March. A total of 17 valid nominations were received during that period. This can be broken down as follows: Rhu & Shandon – 8 candidates for 10 vacancies Garelochhead – 0 candidate for 7 vacancies Cove & Kilcreggan – 6 candidates for 7 vacancies Arrochar, Tarbet & Ardlui – 0 candidates for 5 vacancies Rosneath & Clynder – 0 candidates for 6 vacancies Luss & Arden – 0 candidates for 3 vacancies Helensburgh – 3 candidates for 2 vacancies Cardross – 0 candidates for 2 vacancies Partners may note from the above that there were more candidates than vacancies received for Helensburgh Community Council and therefore there will be an election Community Council Interim by-elections are taking place on 2nd May 2024. The elections mark the mid-term process. This process required that all vacancies on all community councils were included in the interim by-elections. In addition those who have been appointed by the community council as co-optee will no longer hold office as such on the day of election unless they have successfully stood for election. Page 21 Agenda Item 6
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in this area. In accordance with the provisions in the Scheme, this election will be an all postal ballot. Prior to the by-election there were 42 vacancies across the Community Councils in the Helensburgh & Lomond area. Figures throughout the areas don’t differ significantly, although in this area there were a higher concentration of new members over fewer community councils, however Helensburgh Community Council is the only contested election in the local local authority area. Conclusion A total of 16 candidates will be elected to serve on 3 different community councils at 11am on 2nd May 2024. There were no rejected nominations but unfortunately 5 community councils did not secure any additional members through the by-election process. Those community councils who have vacancies remaining after the by-election will be entitled to fill up to 1/3 of their vacancies by co-option going forward. There were 3 co-opted members across the Helensburgh & Lomond area that did not submit nomination papers. Those members cannot be co-opted again and will be deemed to stand down on the 2nd May 2024. For further information, please contact: Melissa Stewart, Governance Officer, Argyll and Bute Council (01546) 604331 Melissa.stewart@argyll-bute.gov.uk Page 22
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1 Argyll & Bute Community Planning Partnership Area Community Planning Group Partnership update Date: April/May 2024 Partner update – Public Health The Annual Report of the Director of Public Health 2023 (NHS Highland): ‘Medication & Public Health – Do the Right Thing’ (Read the full report here: Director of Public Health Report 2023 | NHS Highland (scot.nhs.uk)) Scotland is facing a predicted 20% increase in levels of illness by 2043, if we continue as we are. An ageing population, with increasing numbers living with at least one long-term health condition and increasingly complex needs. ‘We cannot solve public health challenges simply by prescribing medication for them’ – Dr Tim Allison, Director of Public Health, NHS Highland. The report, published in late January, examines public health challenges and the benefits and drawbacks of prescribed medicines, with a focus on the escalating levels of pharmacotherapy and its impacts on both individuals, and the population and their environment, including the rise of antibiotic resistance and the environmental pollution caused by medications. In addition to an overview of the demography and health inequalities of NHS Highland’s population, a chapter on each of the following key areas is presented: 1. The Environment: How medication can make our environment sicker Medicines now account for 25% of the NHS total carbon footprint, contribute to pollution of the environment and are now classed as emerging environmental contaminants. The report highlights the groundbreaking work of NHS Highland as a founding member of the One Health Breakthrough Partnership (https://ohbp.org), working to reduce the impact of pharmaceuticals on the environment (PiE). 2. Hepatitis C: How medication is transforming treatment and prevention NHS Highland’s Blood Borne Virus Managed Clinical Network (BBV MCN) remains committed to the ambition of eliminating HCV in Scotland by 2024 (six years ahead of the target set by the World Health Organization) with a local elimination strategy. The development of Direct Acting Antiviral (DAA) therapies has significantly increased the efficacy of antiviral treatments which eradicate HCV infection. Effective detection of those who have been infected with HCV combined with the Page 23 Agenda Item 7a
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2 provision of accessible treatment options enable patients to be treated as early as possible and prior to progression to advanced liver disease, improving health outcomes for individuals, and resulting in cost-savings to the NHS in the longer term. 3. Social Prescribing: How an alternative to medication can work An estimated 20% of people visit a GP with non-medical needs and up to one fifth of GPs’ time is spent on issues related to social needs rather than issues best solved by medical interventions such as medication. The DPH Report considers the scope and evidence of how social prescribing can compliment pharmaceutical prescriptions in supporting and managing health. It discusses the opportunities & challenges faced, with studies showing positive financial returns, with Social Return on Investment (SROI) ranging from £2.30 to £7.08 for every £1 invested. The Highland Community Link Worker Programme is currently being evaluated by the University of Highlands and Islands (UHI), and other social prescribing initiatives active across NHS Highland are discussed in the report. 4. Prescriptions for Pain: How medication can have long-lasting effects on public health Analgesics and opioids (pain medication) carry great benefits to an individual in pain, but they can also bring some serious disadvantages with a risk of dependency, and limited benefit in long term use. An illegal market also exists alongside. Both analgesics and opioids are discussed in the context of drug related deaths, and the benefits of prescribing Opioid Substitution Therapy as a therapy offering great help in reducing the serious consequences of illicit drug use are discussed. 5. Case Study: How medication and other measures can work together to improve health Cardiovascular diseases are among the most common causes of health loss in NHS Highland, contributing to ill health and early deaths. Case studies demonstrate how a combined approach of pharmacology and social prescribing can work alongside each other to produce synergistic benefits for patients with cardiovascular diseases, offering improved health outcomes and reduced healthcare costs. Overall, the report emphasizes the complex interplay between medication use, public health outcomes, and the importance of integrated approaches to healthcare delivery. REPORT AUTHOR AND CONTACT Author Names: Caroline McArthur (Health Improvement Snr). Email: nhsh.abhealthimprovement@nhs.scot Page 24
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OFFICIAL: POLICE AND PARTNERS Please note that all data included in this report are management information and not official statistics. All data are sourced from Police Scotland internal systems and are correct as of date of publication. Unless stated otherwise numerical comparisons are against the previous year to date and the previous five year average for the same data period specified. OFFICIAL: POLICE AND PARTNERS Argyll & West Dunbartonshire Division Helensburgh and Lomond Area Community Planning Group The priorities for your area are decided by data from our strategic assessment which details threats and risks, and also from feedback from local authorities, partners, and residents in the Local Policing Survey. ➢ Serious organised crime ➢ Crimes of theft and dishonesty ➢ Road safety and road crime ➢ Violent crime ➢ Public protection. Serious & Organised Crime Cowal, Bute & Helensburgh benefits from a dedicated Pro-active Serious and Organised Crime Team (SOCT). These specialist officers are supported by dedicated intelligence officers in tackling serious and organised crime in our communities. Across Argyll & West Dunbartonshire, 46 persons linked to serious and organised crime have been arrested and £513,974 has been seized under the Proceeds of Crime legislation since April 2023. At the end of Feb 2024, drugs supply charges had increased marginally from 32 to 37 crimes, which is slightly below the previous 5-year average. Drug possession charges have increased from 358 to 401 (+12%) and are also 11.3% above the 5 year average. Both figures are testament to the proactive work being carried out by officers. We encourage our communities to share concerns and suspicions around drug dealing either by calling 101 or by reporting anonymously via Crimestoppers 0800 555 111 COWAL, BUTE & HELENSBURGH PRIORITIES 2023-2026 Page 25 Agenda Item 8a
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OFFICIAL: POLICE AND PARTNERS Please note that all data included in this report are management information and not official statistics. All data are sourced from Police Scotland internal systems and are correct as of date of publication. Unless stated otherwise numerical comparisons are against the previous year to date and the previous five year average for the same data period specified. OFFICIAL: POLICE AND PARTNERS Acquisitive Crime Acquisitive crime remains a local priority. Figures across the country are on an upward trajectory, which in part is a result of the cost of living. We are working with our Preventions team looking at maximising our crime prevention opportunities and looking at innovative ways to increase local awareness. We are working with our communities to identify areas of vulnerability where we can engage with our partners to maximise our response. Crime Type 5 Year Average PYTD YTD % Change from previous Year Common Theft 7 9 5 -28.6% Fraud 3.6 4 5 +25% Housebreaking (Domestic) 1.2 1 1 0% Theft shoplifting 4.8 2 3 +50% Road Safety & Road Crime We have continued to maximise our visibility on the trunk roads with our focus on speed detection and driver behaviour being the primary activities. Our festive road safety campaign has ensured that we were prepared for the increase in road users across our communities during the festive period. The vast majority of local officers are trained in the hand help speed detection equipment and are regularly utilising these tactics across our communities. Most disposals for road traffic crime are by the issuing of fixed penalty notices. These figures are not recorded in this data. Our officers have been targeting areas in Helensburgh near to Hermitage academy and also in Arrochar. Violent Crime Violent crime continues to be closely monitored and reviewed with investigations being resourced across Local Policing Teams and the Criminal Investigation Department. Each crime is subject of daily review and scrutiny and thereafter allocated to the most appropriate department to progress to assist in identification of repeat victims, offenders and locations. Any emerging issues and risks are shared and appropriate actions identified. Crime Type 5 Year Average PYTD YTD % Change previous Year Minor Assault 11.8 14 18 +28.6% Attempt Murder 0.2 0 0 0% Serious Assault 0.6 2 0 -100% Murder 0.2 0 0 0% Page 26
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OFFICIAL: POLICE AND PARTNERS Please note that all data included in this report are management information and not official statistics. All data are sourced from Police Scotland internal systems and are correct as of date of publication. Unless stated otherwise numerical comparisons are against the previous year to date and the previous five year average for the same data period specified. OFFICIAL: POLICE AND PARTNERS Public Protection We are upskilling our staff ensuring they are able to deliver a victim centred approach to gender- based violence. We are introducing domestic abuse champions to ensure officers are confident, supported and properly equipped with skills and up to date guidance when dealing with these often serious and complex investigations. Bespoke perpetrator management plans have been introduced to robustly police those offenders posing the greatest risk of harm in a domestic setting. These plans complement our existing safeguarding processes for victims and children at risk of domestic abuse. Local Policing News Fraud Prevention Frauds and scams continue to be a focus as offences are still being reported on a regular basis and we would welcome invites from any community groups or organisations in the Helensburgh and Lomond area who feel they could benefit from an input from our preventions team. Cardross Speed Camera The fixed speed camera installed at Main Road, Cardross has begun enforcement after speed surveys showed 56% of vehicles on the road were travelling above the 30mph speed limit. The busy commuter road connects the towns of Dumbarton and Helensburgh, and consequently sees a high volume of traffic moving through the village of Cardross. The site was highlighted during Safety Camera Scotland’s site selection after 9 injury collisions were recorded over a 5 year period. Argyll and Bute Council had introduced high friction surfacing and barriers to improve the safety of the road, however speed surveys showed that 56% of traffic was still travelling above the speed limit. We are fortunate to have our specialist Roads Policing officers based locally who continue to supplement and support local policing. We look forward to seeing an improvement in driver behaviour. Road Safety Awareness Day Road Safety remains a local policing priority across Argyll & Bute. We have been working closely with a host of partners delivering various initiatives and events to improve decision making and influence driver behaviour across our communities. On the 21st of April within the grounds of Hermitage Academy we are hosting an event where our communities are encouraged to attend to hear and learn from driving specialists and health professionals. These events have recent great feedback in the past and really help us to influence driver behaviour. Community Policing At the beginning of May we will be introducing two new Community Police Officers who will be based within Helensburgh Police Station. These officers will utilise bikes and foot patrols and will Page 27
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OFFICIAL: POLICE AND PARTNERS Please note that all data included in this report are management information and not official statistics. All data are sourced from Police Scotland internal systems and are correct as of date of publication. Unless stated otherwise numerical comparisons are against the previous year to date and the previous five year average for the same data period specified. OFFICIAL: POLICE AND PARTNERS provide an increased policing presence within Helensburgh and surrounding villages. These officers will improve our visibility within the community which will help to deliver on local priorities. Operation Ballaton Our multi agency approach at tackling summer ASB has kicked off with partner meetings and planning taking place. Local officers have been provided with information in relation local bye laws across Loch Lomond so that a robust policing plan can be put in place to tackle seasonal ASB. The local Area Inspector has met with representatives of the Luss community to get an understanding about local concerns and how local policing can support them. Useful Links/Contacts • Argyll and Bute Communtiy Directory - https://abcd.scot/ including warm spaces information • Crimestoppers – Crimestoppers in Scotland | Crimestoppers (crimestoppers-uk.org) 0800 555 111 • Scottish Partnership Against Rural Crime – www.scottishparc.co.uk • Women’s Aid - Home - Women's Aid (womensaid.org.uk) • Citizens Advice – 0808 164 6000 • Argyll and Bute Council Trading Standards – 01546 605 519 • Argyll and Bute Council – https://www.argyll-bute.gov.uk/my-council/how-contact- us • Transport Scotland – road related incidents and road closures - https://www.traffic.gov.scot/traffic-information/incidents • Scottish Water - https://www.scottishwater.co.uk/Help-and-Resources/Contact-Us 0800 0778 778 • NHS24 (including mental health support) – 111 or https://www.nhsinform.scot/ Follow us on Social Media and help share loacl appeals and education messages • Facebook - Police Scotland Argyll and West Dunbartonshire • X (formerly Twitter) – PSOSArgyllBute and PSOS ArgWestDunb Sign up to Neighbourhood Watch to receive local alerts and bulletins for your community area - https://neighbourhoodwatchscotland.co.uk Have your say on your local policing priorities - https://consult.scotland.police.uk/strategy- insight-and-innovation/your-police-2023-2024/ Page 28
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Helensburgh & Lomond CPG Briefing Report Q4 2023/24 Performance & Activity Report From: 1st January 2024 To: 31st March 2024 Page 29 Agenda Item 8b
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Introduction Welcome to the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service Community Board Performance Report. This performance report is designed to provide citizens, stakeholders and partners with information relating to Community Board based activity undertaken by the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service. Whilst using historic statistical benchmarking data, consideration must be taken of the random nature of fire related incidents and events, and how this can pose difficulties in interpreting emerging patterns and trends. This is of specific relevance where Community Board level data is analysed due to the relatively small number of actual incidents/events that occur in Community Board areas. However, regardless of statistical anomalies, emerging patterns and trends in fire related incidents and events can assist the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service and Community Planning Partners plan and implement preventative intervention initiatives to target reducing fire related incidents and events. Local Firefighter Training Plan Below is a list of subjects the operational crews have been focusing on within this period. Each subject has been covered both practically and theoretically and recorded in the Fire Service Training recording system. Training Subjects January/February/March BA (Breathing Apparatus) - Tactical Ventilation Q4 RTC – Casualty Extraction Q4 Incident Command Q4 Regulation and Compliance Q4 Pumps, Ladders, Knots & Lines Page 30
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Accidental Dwelling Fires (ADF) Ward 3 Year Average 2022/23 2023/24 Helensburgh & Lomond South 2.3 2 0 Helensburgh Central 1.7 2 1 Lomond North 2 2 3 Community Board Total 6 6 4 ADF Casualties Ward 3 Year Average 2022/23 2023/24 Helensburgh & Lomond South 0 0 0 Helensburgh Central 0.3 0 1 Lomond North 0 0 0 Community Board Total 0.3 0 1 Deliberate Secondary Fire Setting Ward 3 Year Average 2022/23 2023/24 Helensburgh & Lomond South 2 1 1 Helensburgh Central 0.3 0 0 Lomond North 2 3 1 Community Board Total 4.3 4 2 Fires in Non-Domestic Property Ward 3 Year Average 2022/23 2023/24 Helensburgh & Lomond South 0.3 1 0 Helensburgh Central 0.7 1 0 Lomond North 0.7 1 1 Community Board Total 1.7 3 1 Page 31
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Casualties from Non-Fire Emergencies Ward 3 Year Average 2022/23 2023/24 Helensburgh & Lomond South 1.7 4 0 Helensburgh Central 0.7 0 1 Lomond North 1 0 1 Community Board Total 3.3 4 2 Unwanted Fire Alarm Signals Ward 3 Year Average 2022/23 2023/24 Helensburgh & Lomond South 3 1 0 Helensburgh Central 17 25 9 Lomond North 6 5 2 Community Board Total 26 31 11 Page 32
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Unwanted Fire Alarm Signals (UFAS) We continue to work with partners across Argyll & Bute to support duty holders in reducing unwanted fire alarm signal (UFAS) incidents. Our UFAS mobilisation policy has been devised with the aim of reducing UFAS incidents across Scotland. This has been reflected in the relevant KPI’s contained within this report. Road & Water Safety campaigns In this reporting period, we have continued to work with various partners across Argyll & Bute including Police Scotland, The RNLI (Royal National Lifeboat Institution) and local business on Road and Water safety campaigns. We continue to support a road safety governance group established with Police Scotland's L Division. The group meets on a quarterly basis to discuss road safety issues and includes various partners from across Argyll & Bute. In March we attended Road Safety Scotland’s annual seminar at the Edinburgh International Conference centre. We continue to participate in Partnership Approach to Water Safety (PAWS) and attended Argyll & Bute quarterly meeting in March. Our Community Action Team (CAT) and local crews have been delivering Water Safety Scotland ice and water safety presentations across schools in Argyll & Bute. Community Engagement Activities • Post Domestic Incident Response (PDIR) following every domestic incident. • Continue to deliver Fire Safety advice via HFSVs (Home Fire Safety Visits) and provision of smoke detection. • Representation on Multi Agency Risk Assessment (MARAC) for those affected by domestic violence. • Continue to support ‘Make the Call’ campaign and On Call recruitment drive for retained and volunteer stations within Argyll and Bute • Supporting Partnership Approach to Water Safety (PAWS) group and engaging with the public: #RESPECTTHEWATER campaign. • WC McGloin visited our Youth Volunteer Scheme in Tobermory with national coordinator Ruth Cairns to provide youth engagement training. • We engaged with school’s community groups utilising our Spring Thematic Action Plan (TAP) • In January, our Community Action Team (CAT) attended various careers engagement pathway sessions in Argyll & Bute Secondary Schools. • Our CAT visited all High Schools in Argyll & Bute to deliver Water Safety Scotland Ice and Water safety workshops. • Our CAT attended various STEM – Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics events in Argyll & Bute High Schools including Tobermory and Campbeltown. EWDAB (East & West Dunbartonshire, Argyll and Bute) LSO Activities • Continued roll out of new fleet SFRS (Scottish Fire and Rescue Service) Electric Vehicles and on-station charging points within the area. • Ongoing On-call recruitment campaigns – Participation in Practical Selection Tests for new candidates as well as successful completion of Task and Task Management by new On-call Firefighters across the area. • We held a multi-agency tabletop exercise at Oban community Fire Station with various partners to test operational resilience at Glensanda Quary. • WC McGloin and members of the CAT attended the annual Road Safety Scotland seminar at the Edinburgh International Conference centre. • WC Spence along with our training team visited both Celtic and Rangers training grounds to provide CPR training to the club’s youth teams. Page 33
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Home Fire Safety As part of our commitment to building a safer Scotland we offer everyone in Scotland a free home fire safety visit. We will help you sort out a fire escape plan and provide information about smoke, heat, and carbon monoxide alarms. For a Free Home Fire Safety Visit, please: • Call 0800 0731 999 • Text "FIRE" to 80800 from your mobile phone. Twitter link: https://twitter.com/abewdhq Page 34
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Helensburgh Community Council Update for CPP May7th 2024 ❖ Elections are currently taking place for two vacancies on the community Council. Three candidates have come forward who would all make excellent councillors Bill Purdon, Louise McCormack Fisher and Simon Vella. The postal ballot is currently taking place and closes on May 2nd ❖ Waterfront and Helensburgh Pier- We were disappointed that our bid for the Waterfront was rejected by the Helensburgh and Lomond Committee. We will continue to consult and engage with Argyll and Bute council over this area as we firmly believe the area should be used for community led activities and our community consultations including Vision for Helensburgh back this up. The Community Council has representatives on the Pier Regeneration Group which continue to explore, with Argyll and Bute Council ways the pier can be brought back in to use. A four stage plan has been developed and funding is being explored. The community are strongly in favour of this happening. ❖ Huge congratulations must go to the Helensburgh Skateboard Project who recently opened the new park on the Waterfront. They have worked hard to ensure it has been replaced as promised and their persistence has finally paid off. The skateboard park has been warmly welcomed by the community as a whole and in particular the young people of Helensburgh. ❖ Police and Road Safety -We continue to discuss local issues regularly at our meetings and supported the Road Safety Event with advertising. We continue to have concerns re speeding in the town and close to our schools. The Community Council supports a 20 mph speed limit within the town. ❖ In common with all community councils we are a statutory consultee for local applications. We are currently involved with a number of representations on the proposal for a Battery Farm and we monitor all other applications. ❖ Helensburgh looks particularly beautiful at this time of year with blossom lined streets and we would like to thank the Tree Conservation Trust for their hard work in making this happen. ❖ Consultation on the Dumbarton to Helensburgh Cycle Path continues and we participated and encouraged others to engage with the Helensburgh in Motion study. We are disappointed that this has not been completed after twenty plus years with little recent progress and we are working with the Cardross Cycle Action Group to find a way forward. ❖ The Community Council has supported a number of spring clean initiatives along with Plastic Free Helensburgh, with financial support from the newly formed Argyll and Bute Climate Action Network. These include the play park at Kirkmichael, the Hermitage Park Spring Clean and our regular Beach Cleans held at the pier on the last Saturday of the month. Page 35 Agenda Item 8c
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❖ We participated in the Big Conversation an event encouraging and enabling groups involved in environmental activity to get together, discuss issues and plan how to work better together now that we have the network. ❖ We will discuss ideas for continued maintenance of Colquhoun Square shrub beds at our April Meeting. ❖ Music in the Square is a community council fund with money to support young musicians and community events around the town. We encourage groups and individuals with ideas to contact the Community Council for support. ❖ Our petition to the Scottish Government raising the issue of local issues being decided by local communities will be discussed by the Citizen Participation and Public Petitions Committee on May 1st ❖ Our Town Centre Group continues to raise issues and resident concerns drains, bins repairs, parking etc. We encourage residents to use the “Report It function” on the Argyll and Bute website as well as raising issues with us. ❖ Our monthly meetings are held on the last Thursday of every month at the Civic Centre 7:00pm. The Meeting on May 30th will be our AGM. The Community are encouraged to attend all our meetings and a good number regularly do. Sarah Davies HCC Secretary Sarahdaviesde@yahoo.co.uk Tel 07845193590 Page 36
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Scottish Charity SCO37292 Annual Report 2024 Fun – Friendship-Community Fun First continues to provide sessions for pre school children and their parents with sessions every day somewhere between Helensburgh, Cardross, Garelochead and Rosneath. All our sessions are popular, in particular Mondays, in Helensburgh Library and Fitness sessions at Victoria Halls. This year’s fitness sessions are supported by a generous grant from Argyll and Bute Supporting Communities Fund. Staffing continues to be with trained leaders and administrators paid the Living Wage.We said goodbye to leaders Kirsty and Louise but have been very happy to welcome Jo, Aimie, Ellie and Hannah. We are lucky to receive excellent applicants when we advertise our jobs. We appointed Fiona Gunn as an administrative assistant to work with our social media, grant applications and finances. She has taken over the hours previously worked by Sue McCartney plus extra . An organization is only ever as good as the staff who work for it and we thank all our leaders experienced and new and of course our experienced manger Jennie for their dedication and hard work. In November all our leaders and committee members participated in First Aid for Mental Health training which proved to be extremely useful. We would highly recommend it to other organisations In March we participated in training to run Outdoor Sessions for parents and children with Under the Trees Outdoor Learning from Falkirk. This training was paid for by the Armed Forces Covenant Fund and took place on a very rainy and cold day in Hermitage Park. Thanks to everyone including leader’s children who participated We have another day’s training planned in May. We then hope to start regular outdoor sessions, initially in Helensburgh, to prepare children for the outdoor and forest school activities they will experience in both ELC settings and when they start school. We also hope this will further encourage young families to spend more time outside enjoying everything our beautiful area has to offer. We have applied to the Argyll and Bute Supporting Communities Fund for support with this. Page 37 Agenda Item 8d
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We were delighted to receive a grant from the TSI Health and Wellbeing Fund to fund our Fun First Friends sessions this year. These sessions are not only for our current users, but also for expectant parents and families new to the area. They are held fortnightly in the Drumfork Community Centre family room. Relevant speakers are invited for a short presentation, refreshments are provided, children can use the soft play and above all friendships are made and relevant support and information shared. Signposting support is an important part of our service. Parties continue to be an important part of our annual programme. They are held in Victoria Halls and offer a chance for the whole Fun First community to come together. They raise funds and provide a positive social occasion. Father Christmas attended our Christmas one and Jackie Baillie MSP our summer event. We welcomed Caryl McClean our new local TSI coordinator to our Halloween Party. We thank the Co op and their customers for a generous donation of almost £5,000 from their Community Fund. We received £2,500 towards our fitness sessions from the Argyll and Bute Supporting Communities Fund and a grant of £1,500 for outdoor equipment from the Argyll and Bute Climate Action Network. The Argyll and Bute Early Years department also gave us a generous £5,000 donation towards our core costs. Fundraising activities included the Rhu Gala, Hermitage Academy Christmas and Spring Fayre and Christmas bauble painting with Pitter Patter Potter. We are reliant on grant funding; session donations and fund raising to continue our service and thank everyone who helps us from the smallest donation to more substantial grants. We thank Helensburgh Community Hub for their support as a venue and their provision of the Dolly Parton Imagination Library for our Helensburgh members. The Chair recently attended a TSI funding conference which will hopefully lead to more positive outcomes. We held an EGM to change our constitution, a workday with leaders and committee members and the Chair has held appraisal discussions with leaders. We thank the volunteers who make up our committee for their hard work and support. We are always looking for new members. The commitment is a monthly zoom meeting and help at events and fund raising when possible. We have exciting new plans for the next year including an Early Years Information morning in early September, and the addition of our Outdoor Sessions. We need to continue to look for fundraising opportunities. Please contact contactfunfirst@gmail.com or our Chair sarahdaviesde@yahoo.co.uk for further information about our service. Sarah Davies Chair Fun First -Tel 07845 193590 Page 38
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Report to H&L CPG 7th May 2024 Angela Anderson I continue to represent H&L at CPG Climate Change Group meetings and monthly steering group meetings with the Climate Change Project Manager. Plastic Free Helensburgh We have had a busy time, with talks to various groups including Grey Matters and St Michaels Episcopal Church. The last Saturday of the month Beach Cleans began in March and despite the gale we managed to collect a lot of rubbish from the grass at the East Bay on the 13 th April National Clean Up day. With the benefit of a grant money from ABCAN the new Argyll and Bute Climate Action network we ran a number of events and purchased more litter pickers and a quantity of buckets and tubs to reduce the number of plastic bags we use on our cleans. The First Event was “A Big Conversation”, we invited groups active in the environment, cleaning, greening, caring for and growing to get together and find out about each other what our joint needs, strenghts, weaknesses, opportunities and threats are. Around 45 people attended representing over 50 groups. The SWOT analysis was lead by Norman McNally and we continue this project. PFH provided equipment, refreshments, a skip and support for a big clean at the playing fields and portacabin at Kirkmichael. The KCDG followed this up with a meeting and local people came forward fill the committee and restart the group. Again through ABCAN funding we supplied a skip, equipment and refreshments for a successful clean at Hermitage Park where a large quantity of decaying rubbish was collected from corners and under bushes, plus a 14 litre bucket of fresh rubbish collected by a preschool girl and here dad from the fenced play area. We are planning a similar event for the Churchill Square Area. We were approach by the US consulate Edinburgh and had a meeting with a leading National Geographic Explorer and U.S. State Department Speaker Rachael Miller, comparing notes and showing rubbish from our beaches and the situation across the oceans. We have also responded and collaborated on a number of ScotGov consultations. As part of Plastic Free Scotland we are active with a group of mainly NGO’s in the Circular Economy Bill progression. Time for Change Argyll and Bute Climate Cafes have been set up in Oban and Lochgilphead. Currently TfC is considering strategies and priorities for the coming year. Page 39 Agenda Item 8e
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Community Learning LiveArgyll Update Adult Learning Provision Helensburgh Learning Café – Learning and employability drop in service every Wednesday afternoon in Helensburgh Library, 1 -2.30. Tea/coffee/rolls/soup/biscuits. Get IT Started – Basic IT course. Every Tuesday afternoon in Helensburgh Library for 6 weeks. New session starting June. Jean’s Bothy – Digital Drop in Service – for existing and new Bothy members. Every second Tuesday in Jean’s Bothy 11 – 1. Digital Boost – Advanced IT Support group for learners who have previously attended Get IT Started. Every Wednesday in Helensburgh Library 10 – 12. Conversation Café – General conversation with tea/coffee/biscuits in Helensburgh Library every Thursday morning 10 – 11.30. National Databank – Vodafone and O2 sim cards available with call, texts and data for up to 6 months. Available by arrangement with Caroline Whitson. New Device Lending Service – due to commence June 24. Laptops and tablet devices will be available, with or without mobile data, for adults aged 18 and over who have been referred by a partner agency. Lending period will be between 3 and 6 months. Regular attendance at The Learning Café (Helensburgh Library) is required as part of the lending agreement, as is registering with Learn My Way online learning. Referrals can be made directly to Caroline Whitson. Health Issues in the Community (HIIC) - Pilot due to finish July 24. New provision will be available from June 24. Next cohort in partnership with Jean’s Bothy. A further group can be run from October 24. Contact: Caroline Whitson Caroline.Whitson@liveargyll.co.uk tel: 01436658707 Eileen Kay Eileen.Kay@liveargyll.co.uk tel: 01436658743 Adult Literacy and Numeracy: We are rolling out Adult Literacy and Numeracy Support across the Argyll and Bute sessions being offered alongside side events throughout the year (until March 2025). Please contact Hugh O’Hagan for further details Hugh can be contacted on telephone 01700801086 Email: Hugh.OHagan@liveargyll.co.uk. Page 41 Agenda Item 8f
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Community Learning LiveArgyll Update cont.: Helensburgh and Lomond Youth work/Services Update: Summer GIVE – planning started this week - Jacqueline Willis from Grab Trust going to deliver a volunteer session around environmental issues (possible Beach Clean) Still looking for other potential volunteering opportunities for the young people to get involved in. We will also be looking for possible training opportunities for the young people to take part in as well. Date – summer 2024. Friday Night Sports will take place during the School Summer Holidays – we are changing this from football only to a possible multi-sport/ taster session of sports for the young people that attend. Meeting for partners (MOD, Police Scotland) being scheduled but if any other partner wishes to be involved then more than welcome to attend. Date – summer 2024. Hermitage Academy – School inputs coming to a conclusion with accredited courses. Pupils at the academy will have gained various SQA qualifications, Dynamic Youth Awards and Saltire Awards. Helensburgh and Lomond Youth Action – recruiting for new members from across Helensburgh and Lomond, meetings will be held online to allow young people from more rural parts of the area to attend. If you know any young person interested in attending please contact the Lead Youth Worker Thomas Guy-Conroy. MSYP – Sophie Bennie-Twist is the new Member of Scottish Youth Parliament for Helensburgh and Lomond. She is currently in exams so will take a while to reply to any emails during this time. If you are contacting Sophie can you please include her Support worker in the email? Contact Details: Thomas Guy-Conroy – Thomas.guy-conroy@liveargyll.co.uk Sophie Bennie-Twist – Sophie.bennie.syp@sypmail.org.uk Members of the Scottish Youth Parliament (MSYPs) We have welcomed the New Members of the Scottish Youth Parliament for Argyll and Bute: Alasdair Paisley, Mariska Silkowski & Sophie Bennie-Twist and they have been embarking on a period of training and development and have embraced their new positions from February 24. See: MSYP profiles to learn more about Alasdair, Mariska, and Sophie. Youth Services will provide ongoing support to our three MSYPs over the next two years as they serve their election term and a thanks also goes out to John McLuckie Partnerships Lead (Community Planning) for meeting with the MSYPs and providing an induction about the CPP and the Management Committee. Page 42
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Alasdair, Mariska and Sophie have already started engaging and are looking forward to supporting and promoting the voice and addressing issues of Young People across Argyll and Bute Locally and Nationally. Community Learning LiveArgyll Update cont.: HMI Community Learning and Development (CLD) Progress Visit of Argyll and Bute Council January 2024. Published report is now available and can be viewed via the link Council Details | Find an inspection report | Find an inspection report | Inspection and review | Education Scotland Current CLD Strategic Partnership Plan 2021 -2024 and HMI Published Report on CLD. Current Plan is coming to and August 2024 CLD Strategic Partnership Plan 2021-2024-Digital-1.pdf and a new CLD Strategic Partnership Plan 2024-2027 will be in place as of September 20204. This will include a review of the membership to ensure it reflects all aspects CLD and the wide range of partners who contribute to CLD outcomes in Argyll and Bute, continued Development of shared vision, values and aims and a consultation process including engagement with CPP, ACPG’s, Youth Forums and 3rd sector partners. The recent HMI Community Learning and Development (CLD) Progress Visit of Argyll and Bute Council January 2024. Published report is now available and can be viewed via the link: Details | Find an inspection report | Find an inspection report | Inspection and review | Education Scotland Independent Review of Community Learning and Development (CLD) - programme of Engagement and consultation. There has been an Independent Review carried out on Community Learning and Development (CLD) across all Authorities in Scotland. The Minister for Higher Education, Further Education and Skills, appointed an Independent Reviewer Kate Still to conduct and carry out a programme of Engagement and consultations. In addition to a series of bilateral and group meetings with a wide-range of stakeholders including SOLACE, ADES and CoSLA. Learners, potential learners and interested stakeholders responded to a Call for Evidence through online learner questionnaire published on CitizenSpace. The consultation ran from 22 January to 3 March. The questions included in the consultations had been developed with the intention of seeing things from the perspective of the learner and/or potential learner and this approach was followed for the review as a whole. Findings will be published in September 2024. Page 43
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Helensburgh Community Hub – CPG update May 2024 Reading Minds – Helensburgh’s Book Festival More than 400 people enjoyed the second year of Reading Minds, a weekend of wellbeing through books from 22-24 March. Helensburgh’s book festival is a collaboration between the Hub, Jean’s Bothy and Helensburgh and Lomond Carers Centre, and this year, in addition to the three organisation venues, we held events at Colgrain Primary, Hermitage Academy and the fabulous setting of the drawing room at Hill House. Next year’s Reading Minds festival will be held over the weekend of 28-30 March. But before then there will be some ad hoc Reading Minds events including Book on a Boat in May (in partnership with Cruise Loch Lomond), Meet the Author on Saturday 17 August in the Hub, and an autumn whisky event (postponed from this year’s festival). “I enjoyed the friendly, relaxed atmosphere of the event, as well as the amazing quality of the authors and interviewers who made it a very inspiring and successful event” “I was only able to attend one event but it was lovely and thoughtful provoking.” Dolly Parton Imagination Library and Reading for Pleasure related activity We will be hosting a Dolly Drag Bingo event in September to fundraise for our expanding Dolly Parton's Imagination Library. More information coming soon. As part of our focus on highlighting the importance of encouraging parents to foster a love of reading to and with their children we welcomed a group of new parents to the Hub as part of an NHS/early years project. New activity in the Hub - A social group for neurodivergent adults called Unmask and Unwind has started meeting on the second Thursday of the month from 7-9pm. - Crafty Conversations – wellbeing and crafting sessions - will be starting on Fridays from 7- 9pm from May 24. - Monday Monthly Moves for people with memory problems or a dementia diagnosis and their carers is on the last Monday of the month from 2-3.15pm - Refugee integration: in June we are beginning volunteer-led conversation sessions for new members of the refugee community. We would also like to organise a celebration this Page 45 Agenda Item 8g
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summer involving sharing food from different cultural communities who live in Helensburgh. I would like to ask CPG partners to support this event. SCVO #essentialsector campaign The Hub Development Manager recently attended a Scottish Parliament reception that highlighted the SCVO #essentialsector campaign. Much of the discussion was around the need for fair funding for the sector. The Hub's film was also used for a training webinar for more than 130 third sector organisations from across Scotland about how to make a film using your mobile phone. More information about the #essentialsector campaign is here #EssentialSector - SCVO and film making training resources are also available on the SCVO website. Volunteering We are continuing work to make volunteering more visible and valued across Helensburgh and Lomond, and we will be repeating our highly successful collaboration with Visiting Friends to host a celebration lunch as part of Volunteers Week Scotland on Sunday 9 June at the Civic Centre from 2- 4pm. Volunteer involving organisations will be able to book places for their volunteers through Eventbrite and we are asking organisations to make a small contribution to the cost of hosting and catering the event. Below is a collage of photos (by Kathryn Polley) from last year’s wonderful afternoon of recognition and connection. Development Manager Gill Simpson 01436 678088 / manager@helensburghcommunityhub.org.uk Registered Company SC645409 Helensburgh Community Hub Registered Charity SC05045 Page 46
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Page | 1 Report: Helensburgh and Lomond Area Community Planning Group Date: 7 May 2024 Prepared by: Caryl Mclean Introduction TSI activity for quarter four 2023-2024 has involved completing the final version of the TSI funded Community Wealth Building report, reviewing our budgets, supporting member organisations and the wider community as well as planning for our next business plan and new strategy. Our new website also continues to grow as a space for collaboration and news and we would love to have your views on content and stories. We proactively invite third sector groups and organisations to promote their events and activities directly via the TSI website. Scottish Government/The Office of the Scottish Charity Regulator (OSCR) Legislation was presented in the Scottish Parliament on 23rd February 2024 to activate some provisions of the Charities (Regulation and Administration) (Scotland) Act 2023, effective from 1 April 2024. The Office of the Scottish Charity Regulator (OSCR) is preparing to implement these changes to enhance benefits for charities and the public. No immediate action is required from charities or their trustees, but we should anticipate updates to OSCR's guidance on their website. Key enhancements include: 1. Increased Inquiry Powers: From April 2024, OSCR will gain enhanced powers to direct charities to take specific actions, appoint interim trustees, and extend inquiries to former charities and trustees. This aims to protect charity assets and improve regulatory responses. 2. Streamlining Information Requirements: Changes will clarify and expedite the process by which charities must provide information, improving inquiry progress. 3. Enforcement on Non-compliance: Charities failing to submit accounts within 9 months or engage with OSCR will face removal from the Scottish Charity Register starting 1 April 2024. This enforces the duty of financial transparency essential for public and donor confidence. 4. Registration Criteria: New criteria effective from the same date will require charities to demonstrate a significant connection to Scotland, such as having a principal office or conducting activities in Scotland. Page 47 Agenda Item 8h
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Page | 2 5. Operational Flexibility: The new act reduces bureaucratic hurdles, such as the need for a 42-day notice for certain changes, and permits flexibility in cases like charity mergers. Future measures include creating a searchable record of disqualified trustees by October 2024, and further provisions by summer 2025, such as publishing trustee names and records of charity mergers. These steps are part of a broader effort to ensure charities are well- regulated and transparent in Scotland. More details here:- https://www.oscr.org.uk/about- charities/charity-law/changes-to-charity-law-after-the-charities-regulation-and- administration-scotland-act-2023/ The net impact of the changes is likely to be a more interventionist approach to promoting good charity governance and practice. Community Wealth Building (CWB) report Following approval of funding for a CWB report, the TSI has been working on the commissioning of a CWB strategy and action plan for Argyll and Bute’s Community Planning Partnership. The final report has been submitted to the CPP Management Committee. Funders Fayre 2024 The TSI Funders Fayre held in Oban on 20th March 2024 was a great success with 8 funders in attendance and over 70 participants. Feedback has been positive, and we will look to repeat the event with different, but hopefully equally nationally significant funders, in six months’ time in another part of Argyll and Bute. The message that we need to work together to support each other during a period of sustained financial pressure was well received. Communities Mental Health and Wellbeing Fund – Year four announcement It has been agreed that there will be a year four of funding at the same levels as for 2023- 2024. National planning for the next round begins shortly. TSI Board member recruitment Owing to a number of changes the TSI is down to the minimum level of four trustees and we are urgently seeking to recruit from interested people in our locality. We meet five times a year and you will be helping to support third and social enterprise sector organisations to thrive, prosper and support our local communities. For an informal conversation please contact takkisulaiman@argylltsi.org.uk and visit https://www.argylltsi.org/about-us/our- board-2/ to view the role description. Argyll and Bute Climate Action Network (ABCAN) The work of the TSI supported Argyll and Bute Climate Action Network (ABCAN) is now fully under way, led under the auspices of the Argyll and the Isles Coast and Countryside Trust (ACT). The TSI has just completed the disbursement of three rounds of seed and micro grant funding. Page 48
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Page | 3 We are now moving onto the next phase and will provide governance support for the establishment of ABCAN’s steering group. Scottish Government funding has been approved for the next year of activity however seed capital funding for this coming year will be less than the £40k available for the year gone but we may collectively fundraise to increase this total. Sustainable Food Partnership online event – 26th February 2024 In late February the TSI co-hosted an online discussion of setting up a Sustainable Food Partnership (SFP) in Argyll and Bute. There is an existing network of 85+ SFPs across the UK which are working collaboratively to support and encourage a transition to a healthy, sustainable and more equitable food system. The event was a great success with over 40 – mainly new groups to the TSI – in attendance. Next steps are currently being considered. Consulting on a new strategy and a local sustainable funding campaign The TSI is increasingly coming across groups in financial difficulties and we provide support and advice where we can. The TSI will be consulting widely on a new five-year strategy and we will be asking member third and social enterprise organisations as well as the wider community about priorities for the focus of our activity. Mapping early intervention services A proposal, written by the TSI and the Social Value Lab, was previously submitted and accepted by Argyll and Bute’s Chief Social Worker. The proposal focused on mapping and investment in preventative support services for children that would be run by the third and social enterprise sector is now up and running. The TSIs All Our Children Network has long identified that third sector services for children are patchy and this results in children and families going unsupported and needs becoming more serious as a result. Hosting posts The TSI is now hosting a Wellbeing Development Manager post funded by Macmillan Cancer Support and the HSCP and is subject to an SLA. The synergy with the TSI’s work is significant as it involves capacity building third sector groups active in preventative healthcare as well as developing information and support tools such as our community directory. Page 49
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Argyll and Bute Community Planning Partnership Helensburgh and Lomond Area Community Planning Group 7th May 2024 Community Wealth Building in Argyll and Bute – a framework for action Summary Community Wealth Building is an established methodology, adopted by the Scottish Government and soon to be enshrined in law, and which is intended to address the inequalities in our communities by ensuring wealth generated locally is used locally and not extracted. The report identifies numerous local good practice examples, examines them for replicability as well as identifying a framework for action and potential models of opportunity in community owned energy generation and employee ownership models. 1. Purpose The purpose of this report is for the ACPG to note that the CPP Management Committee formally received the Community Wealth Building report commissioned in 2023 at its meeting of 10th April 2024. This follows on from the January 2024 report ‘A Framework for Action’ which afforded the Management Committee the opportunity to debate and discuss the initial report recommendations. The CPP Management Committee requested that the final report and the models of opportunity be sent to ACPGs for feedback and comment and in particular seek comment on questions of implementation and priority actions. 2. Recommendations 2.1 Note that a steering group of CPP partners oversaw the delivery and production of the two reports at Appendix 1 and 2; 2.2 The ACPG is asked to comment on implementation and priority actions within the final report Community Wealth Building in Argyll and Bute: A framework for action (Appendix 1); 2.3 The ACPG is asked to comment on the implementation and priority actions within the two ‘Models of Opportunity’ (Appendix 2). 3. Background Page 51 Agenda Item 9
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3.1 The five pillars of CWB The five principles of Community Wealth Building have been developed by the Centre for Local Economic Strategies1 over a number of decades through work with anchor institutions across the UK and the World. These are:- • Plural ownership of the economy. • Making financial power work for local places. • Fair employment and just labour markets. • Progressive procurement of goods and services. • Socially productive use of land and property. Anchor institutions are identified as statutory and third sector bodies which can influence ‘economic engines’: The term is used to refer to organisations which: • Have an important presence in a place, usually through a combination of: being largescale employers, the largest purchasers of goods and services in the locality, controlling large areas of land and/or having relatively fixed assets. • Are tied to a particular place by their mission, histories, physical assets and local relationships. Examples include local authorities, NHS trusts, universities, trade unions, large local businesses, the combined activities of the community and voluntary sector and housing associations. The Scottish Government has published an overview of the responses received to their January 2023 consultation paper on Community Wealth Building legislation2. 4. Detail 4.1 Engagement activity A series of citizen led workshops were held around Argyll and Bute in July and August with a further online workshop in September 2023. Simultaneously a desktop document search was conducted as well as a series of in depth one to one stakeholder interviews. This research has informed the draft report and the initial recommendations, of which the latter are appended for discussion, development and outline agreement by CPP partners. Initial discussions have also been held between CPP partners about the importance of the CWB pillars and the specific Argyll and Bute 1 https://cles.org.uk/what-is-community-wealth-building/the-principles-of-community-wealth-building/ 2 https://consult.gov.scot/economic-development/community-wealth-building-consultation/ Page 52
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recommendations to other strategies and action plans. For instance, there is an opportunity for the forthcoming Argyll and Bute Economic Development Strategy and Action Plan to incorporate this work on Community Wealth Building and to use the five pillars as underpinning principles. 5. Conclusions There are many existing best practice examples in Argyll and Bute that use Community Wealth Building methods to support and improve our communities by ensuring wealth generated in Argyll and Bute benefits local communities and is not extracted. The report identifies significant opportunities to increase the applicability of the methodology for wider community benefit. It does however require considerable engagement amongst all partners, communities and anchor institutions to identify key areas for priority action. 6. LOIP Outcomes The report relates to all three of the new LOIP 2024-2034 priority areas of Housing, Transport and Community Wellbeing. For further information please contact: Takki Sulaiman CEO Argyll and Bute Third Sector Interface takkisulaiman@argylltsi.org.uk Page 53
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Community Wealth Building in Argyll and Bute A framework for action Page 55
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Community Wealth Building in Argyll and Bute 2 Contents Executive summary .....................................................................................................................3 Introduction .................................................................................................................................3 Economic and social context .......................................................................................................4 CWB journey to date ...................................................................................................................8 A framework for action ............................................................................................................. 16 Appendix 1: List of stakeholders ............................................................................................... 22 Appendix 2: What does CWB mean to you? (Citizen-led workshop feedback) ................... 24 Appendix 3: Selecting models of opportumity .......................................................................... 25 Appendix 4: Community wealth building ................................................................................. 35 Centre for Local Economic Strategies (CLES) info@cles.org.uk www.cles.org.uk @CLESthinkdo Registered charity no. 1089503. Company limited by guarantee no. 4242937. © 2022 Centre for Local Economic Strategies Page 56
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Community Wealth Building in Argyll and Bute 3 Executive summary The Centre for Local Economic Strategies (CLES) has been delighted to work with partners across the Argyll and Bute Community Planning Partnership to gain a deeper understanding of the unique opportunities and challenges Argyll and Bute faces in implementing a community wealth building (CWB) approach. Set within the context of the Scottish Government’s commitment to a wellbeing economy and the importance placed on community wealth building being a key practical means of achieving this, this report focuses on the five pillars of CWB and maps out activity that is taking place across Argyll and Bute before providing recommendations to the Community Planning Partnership on how they can develop activity across the five pillars. We have developed a number of recommendations we believe can help push Argyll and Bute to be a leader in implementing community wealth building but understand the requirements for both legislative and financial support to implement some of the recommendations. We envisage this document to be a launchpad for deeper community wealth building activity across Argyll and Bute and given the extensive nature of our recommendations we do not envisage partners being able to implement them all immediately but can be used as a reference point to refer to when partners are looking to further embed community wealth building. These recommendations should also support the development and implementation of the models of opportunity we have developed in parallel with this work. Introduction Argyll and Bute is at a critical juncture. The area is currently facing several fundamental challenges that have, and continue to, significantly alter the economic and social makeup of the region. Argyll and Bute faces a housing emergency, depopulation challenges, and continued issues around land and value extraction. Market forces are negatively shaping the local economy which is in turn, impacting on citizens’ wellbeing and quality of life. To address these deep-rooted challenges, this report argues there needs to be a step change in the area’s approach to local economic development, towards an approach which has community wealth building firmly rooted at its core, Spending Establish a CPP procurement working group, Build collective market intelligence, Publish a collective procurement pipeline, CPP meet the buyer events, Develop procurement training for suppliers. Workforce Work towards a Living Wage Place, Develop a Pathways into work programme, Argyll & Bute Employment Charter support. Inclusive ownership Identify ownership opportunities in growth sectors, Review of co- operative business support, Peer support networks, Brokering supply chain opportunities. Finance Mapping the alternative financial infrastructure, Mapping community benefits, Develop a local finance initiative proposal. Land & property Affordable Workspace Strategy, Vacant & derelict land, Rationalisation of the public estate, Convene a Local Landowners Forum MoO1: Building employee ownership in Argyll and Bute MoO2: Building community and shared ownership of the energy transition Page 57
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Community Wealth Building in Argyll and Bute 4 one that celebrates and embraces the unique rural economy of much of the region. Only then will we see the growth of a more sustainable, resilient, and more equitable economy in Argyll and Bute. As a progressive approach to economic development, community wealth building seeks to change the way that our economies have come to function by aiming to increase the flow of wealth and opportunity for the benefit of people who live and work in the area. This is in contrast to elements of the mainstream economic development model, which tends to prioritise inward investment and speculative property development and where the benefits of economic growth are readily extracted in the interests of distant shareholders/landowners. In this economic model, the goal is economic growth, based on the assumption that the benefits will trickle down. Community wealth building doesn’t elevate growth, as the preeminent goal of economic development, but works to redirect and recirculate existing and new wealth so that that the benefits flow more easily into local communities with direct benefits for people, place and planet. It does this through five key mechanisms as summarised on figure 2. One key aspect of community wealth building is the idea of the anchor organisation, defined as having a specific relationship to a place through its history, scale of employment, asset ownership or provision of services. Anchor organisations play a vital role in supporting community wealth building. As a collection of public, private and community organisations, the Argyll and Bute Community Planning Partnership (CPP) has the potential to play a significant role in driving the community wealth building agenda and with it economic change in the region. In this report, we begin by setting out the economic and social context for community wealth building in Argyll & Bute and provide an audit of existing community wealth building practice, recognizing that this is not always categorised as such. We then provide insights from quantitative data analysis, interviews with anchor institution partners on the CPP as well as workshops with citizens in each of the four local areas across Argyll and Bute. We have analysed these findings to set out a collective community wealth building agenda for the CPP, including setting out priority thematic and spatially themed activities where action is most urgent. We conclude with a series of recommendations for action both for the CPP and individual partners, including Argyll and Bute Council, who have a substantive role to play in providing a place shaping role for wealth building in the area and a leadership role in the development and implementation of community wealth building nationally, joining other Councils such as Dundee, North Ayrshire, Fife and Clackmannanshire who are using CWB to rewire and rethink their approach to local economic development. Economic and social context Argyll and Bute is a distinct region that faces a number of challenges but it also has strong foundations to develop a more prosperous and sustainable economy that works for all. The region has one of the lowest population densities in Scotland, with the 86,220 residents spread across the second largest local authority area in Scotland, with only Highland Council covering a larger land area. This results in a population density of just 12 people per square kilometre compared to the Scottish average of 70 people per square kilometre, with 17% of the population living on islands and 43% of the population living in remote rural areas. The Argyll and Bute economy is mainly service based, with higher levels of employment in areas such as agriculture, fishing, forestry and tourism than elsewhere in Scotland and due to the seasonal nature of these jobs, levels of unemployment fluctuate throughout the year. One of the region’s biggest challenges is the changing demographic. The population of Argyll and Bute has decreased by 2.4% since 2011 and from 2018 to 2028 it is projected it will fall a further 5.9%1 Over 25% of the population is aged over 65, there is net outmigration alongside 1 Argyll and Bute Council Area Profile (2022Link Page 58
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Community Wealth Building in Argyll and Bute 5 a natural decline in the population. It is therefore essential that Argyll and Bute strives to be an area where people can live good lives, with well paid jobs and in affordable homes. Argyll and Bute council has declared a housing emergency and in late 2023 convened a housing summit, which brought together partners to pledge commitments to increasing housing supply and embrace bold and brave ideas to tackle the emergency as quickly as possible2. This emergency is not a challenge that Argyll and Bute is alone in facing, with local authorities and regions across Scotland and the United Kingdom facing similar challenges. In Argyll and Bute the housing emergency is exacerbated by a number of complex factors including low amount of socially rented stock, high numbers of unavailable housing stock for residents due to high levels of second homes, holiday lets and vacant properties, property sales going to people outwith Argyll and Bute and a shortage in new build private housing supply, with little to no speculative private new builds outside Helensburgh and Lomond.. This is leading to an 8% increase on the council’s housing waiting list and a 15% increase in the number of households who are classified as homeless3 ‘The way that modern economies have been grown has distanced people from their lands, their culture and their identity. Community Wealth Building essentially repatriates communities back to this. CWB gives communities a say again’ – Argyll & Bute citizen. Despite the challenges facing Argyll and Bute, it is also a region with significant economic potential, with opportunities to build wealth locally and ensure community wealth building is central to economic development in coming years. A growing renewable energy infrastructure and renewable energy potential, highlights the opportunities for Argyll and Bute to be a leader in the transition to net zero. A strong food and drink sector with a world leading whisky industry, tourism, forestry and marine sciences all offer opportunities for a thriving local economy that builds wealth locally. In a report released by Highlands & Islands Enterprise, the economic potential of carbon sequestration in Argyll and Bute was highlighted, with the region’s unique landscape offering potentially millions of pounds to the local economy through efforts to tackle carbon emissions. However, previously these industries have often been extractive, providing little tangible benefit for local communities, with holiday lets and Air BnB owners limiting the number of affordable homes, whisky companies often being owned by multi-national drinks companies and multi-millionaires buying up large swathes of land to plant trees and offset carbon emissions elsewhere. As such there has been a growing enthusiasm and appetite for a different approach to economic development. An approach that ensures that more of the wealth generated in Argyll and Bute recirculates in the local economy to generate more direct benefits to local communities, for example, investment in decent jobs, housing, skills and health. Policy and governance Across the national, regional and local level there are a number of policy and governance opportunities that can help deliver a community wealth building approach to economic development in Argyll and Bute. National In March 2022, the Scottish Government released the National Strategy for Economic Transformation (NSET), which outlined their vision to create a wellbeing economy that is thriving socially, economically and environmentally and fundamentally reshapes our economy to deliver a just transition to net-zero and delivers a nature positive economy based on the principles of equality, prosperity and resilience4. The Scottish Government has adopted a community wealth building (CWB) approach as a key practical means to achieve wellbeing economy objectives outlined in the NSET. It is, therefore, important to acknowledge that CWB does not sit on its own but as part of a web of integrated policies that support the delivery of a wellbeing economy and a just transition. 2 Argyll and Bute Council (2023) Partners pledge to tackle housing emergency. Link 3 Argyll and Bute Council (2023) Declaring an Argyll and Bute Housing Link 4 Scottish Government (2022) Wellbeing Economy Governments. Link Page 59
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Community Wealth Building in Argyll and Bute 6 There has since been significant progress in implementing CWB across Scotland, with much of the work being led by local authorities and community planning partnerships. As the lead organisation for the community wealth building journey in the UK, CLES and partners such as EDAS have supported CWB across Scotland. Starting in North Ayrshire, we have since developed CWB action plans in five pilot areas (Clackmannanshire, Fife, Glasgow City Region, South of Scotland and the Western Isles) and supported numerous other areas looking to adopt their own CWB approach. In 2023, the Scottish Government undertook a consultation on the introduction of a Community Wealth Building bill and have recently published the consultation analysis. The consultation focused on two key areas, the impact of a statutory requirement for every public body and local authority to embed CWB into their corporate plans and wider strategies and for consultees to identity barriers in non-legislative measures to accelerate the implementation of CWB. Within the responses an approach that combined both a duty that required CWB to be embedded into corporate plans and a duty that required public sector bodies obliged to be involved in community planning to produce a collective CWB place-based strategy that contained specific actions on the five pillars was preferred. 5 Alongside the development of community wealth building legislation, there are other Scottish Government policies that support community wealth building and the wellbeing economy agenda. These include: • Fair Work action plan – An action plan that sets out how to promote fair and inclusive work places across Scotland • New Deal for Business – Supporting businesses thrive and maximise the opportunity of the green economy with fairness at its heart • Land Reform Bill – Transformative changes proposed in the way Scotland’s land is used and managed to ensure greater benefit to communities and the environment • Just Transition Commission – Supporting a net zero and climate resilient economy that delivers fairness and tackles inequality and justice Regional This report comes at an opportune time for Argyll and Bute, with several key documents and policies being developed in the region. As such, there is an opportunity to align them and set out an ambitious vision for a more inclusive economy. The Argyll and Bute Economic Strategy (2024-2029) is a chance to put the aims of the National Strategy for Economic Transformation, and with it, community wealth building, at the centre of economic development. The strategy is an opportunity to align the strategic priorities of anchor organisations such as the NHS, Highlands and Island Enterprise , University of Highlands and Islands and others to create an economy that delivers tangible benefits for the people who live and work in the area. The regional growth deal, heads of terms signed in February 2021 and full deal to be signed in early 2024, has also provided funding for the region, with over £70 million to be invested in initiatives that will utilise the natural assets and business base to develop a thriving local economy. It focuses on three main themes6: • critical economic infrastructure: connecting to national and international markets • place and people: attracting skills, residents, visitors and businesses • smart growth: growing, doing more that works. 5 Scottish Government (2023) Building Community Wealth in Scotland: consultation analysis. Link 6 Argyll and Bute Council (2023) Rural Growth Deal.Link. Page 60
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Community Wealth Building in Argyll and Bute 7 This funding is to be delivered over the next 10-15 years and it is essential that any future projects are rooted in community wealth building to ensure the benefits are felt by communities across Argyll and Bute. Local The Community Planning Partnership’s main role is to deliver the outcomes of the Argyll and Bute Outcomes Improvement Plan and to do this it brings together various actors from across Argyll and Bute including the NHS, Highlands and Islands Enterprise, Third Sector Interface, Fire and Rescue Service and Skills Development Scotland amongst others. The Argyll & Bute CPP has recently published its Argyll and Bute Outcomes Improvement Plan (ABOIP) for the next ten years and conducted an extensive community engagement exercise to inform the plan. From their consultation they have highlighted three key priority areas; housing, transport and community wellbeing. When developing plans on how to tackle these issues, community wealth building must be a central consideration, ensuring that each priority area is not tackled in isolation but with the wider local economic context in mind. There are two levels to the Argyll and Bute CPP, with a management committee level bringing together representatives from across member organisation and four area community planning groups that bring together members from public sector, third sector, private sector, community organisations and partners that have an interest in the local area. The four areas of the Argyll and Bute CPP are Bute and Cowal, Helensburgh and Lomond, Mid Argyll, Kintyre and the Islands and Oban Lorn and the Isles. Each area has a unique geography with the main urban areas being Helensburgh, Dunoon in Cowal, Oban, Campbeltown in Kintyre and Rothesay on Bute. With the rest of the region being made up of remote and rural towns, villages and islands, each area has a unique economy and with it, different opportunities to implement community wealth building. CPP members are all established organisations, rooted in local communities who can improve the local economic social wellbeing through their spend, employment practices and use of land and assets. This is aligned with the concept of anchor organisations which focuses on cultivating place-based assets and generating wealth that is retained within local area. Anchor networks are institutions who want to work together to maximise their impact on the local economy. The CPP is a ready-made anchor network and tapping into their experience of collaborative working to tackle challenges in Argyll and Bute and can be a vehicle to drive community wealth building in the region. Figure 1. Map of Argyll & Bute Bute and Cowal Helensburgh and Lomond Mid Argyll, Kintyre and the Islands Oban, Lorn and the Isles Page 61
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Community Wealth Building in Argyll and Bute 8 Community Wealth Building in Argyll in Bute: The journey so far Our lines of enquiry were designed to produce a light touch assessment, drawing on our extensive experience of community wealth building to understand what progress has been made to date in terms of embedding a community wealth building approach and then to develop our understanding of how this approach could be amplified further. We categorised the responses around the five pillars of community wealth building; Spend, Ownership, Employment, Land and Property and Finance. It is important to highlight the importance of synergy between the five pillars with each one influencing and overlapping the other. For community wealth building to rewire the economy to help local economies and communities, there needs to be a recognition of how they interlink. Figure 2. Five pillars of community wealth building Spending Community Wealth building requires that all partners test the possibilities of doing their utmost to change procurement practices, utilising public spending to grow and animate the local market alongside growing inclusive ownership and delivering social, environmental, and local economic benefit. The key to advancing spending and progressive procurement as part of CWB, is an awareness and strategic culture, which places procurement as not merely a functional process, but rather a key and pre-eminently important lever for economic development and growing a wellbeing economy. As such procurement within any area requires a concerted and deep effort across CPP partners to develop a more integrated approach, highlighted in our recommendations. In addition, effective progressive procurement, requires the mobilisation of actual and potential supply. This requires effective economic Page 62
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Community Wealth Building in Argyll and Bute 9 development strategy and actions by those tasked with business, social enterprise and inclusive ownership development. The spending pillar is about ensuring there is maximum community benefit from procurement and commissioning, but this should not be the sum of ambition, there also must be a focus on promoting Fair Work and supporting Net Zero ambitions. Furthermore, under the auspices of the CPP, anchor institutions should encourage local suppliers to bid for public sector contracts, therefore creating more local and /or inclusive ownership in supply chains. In Argyll and Bute, much of the groundwork for progressive approaches to procurement has been laid. We found a perception that prior to COVID, there were a number of progressive approaches across Argyll and Bute, which due to the numerous crises we have faced since then have not returned to pre-covid levels. This previous work includes the council and HIE trying to procure more from local suppliers. However, this work was partly thwarted due to the unique geography of Argyll and Bute. When contracts went to market, the local suppliers did not bid for the work. For example, if a social enterprise based in Oban was looking to win a pan-region contract, it is unlikely to be able to deliver services in Helensburgh or Dunoon. However, the economic environment has changed and through our discussions with organisations in the VCSE sector, community groups and social enterprises we understand there is now more willingness from local businesses, social enterprises and charities who are looking to access contracts but either don’t have the capacity to bid or face other barriers to winning public sector contracts. It is important to understand specifically what these challenges are and how collaborative working across CPP partners could help to overcome them. More creative approaches could be taken in the design of services based on intelligence of potential local suppliers and support as well as advice and guidance for organisations to collaborate as a collective/consortium delivering similar services in different parts of the region. In Argyll and Bute our consultations highlighted that whilst there were some instances of progressive procurement activity, the main issue is that there is not a comprehensive or consistent position, that is commensurate to best practice elsewhere in Scotland. For example, procurement is not comprehensively perceived as a key economic development lever. In looking into why there is this less than a full throttle approach, with procurement not perceived as a key economic development lever, public sector organisations across Argyll and Bute like many areas in Scotland are mindful of statutory compliance and staying within procurement law and thus not exposing the organisation to challenge from contractors. Evidence from elsewhere would suggest that more can be done, especially as regards animating supply chains. In Fife, where they have embedded procurement from local suppliers into their economic development approach, they have increased their local spend with Fife suppliers from 26% to 35%, contributing £192m to the local economy.7 Workforce Within our discussion on workforce we focused on the employment practices of CPP partners and other initiatives to support Fair Work and helping local communities into well paid, fair and sustainable jobs. Best practice of the workforce pillar of community wealth building looks to ensure anchors and other organisations are involved in activities such as paying the real living wage, supporting the creation of employment charters, recruiting from groups excluded from the labour market and supporting in-work progression. There has been some good work on progressive approaches to employment across the region, including commissioning social enterprises to deliver training and skills development. InspirAlba8 has been delivering a number of employability support programmes, including ‘Spark your Purpose’, where they are working with other third sector delivery partners. The Argyll and Bute Third Sector Interface has also been running a programme funded 7 Fife Council figures 8 InspirAlba (2023). Link Page 63
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Community Wealth Building in Argyll and Bute 10 by the UK Shared Prosperity Fund which aims to understand and remove barriers to employment, volunteering and training through their Positive Destinations programme9. It is also evident that the Employability Partnership, a group of organisations chaired by Argyll and Bute Council working together to deliver the Scottish Government’s No One Left Behind Policy has delivered beneficial initiatives through the CPP. The delivery of training through the Clyde Fisherman’s Trust to provide local young people with the required training to work on a fishing vessel, is worthy of note. There should be a focus on the wider learning from these approaches, to understand reasons for success in some areas and how this can be scaled up and out and transferred to the other pillars of community wealth building. The need to continue developing fair work for all must align with a growth in the population of Argyll and Bute and an increase in the workforce. If the economy is to thrive and deliver tangible local economic benefits there needs to be a productive workforce that helps retain and circulate wealth across Argyll and Bute. This highlights the importance of CWB not just being an approach that sits on its own, but is woven through the economic fabric of Argyll and Bute. The Argyll and Bute economy has a considerable number of self-employed individuals, as highlighted in Figure 2. Due to the rural nature of the economy, there is not the same economies of scale that exist in more urban areas with the business stock dominated by self-employed individuals, micro enterprises (90% of all businesses) and SME’s (99% of business have less than 49 staff). Argyll and Bute lacks the larger corporations of more urban areas. This presents a unique opportunity to develop an economy that supports and promotes those workers who live in the area and create the wealth at the centre. In the recommendations we look at how supportive platforms could be developed to bolster this section of the local economy. Despite the positive outcomes from these programmes, if Argyll and Bute wants to have a more inclusive economy then there needs to be an ambitious approach to developing and supporting the local workforce at scale and developing a more creative approach that can ensure local people can access the workforce opportunities presented to them. 9 Argyll and Bute Third Sector Interface (2024) Positive Destinations. Link Page 64
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Community Wealth Building in Argyll and Bute 11 Figure 3: Self-employment in Argyll & Bute and Scotland 2004-2022 (by gender) Source: NOMIS Figure 4: Micro enterprise as a share of total business count Source: NOMIS Inclusive Ownership As mentioned at the outset Inclusive Ownership is central to Scotland delivering on its Wellbeing economy aspirations. Fortunately, Argyll and Bute is well placed and they could indeed lead the way in Scotland. However, 85% 86% 87% 88% 89% 90% 91% 92% 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 Scotland Micro (0 to 9) Argyll and Bute Micro (0 to 9) Page 65
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Community Wealth Building in Argyll and Bute 12 this opportunity is part stymied by trepidation, and a measured appreciation of the risks associated with being overly bold or going too fast. However, we discerned a council leadership and senior officials across Council and wider CPP, who have an appetite for change and being bolder, with further room for development. There is evidently a strong social and inclusive economy across Argyll and Bute, with a higher density of social enterprises in the region than the rest of Scotland, bar the Western Isles, Orkney and Shetland10. Social enterprises often provide services that would not exist in rural areas and have a significant role in addressing both market failures and delivering economic benefit for local communities11. This prominence of inclusive ownership in rural and island communities provides a strong foundation for the region to become a national leader in ensuring wealth that is generated in communities is retained there through continuing to developing social enterprises, community interest companies, community trusts and other organisations in the VCSE sector. In our consultations we discussed organisations such as the Rural Social Enterprise Hub, who are vital in scaling up the work that is already ongoing, by providing space for collaboration, knowledge exchange and peer to peer learning. One community company that is building wealth in Argyll and Bute is South West Mull and Iona Development Aird Fada Seaweed Farm, a six hectare seaweed farm that sells in bulk for food stuffs, sustainable packaging solutions, livestock feed ingredient, soil regeneration and cosmetics. This is a growing industry and there is high demand for nutrient-rich seaweed. There are also other benefits including reducing carbon emissions through sequestration, cleaning the water and farming while leaving wild stock alone12. There are still challenges for primary processing in the seaweed industry and there has been investigation into developing shore side processing facilities. There should be continued support for this industry and an exploration of opportunities for community led organisations within the sector. The Mull and Iona Community Trust, have developed a number of business units, lock ups and compounds for small businesses on the island. Infrastructure such as this is essential for small local start-ups to be able to survive, especially in a rural context. Community-led business units are also under development in Colonsay, Tiree and have recently been completed in Jura, partners across Argyll and Bute should be encouraging these types of development but should also be aware of the organisations who are residing in these premises as part of building local market intelligence for potential procurement opportunities. There should also be a focus on ensuring social enterprises, community interest companies, cooperatives and other inclusive businesses have access to these facilities, as these types of business model ensure more wealth is kept in the community.13 ‘Peripherality as a strength, you have to do stuff for yourself’ – Argyll and Bute Citizen As highlighted there is good work happening on the ground in Argyll and Bute. The region should embrace its rural economic position and the prominence of its small businesses and social enterprises and think more boldly about how it can work to support a thriving SME sector, providing the required infrastructure for local people and local communities to set up and grow enterprises locally. Land and Property Argyll and Bute is the second largest council area in Scotland with extensive coastline and 25 inhabited islands. Agriculture, nature tourism, renewables and marine are all important sectors in the region’s economy. How land and property is used is fundamental to how the economy of the region functions. To ensure local communities get the most value from land and property and as Argyll and Bute grows its wellbeing economy, efforts must be made to tackle vacant and derelict land and buildings to help enable regeneration, stop extractive land management by distant owners and support community led ownership of assets and property. Throughout our consultation the issue of who owns land and property in Argyll and Bute and how they contribute to the economic wellbeing of local communities was brought up on a regular basis. There is an unease amongst 10 Highlands and Islands Enterprise (2021) Social Enterprise Census.Link 11 Rural Social Enterprise Hub (2023).Link 12 South West Mull and Iona Development (2022) Aies Fada Seaweed Farm Link. 13 Highlands and Islands Enterprise (2023) Funding Boost for Mull Community Project. Link. Page 66
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Community Wealth Building in Argyll and Bute 13 communities about the extractive landowners or ‘green lairds’ who are buying up land with little regard for local communities, often under the pretence of environmentalism.14 There was a want for public sector organisations to put greater pressures on these owners and challenge them to engage in more progressive land uses. In Bute it was highlighted that a community run organisation could not build a wind turbine due to being unable to agree terms with the landowner. In order to support communities and ensure public value from land, the Land Reform Bill should give communities and public sector organisations more power to challenge extractive landowners, this also highlights that community wealth building is part of a wider agenda to achieve a wellbeing economy in Scotland and should not be seen in isolation. We also know that there have been perceived barriers with formal community asset transfers, with the process often taking much longer and being more bureaucratic than people initially thought. Furthermore, the state of disrepair and lack of budgets lead to issues in taking forward any transfer. Communities should be supported to enable assets transfers that would provide economic and social benefit in the simplest way possible. However, it is important that communities are not landed with land or assets that turn into liabilities for communities to manage. Community Asset Transfers are not a way for public bodies to off load surplus assets while claiming community benefit. Another key area highlighted in the LOIP consultation is housing. The council has declared a housing emergency15 and people across Argyll and Bute have a deep understanding of the housing challenges across the region. In the Scottish Government’s Housing Action Plan, they highlight the potential that the Affordable Housing Supply Programme and the Rural and Islands Housing Fund has for community wealth building. Community led housing can play an important role in delivering affordable homes in remote, rural and island communities, but they can also enhance local living and economic development and encompass both commercial and community uses16. Delivering more homes in rural and islands areas can have a profound economic impact beyond just providing homes for people to live in. They can provide jobs through construction and maintenance, offering employment to the local community, the development of small and medium enterprises and helping to retain wealth in communities. Despite the positive impact that community led housing can play it is important that communities are not overburdened with developments that they do not have the capacity to deliver. The Rural and Islands Housing Fund has supported a number of projects across Scotland including; • Supporting Development Trusts on Orkney’s smaller isles refurbish existing homes or helping building new homes on North Ronaldsay, Papa Westray, Shapinsay, Westray, Sanday and Stronsay. These homes have helped sustain or increase the islands’ populations. • Development of Stracathro Estates Inchbare, Angus – Development of 6 homes for affordable rent, with a focus on letting to families with children of pre-school or school age in an attempt to keep the local primary school open. There was significant interest with over 420 applicants for the properties, highlighting the demand for affordable properties in rural areas. Over £530k of the £1.15 million project came from the Rural and Islands Housing Fund. • Intergenerational housing on the Isle of Gigha – since the community land buy out in 2002, Gigha’s population has grown from 100 residents to 170, leading to a need for more affordable homes to rent. Five new affordable homes have been designed with the intention of encouraging young people to stay on the island. The project has secured funding from the Rural and Island Housing Fund, Argyll and Bute Council and Social Investment Scotland. The CPP should continue to strengthen its links with the Argyll and Bute Strategic Housing Forum and support tackling the housing emergency but also look to ensure community wealth is embedded through future plans. It is also important to recognise that the Affordable Homes budget has faced considerable cuts in the most recent Scottish budget and will strain an already difficult situation for organisations and citizens across Argyll and Bute. Central to community wealth building is the role of anchor institutions. However, in rural areas public sector organisations such as the NHS or Universities do not have the same the footprint as they do in urban areas due to 14 Reuters (2022) Who Owns Scotland? The Rise of the Green Laird. Link 15 Argyll and Bute Council (2022) Council declares housing emergency in Argyll and Bute Link 16 Scottish Government (2023) Rural and Islands Housing: Action Plan.Link Page 67
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Community Wealth Building in Argyll and Bute 14 their more dispersed nature. It is therefore important to consider the definition of an anchor institution in a rural community context. Organisations such as Forestry and Land Scotland have considerable impact on local communities but the community are not currently feeling the benefit of their presence. There is also a demand for other organisations who hold significant land and property such as harbour authorities to take a more proactive role in the local economy, something we investigate further in our recommendations. Finance Our discussions on the finance pillar were focused on understanding the financial architecture that exists in Argyll and Bute. The finance pillar of CWB focuses on increasing flows of investment within local economies by harnessing wealth that already exists in the area and directing wealth to tackle inequalities through promotion of progressive financing such as Community Development Finance Institutions, Credit Unions and Community Bonds, ensuring small business have access to finance and encouraging social and value-led investment. There is currently limited understanding and implementation of this across Argyll and Bute and as such there is an interest and a demand for a new local financial architecture, one which creates a richer financial ecosystem and supports local projects and local enterprise. As highlighted, Argyll and Bute has considerable natural assets when it comes to renewable energy and should position itself to maximise the benefits of the just transition. However, there is disillusionment with the current community benefits model that exists with most of the windfarms in the region. Many communities say that benefits are tokenistic, outdated and don’t tackle the issues communities are facing and that the only way for them to truly benefit from renewable energy developments is through ownership. Although ownership of assets is preferential, ensuring community benefits are modernised and meet the needs of the community is also vitally important, in our consultations there were discussions about the potential of pooling together community benefits to create a wider ‘wind bounty’ which allowed for larger investment projects. ‘We need to be joined up with the wind bounty’ – Argyll and Bute Citizen In Glenbarr, Fyne Energy, a subsidiary of Fyne Homes, the second largest housing association in Argyll and Bute, have built and operate three wind turbines which has been able to support tenants during the cost of living through profits generated by the turbines. Profits from the turbine are split into three community initiatives; social housing charitable objectives, supporting employability and environmental priorities and investment in local priorities of local communities. The funding from this project came from a combination of Scottish Enterprise funding and Triodos, the UKs leading sustainable bank, highlighting that high street and large banks are not the only way to access funding for projects that have substantial impact on local communities. In Kilbirnie, North Ayrshire, the local community has purchased Scotland’s first 100 per cent commercially operated but community owned onshore wind turbine, with a local community interest company securing more than £5.6 million investment for the project. The blended finance package secured is an example of looking at alternative models of finance, with £4 million of the investment coming from Thrive Renewables and £1.6 million coming from responsible finance provider Social Investment Scotland and support from Local Energy Scotland and the Scottish Government’s Community and Renewable Energy Scheme. As it is owned solely by the community the profits from electrical sales will be reinvested back into the community and will secure more in community benefits for local people than all the commercially owned turbines in the local area combined. Social Investment Scotland is a social enterprise and is a great example of an alternative finance provider that ensures money invested in communities stays in communities, with their mission being connecting capital and communities to make real, measurable, and sustainable impacts upon people’s lives17. Organisations such as Highlands and Islands Enterprise, Argyll and Bute Council and Business Gateway could look to support 17 Social Investment Scotland is a social enterprise and charity offering loan funding and business support for social enterprises, charities and community groups. https://www.socialinvestmentscotland.com/about/ Page 68
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Community Wealth Building in Argyll and Bute 15 communities, businesses and charities in accessing fair and sustainable finance by helping to broaden knowledge and understanding of how to access. Page 69
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Community Wealth Building in Argyll and Bute 16 A framework for action In the following section we set out a range of recommendations for the CPP to action collectively, reshaping the CPP and giving it a drive and intent to deliver on the CWB agenda and build wealth in local communities. We also set out a range of recommendations for CPP members, seeking collaboration between institutions to advance the 5 pillars of community wealth building with a specific focus on supporting the delivery of x2 programmes of collective action.18 These recommendations should underpin the development of the models of opportunity and do not all need to be tackled at once, they should be seen as a series of interventions that will help Argyll and Bute transition to a wellbeing economy and should be viewed within the wider policy context that exists in Scotland, with support for implementing these recommendation coming from the introduction of the Community Wealth Building Bill, the Land Reform Bill and other legislation that supports the NSET and the wellbeing economy agenda. CPP recommendations CWB intrinsic to economic strategy This report comes at a critical time for Argyll and Bute, with the region facing a number of challenges. It also comes at an important time for strategy and policy in the region as both the Argyll and Bute Economic Strategy and the LOIP have been under development. There is, therefore, an opportunity to ensure that community wealth building is central to local economic development in Argyll and Bute and ensure that the step change that is required to tackle the region’s key issues has policy and strategic backing. To ensure this, community wealth building should be intrinsic to the economic strategy of Argyll and Bute, CWB cannot be considered as an add-on within strategy and cannot be considered as a specific thematic area. Instead, CWB principles should be embedded in a refreshed approach to economic development with a recognition of a shift from previous models of economic development. CPP partners engaged in writing the strategy should review drafts of the economic strategy through this lens and through the recognition that existing approaches are insufficient to address the scale of the challenge facing people and places across Argyll and Bute. Decide on correct avenues to deliver CWB across Argyll and Bute Throughout our consultation there was a recognition that community wealth building in Argyll and Bute should not fall solely on the shoulders of the Community Planning Partnership. However, the CPP partners can play a leading role in pursuing CWB and highlighting other partnerships and working groups that could also drive the agenda. This could include the Argyll and Bute Renewable Alliance and the Strategic Housing Forum among others. Consideration should also be given to the development of a Community Wealth Building Steering Group who can provide the strategic guidance and coordination to ensure community wealth building in Argyll and Bute builds on the momentum that has been gathering in recent years. Development of CWB time limited group(s) In order to drive community wealth building we would propose setting up x2 time limited groups to take forward action focused work which builds on this report to deliver community wealth in Argyll and Bute. These time limited groups can take a more outward facing role, connect with the community energy on the ground and genuinely co- produce an alternative approach to local economic development. Both models of opportunity will support the work of the economic strategy. Page 70
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Community Wealth Building in Argyll and Bute 17 • Model of Opportunity 1: Supporting employee ownership in Argyll and Bute – this model of opportunity explores how a more supportive framework can be developed for employee ownership across Argyll and Bute which dominate the rural economy of Argyll and Bute. This is focused on bringing together existing sector representation, specialist business support and institutional power to ensure local and social ownership in these sectors. • Model of Opportunity 2: Building community and shared ownership of the energy transition – this model of opportunity explores how to move from the community being in receipt of Community Benefit payments from private renewable energy operators to owning and operating renewable energy infrastructure. Beyond windfarms, how can the community own and drive the transition to a low carbon future? Capacity to lead and deliver these time limited groups will present the most significant challenge and this cannot fall solely on Argyll and Bute Council. Nominated leads should work with the Area Community Planning Groups (ACPGs), wider stakeholders and local community groups to engage a broad set of actors who can collectively play a role in delivery and share the capacity requirements. CPP member recommendations A series of broad recommendations under each of the pillars of CWB follow, with these each setting the ground for the effective delivery of the identified models of opportunity and supporting the delivery of the time limited groups. Spending Establish a CPP procurement working group - We would recommend bringing together dedicated lead procurement officers from the relevant CPP members to reflect on progress to date and share understanding of the challenges they face in delivering a more progressive approach to stimulate the development of the unique rural economic geography of Argyll & Bute, providing an opportunity to respond to the new Procurement Bill19 which has just received Royal Assent and work towards the Sustainable Procurement Duty.20 This group should also include representatives from the VCSE sector to highlight challenges they have in accessing contracts from CPP members, and ensure future procurement plans are created in conjunction with them. Build collective market intelligence - CPP members should work together to build intelligence of the supply capacity of the local SME business base and the social economy.21 A detailed understanding of the supplier base should then be fed into the early stages of the procurement lifecycle within each CPP member so that procurement and service design are both conducted with the local economy in mind. Part of this market intelligence gathering could including trying to understand the need for sustainable business opportunities in terms of a minimum of three year rolling contracts instead of one. Publish a collective procurement pipeline - CPP members should commit to publishing their procurement pipelines in the same format in a collective space which can be communicated to the local market, with inbuilt mechanisms for feedback which can then influence procurement and commissioning design moving forwards, making public sector procurement opportunities more accessible for local SMEs. This sharing and feedback mechanism could then grow and evolve over time into a portal for bringing together local suppliers into bidding consortia. CPP meet the buyer events - The CPP members should work together to collectively engage the local supplier base through collective meet the buyer events, demystify public sector procurement, hearing feedback on the barriers to engagement and inform procurement and commissioning design as part of a learning loop. These should be informed by the above recommendations, so focused on the types of opportunities that the local market can supply. 19 Small businesses to benefit from one of the largest shake ups to procurement regulations in UK history https://www.gov.uk/government/news/small-businesses-to-benefit-from-one-of-the-largest-shake-ups-to-procurement-regulations-in-uk- history - The new regime is expected to come into force October 2024 delivering lasting change for generations to come. 20 Scottish Government (2023) Sustainable Procurement Duty. Link 21 Building on the Social Enterprise Census commissioned by TSI. Page 71
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Community Wealth Building in Argyll and Bute 18 Develop procurement training for suppliers – Local SMEs struggle to engage with the bureaucratic nature of public sector procurement, and while feedback mechanisms should be developed to address barriers and simplify processes (as above), suppliers also need support and training in how to bid for public sector contracts. We would recommend convening the existing business support organisations to pool existing resources and explore good practice from elsewhere such as the Federation of Small Business’ ‘Get Ready to Bid’ seminar series. Workforce Real Living Wage Place - Argyll and Bute has a low wage economy with a declining population. Anchor institutions, as a major employers, should commit to paying the Real Living wage or working towards accreditation22. Pathways into work – Building on the work of the Employment Partnership, as major employers, CPP members can explore how the adoption of a values-based recruitment approach within their own organisations, can support local people, specifically local young people, into meaningful employment in organisations that offer career progression routes. CPP members can begin by mapping their job families and comparing, simplifying and standardising recruitment approaches so that applicants can be forwarded within a pool for alternative job opportunities. Argyll & Bute Employment Charter – CPP members, local business representatives and local organisations such as BID4Oban23, Isle of Bute BID and Dunoon Presents can collectively develop an employment charter, adopting the Fair Work Framework and its 5 dimensions which can set the expectation for local businesses to be working towards a minimum set of employment standards across Argyll and Bute. Employment Charter support – In acknowledgement that many SMEs and social economy organisations want to improve their employment practices, working with existing business support organisations such as Business Gateway and business representatives, we would propose a pooling of knowledge and resources for local businesses that want to improve their employment practices and employ local people. Inclusive ownership Identify ownership opportunities in growth sectors – The Argyll and Bute refreshed economic strategy, along with relevant renewable energy, food and tourism strategies all need to prioritise ownership as a key element of growing these sectors. All have been identified as potential growth sectors in which new local SMEs and social economy organisations can be developed, however there is scope to scale up the focus on building local and community ownership within these sectors. Employee and shared ownership models could be key in managing the challenges of succession planning in rural businesses, as investigated in models of opportunity one. Review of co-operative business support - The business support landscape for the social economy needs to be clearly signposted for those developing new businesses, highlighting the benefits of starting a social enterprise, a community interest companies or a cooperative. By signposting these services, it helps build on existing skills, capacity and resources available and how these match Argyll and Bute’s ambition to build community wealth. An ecosystem of support for new-start social economy enterprises is needed, filling potential gaps in support for co- operative development and employee ownership. Organisations such as Co-operatives UK and the Employee Ownership Association can support with the potential to explore an Ownership Hub in Argyll and Bute. Peer support networks – Argyll and Bute has a flourishing social economy and a wide range of well-established community owned organisations in the renewable energy, food and tourism sectors. The connections between these in-place experts, an ecosystem of support for new-start social economy enterprises and the support of institutional partners can provide an invaluable resource for growing community ownership in these identified sectors. Brokering supply chain opportunities – Connecting with the recommendation on spending and engagement across the business support landscape we would propose that existing business advisors become aware of a 22 Living Wage Places https://www.livingwage.org.uk/living-wage-places#form 23 Oban Business Improvement District, https://www.bid4oban.co.uk/ Page 72
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Community Wealth Building in Argyll and Bute 19 collective procurement pipeline. They could then support local businesses and could start to actively broker connections between local businesses/social economy organisations and public sector procurement but with improved local market intelligence. The learning from this could support the development of a portal for bringing together local suppliers and shortening supply chains. The #ABplace2b24 website collates local employment opportunities, and a similar concept could be applied to procurement and commissioning contracts. Finance Mapping the alternative financial infrastructure – CPP partners should look to bring together an understanding of the range of alternative financial mechanisms that already exist and can be accessed by organisations in Argyll and Bute, organisations such as Community Finance Development Institutions, Credit Unions and Community Shares while starting to develop an understanding of the challenges faced in financing new activity in SMEs and the social economy. Mapping, pooling and strategic planning of community benefits – Developing a comprehensive understanding of the secured community benefits across Argyll and Bute, and the extent to which this secured income could be utilised to leverage finance for the community to take ownership. There is an opportunity to explore whether there is appetite for community benefits to be pooled together across communities in Argyll and Bute to support larger infrastructure projects that would look to tackle the LOIP priorities of housing, transport and community wellbeing and joining up Place Planning initiatives. Develop a local finance initiative proposal – Building on the above, develop an outline business case for a local community owned finance institution. Filling gaps in provision, pooling community benefits and attracting deposits and savings – a local financial mechanism could connect with government funding streams25 to fund community wealth building initiatives across Argyll and Bute. Land & property Affordable Workspace Strategy – To grow local and community ownership there will be a requirement to develop an understanding of the current and future demand for land and property. An Affordable Workspace Strategy would examine the available business premises across Argyll and Bute for businesses in various sectors and at various stages of development and make recommendations on the anticipated future demand. Argyll and Bute has some good examples of community ownership with the MACC Business Park for example, but this capacity would need to be replicated across the area. Vacant & derelict land – The vacant and derelict land register has 32 sites in Argyll and Bute, and informed by the above Affordable Workspace Strategy, these should be examined for conversion into affordable workspaces. In consultation, local residents expressed dismay at vacant property given the housing emergency and a lack of affordable workspaces. An Affordable Workspace Strategy and review of vacant and derelict land and property ahead of implementation (2024/2025) of the recent changes to the Empty Property Relief (EPR)26 could support bringing back properties into use for the benefit of the community. Rationalisation of the public estate – CPP partners can bring together their emerging understanding of their workspace requirements, with opportunities for the co-location of office-based staff and service delivery, which could free up parts of the public estate for use by local and social enterprise. Argyll & Bute Council’s recent ‘Our Modern Workspace’ programme is an example of future space requirement thinking that could result in land and property being made available in support of an Affordable Workspace Strategy. Some of this work is already underway in Rothesay, Dunoon and Lochgilphead and should continue to be built on. 24 Argyll and Bute – A place to be https://abplace2b.scot/ 25 Third Sector Growth Fund, https://www.gov.scot/news/third-sector-growth-fund/ 26 Empty business premises could boost local economy, https://www.argyll-bute.gov.uk/news/2023/oct/empty-business-premises-could-boost- local-economy Page 73
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Community Wealth Building in Argyll and Bute 20 Convene a Local Landowners Forum - Engage with the largest landowners to ensure that future land uses can help address the poly-crisis27 we face as a society. From the housing emergency to the climate emergency, the way we utilise land will shape the collective future of residents of Argyll and Bute. From private estates (e.g., Duke of Argyll) to public bodies (e.g., Forest and Land Scotland, Loch Lomond and the Trossachs National Park Authority, Crown Estate), all need to ensure land is used in a socially productive way wherever possible. As a pioneering approach, partners working together should develop a set of guidance for landowners in building community wealth. This should be supported by future Scottish Government legislation and the introduction of the Land Reform Bill 27 Navigating polycrisis: long-run socio-cultural factors shape response to changing climate https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/10.1098/rstb.2022.0402 Page 74
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Community Wealth Building in Argyll and Bute 22 Appendix 1: List of stakeholders Takki Sulaiman – Chief Executive Officer, Argyll and Bute Third Sector Interface Rona Gold – Community Planning Manager, Argyll and Bute Community Planning Partnership Lucy Dunbar, Community Planning Officer, Argyll and Bute Community Planning Partnership Pippa Milne – Chief Executive Officer, Argyll and Bute Council Morag Goodfellow – Area Manager, Highlands and Islands Enterprise Claire McMurchy – Head of Strengthening Communities, Highlands and Islands Enterprise Anthony Standing – Head of Region North, Skills Development Scotland Ishabel Bremner – Economic Growth Manager, Argyll and Bute Council Fergus Murray – Head of Development and Economic Growth, Argyll and Bute Council James Paterson – Senior Economic Growth Officer, Argyll and Bute Council Mali Gravell – Project lead for Food Policy and Delivery, Argyll and Bute Council Reeni Kennedy–Boyle – General Manager, Fyne Futures Ltd Christina Hyndes – Shared Ownership Specialist, Local Energy Scotland Alison McGrory – Associate Public Health Director, NHS Highland Rory Munro – Health Improvement, Argyll and Bute Health and Social Care Partnership Jen Broadhurst – Citizens Advice Bureau Susan MacRae – Area Manager, Skills Development Scotland Page 76
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Community Wealth Building in Argyll and Bute 23 Appendix 2: Methodology To gain a deeper understanding of community wealth building activity across Argyll and Bute, CLES and partners undertook a number of different consultations including insight gathering interviews and workshops. Beginning in June 2023, we first conducted insight gathering interviews with key members of the CPP. Our lines of enquiry were shaped around understanding community wealth building activity that is already taking place, where there have been barriers to progressing community wealth building and where activity could be scaled up. The stakeholders we interviewed were from: o NHS and Health and Social Care Partnership, o Highlands and Islands Enterprise, o Skills Development Scotland, o Argyll and Bute Council, o Third Sector Interface, o Fyne Energy, o Citizens Advice Bureau, o Argyll and Bute Community Planning Partnership After this we presented and discussed the work we are doing with members of the four CPP area community planning groups in Oban and Lorn, Bute and Cowal, Mid Argyll and Helensburgh and Lomond. Our consultation questions were shaped around the insights from the initial interviews and looked to dig deeper into community wealth building at a local level. Having developed our initial understanding, The Resource Collective28 then led four in-person citizen-led workshops in the four geographical areas of Oban and Lorn, Bute and Cowal, Mid Argyll and Helensburgh throughout September. Insights from these workshops can be found in appendix 2 and how they informed the selections of Models of Opportunity can be found in appendix 3. Following the citizen-led workshops, which informed the development of our two models of opportunity, supporting greater employee ownership and supporting shared and community ownership of the energy transition, we consulted with experts from Highlands and Islands Enterprise, Argyll and Bute Council and Local Energy Scotland. 28 The Resource Collective, https://www.theresourcecollective.co.uk/ Page 77
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Community Wealth Building in Argyll and Bute 24 Appendix 2: What does CWB mean to you? (Citizen-led workshop feedback) Argyll & Bute (online) Bute & Cowal Helensburgh & Lomond Mid Argyll, Kintyre & the Islands Oban, Lorn & the Isles • Our economy working for the people, the place and the planet in which we live. • The work that we do contributing to the benefit of ourselves and the community we work in and not destroying the planet. • Building something – action & actually doing something. • CWB believes in economic democracy – allowing all sectors of society to have a say. • Looking at ways to secure and retain economic prosperity within the community, for the benefit of the community • Working with what we’ve got, not just what you can import. • It’s a framework to recognise what we’ve got, what we do and what are the gaps? – what are we exporting / what do we want to keep? • Rethinking an assumption that things can’t be done locally - they can. This includes resource generation vs outsourcing. • Community having a say, having a voice and having control over many facets of wealth. • All requiring an internal rethinking/different approach. • Skills and resources already present locally – often a case of making a local demographic aware of its own ability. • People sharing and being forthcoming with their skills. Again, a lack of awareness as to what is available locally. • Larger orgs to lead and engender encouragement. • Environmental resources. Watch how we can protect our natural planetary boundaries. • Partnership working – sustainable economic future. • What assets do we already have? – how do we best use these / use them better? • Sustainable and circular economy • Strong and resilient community. • Other assets that we don’t account for – volunteering etc., Covid was good for goodwill, how do we get back there? • Sustaining the environment - community woodland etc. Notice that this kind of work has to be done by the community/volunteers etc. • People – CWB is a people-based thing. • Social capital • Wellbeing, inclusivity • Not all about money • Giving people the tools and opportunities to build their own wealth and wellbeing • Empowering the community to use their assets to sustain what matters to them • Retain/reinvest wealth assets to improve health • Economic capital – stop extraction of wealth • The opposite of private wealth extraction • A way of starting to unpack capitalism • Providing worthwhile employment • Maintain health provision • System change • Local Economic Dev. (stop leaky bucket) • Focus on assets • People enabled to take action • Improve amenities and community wellbeing. • Develop resilience through use of asset transfer, social enterprise opportunities etc. • Circular economies - being able to identify who the partners are, what kind of wealth they have - time, finance, skills. • Prosperity, wellbeing, quality of life, education opportunities and action. • How rich in skill are we as a community? - not just money. How do we thrive? • Potential to help with ethical procurement - better to serve a company that employs mentally health concerned folks etc. Page 78
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Community Wealth Building in Argyll and Bute 25 Appendix 3: Selecting Models of Opportunities Spending Argyll & Bute (online) Bute & Cowal Helensburgh & Lomond Mid Argyll, Kintyre & the Islands Oban, Lorn & the Isles Socio-economic context Higher share of economy made up by SMEs, micro enterprise and self-employed? Policy priorities Where does procurement feature in current policy? A&B have a Procurement Strategy, but do other CPP members? Can we make any links to energy purchasing? Decarbonisation strategies of CPP members? Workshop feedback General feedback on progress being made in progressive procurement – slow? Community feedback Anchor institutions to develop local capacity. Training for anchors. Unbundling contracts to make easier for small/local companies. Training for suppliers. Support for local/smaller companies around the bidding process Training for suppliers. Simplification of processes. Support for local/smaller companies re policies. Make the CPP aware that it’s important to give large organisations permission to serve local interests > training Argyll & Bute best practice The Resource Collective are offering locally to come in and train a board or exco etc. Business case proposal Provide training on progressive procurement to anchors Training for suppliers Page 79
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Community Wealth Building in Argyll and Bute 26 Learning from elsewhere Supply Change29 FSB Business Bootcamps30 29 https://www.supplychange.co.uk/ 30 https://www.fsb.org.uk/resources-page/help-for-worcestershire-smes-to-bid-for-public-sector-contracts.html Page 80
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Community Wealth Building in Argyll and Bute 27 Workforce Argyll & Bute (online) Bute & Cowal Helensburgh & Lomond Mid Argyll, Kintyre & the Islands Oban, Lorn & the Isles Socio-economic context Workforce stats – Self-employed? Average wages? Policy priorities Where is the crossover in the LOIP, economic strategy etc… anything in the policy framework which is about supporting local employers? Workshop feedback ???? Community feedback Huge amount of wealth extraction from our rural communities – be that forestry, wind, fisheries etc. Traditionally 25% lower earning in Dunoon: ferry fare a barrier? Lack of knowledge on what constitutes fair work and fair employment. Childcare: communities supporting fair work. Leadership and investment required. More supported working/employment opportunities are required - gaps for adults with additional supports needs. Family friendly hours are required. Imbalance between private and public sector salaries. Shortage of key workers, doctors, dentists, teachers due to lack of housing. Graduate apprenticeships to address brain drain. Equalities, living wage, zero hour contracts. Argyll & Bute best practice Tarbert harbour is owned by Tarbert Harbour Association been going for 120 years, all their income that they generate is recirculated into the public economy. Future proofing: garage at Sandbank - sent his apprentices over the water to get training on EV. Citizen Advice Bureau study. Kintyre Recycling provide employment for young people with autism etc – recently lost council contract. South Kintyre Development Trust employs people furthest away from the labour market. MacLeods - pan Argyll and reinvestment in workforce with apprenticeships. Business case proposal Collectively owned employment agencies. Offer support to small communities to become good employers. An employment charter for Oban - o Start with BID4Oban Page 81
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Community Wealth Building in Argyll and Bute 28 o Elements of the Volunteer Charter would come into it Learning from elsewhere The Ethical Recruitment Agency, Grimsby31 Fair Work Convention32 31 https://eraemployment.agency 32 https://www.fairworkconvention.scot Page 82
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Community Wealth Building in Argyll and Bute 29 Inclusive ownership Argyll & Bute Bute & Cowal Helensburgh & Lomond Mid Argyll, Kintyre & the Islands Oban, Lorn & the Isles Socio-economic context Policy priorities Is ownership a priority? Workshop feedback Community feedback Many of our remote and rural communities face a problem with centrally HQ’d organisations (only with local presence). Community ownership of the means of production – wind tower manufacturer used to be based in Campbeltown A number of companies have come and taken advantage of the incentives (grants etc) whilst the actual IP and ability is being created by the community, the wealth is whipped away overseas Community hydro scheme – village wanted to buy into the hydro scheme but they couldn’t/were not allowed. Area has seen a 50% increase in tourists in recent years > benefit isn’t being felt locally. Sustainable food and food security - Lomond should be leading the way. Wind turbines need to be owned, not just a share of a community benefit. If we had a Bank of Oban then we could address housing. Argyll & Bute best practice Islay and Gigha Housing Trust seen as the main anchor organisation as actually of the community, based there and not a feeling of distance from Local radio station owns a shop that operates as studio and shop. Templar Hall, the venue for the meeting, is community- Tarbert Enterprise Company – runs good festivals and events. Local Energy Scotland have an advisor > untapped TSL - we have a local supplier, can we tackle them as part of their CSR? Page 83
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Community Wealth Building in Argyll and Bute 30 having an HQ out of community. run and has a small café and bookshop. Tarbert & Skipness Community Trust owned turbine. ShopperAide was held up as a great organisations providing cleaning & laundry services. Gigha Trust, Machrihanish Airbase Community Company (MACC), South Kintyre Development Trust (SKDT), Glenbarr Development Trust, Kilmartin Museum, Keeping it Local, MAC (Mid-Argyll Community) Pool, Beinn An Tuirc Business case proposal Build Community owned tourism into tourism strategy. Local food growing could be a helpful vehicle for pulling the community together. Cruise ships - an opportunity we’re not making use of. Orkney doing it better. Wool Cooperative Community-Owned Renewable Energy - shared ownership with developers - could be a middle ground Taste of Argyll vs supermarket Learning from elsewhere Tiree Community Development Trust33 33 https://www.tireetrust.org.uk/tilley/ Page 84
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Community Wealth Building in Argyll and Bute 31 Finance Argyll & Bute Bute & Cowal Helensburgh & Lomond Mid Argyll, Kintyre & the Islands Oban, Lorn & the Isles Socio-economic context Policy priorities Workshop feedback Community interest Community feedback Being able to lever the capital to undertake large scale projects is important. Knowing how to access community funds is important Community bonds as a means to lever capital. Credit union agreed as needed and a good idea. Community banking as a possible idea. HSCP is heavily staffed – the group considered where do their pensions go? Why not localise these. Existing questions about pension investments. Community shares work well > ownership. Aquaculture industry has a number of community benefit funds. Community Energy Scotland are exploring the possibility/feasibility of a local grid. Community Council - lack the resource, knowledge and wherewithal to engage with corporates How to tap into/disperse community benefit. Can we have a localised bank? - lots of personal wealth here that could serve as deposits etc. Feedback saying that access to funding is hard - Oban Common Good Fund difficult. Argyll & Bute best practice Fyne Futures: doing a large project in the future but there will be a gap even with central funding. They are fortunate to have income from the wind farm they jointly own with Fyne Homes at Glenbarr. Islay Energy Trust Gigha & Glenbarr (part community owned). Community benefit funds from hydro schemes at Dalavich and Dervaig. Ardrishaig Wind Turbines Wind Turbines: Glenbarr Community Development Kilchrenan receiving huge CBS monies but don’t know what to do it. Tesco - not effective from a community point of view. They have a community fund but could do more. Page 85
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Community Wealth Building in Argyll and Bute 32 Association is supported by 3 turbines. Tarbert & Skipness Community Trust have two community benefit funds, Freasdail and Cour/Fern. Business case proposal Credit Union/community bank We need to be joined up with the wind bounty. Local Finance Initiative - Lots of reserves sitting in current accounts of third sector, invest that capital in local projects > move from community benefit to ownership of turbines. Learning from elsewhere Scottish League of Credit Unions34 Clean Energy Credit Union35 Community Benefits Protocol36 34 https://scottishcu.org/ 35 https://www.cleanenergycu.org/ 36 https://www.renewableuk.com/page/CBP Page 86
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Community Wealth Building in Argyll and Bute 33 Land & property Argyll & Bute Bute & Cowal Helensburgh & Lomond Mid Argyll, Kintyre & the Islands Oban, Lorn & the Isles Socio-economic context Land ownership in the hands of a few, poor housing affordability, derelict land and property Policy priorities Workshop feedback Community feedback Campbeltown – very relevant for ownership of land. Community owned tourism – what possibilities are there? E.g., Dunoon Project. Empty properties and churches and council buildings. Community buyout comes with a pressure put on community groups. Dunoon has a BID but feedback of apathy and poor training. In Dunoon there is not a mature understanding as regards the wherewithal of how these wealth generating assets can contribute to the local community. Probably time for a commercial economy CWB workshop. Local food growing could be a helpful vehicle for pulling the community together. Sustainable food and food security - Lomond should be leading the way. Feedback was reported of a tension in the local area between an old land and an old people. Lots of village halls in the area but not always well used > often challenging to run/promote, with a lack of local capacity. Skills and expertise are needed to manage land/buildings and budgets. The importance of good volunteers for social support was highlighted > risk of burnout. Lack of affordable housing for key workers and young people. Numerous properties are sitting empty locally. Meanwhile, high rents keep people out. The group voiced whether legislation could be used to ensure this can’t happen? Is there a good understanding of the available and derelict land in Oban? E.g., for Community owned energy generation. Page 87
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Community Wealth Building in Argyll and Bute 34 Growing issues around ‘Green Lairds’. Argyll & Bute best practice Community owned shop with a flat above that is being rented out for community revenue. Scoto promoting community owned businesses. CARS (Conservation Area Regeneration Scheme) - 82% occupancy rate for vacant shops. ACT is working with partners to submit a proposal to the Scottish Government to host a new Argyll Climate Action Hub Kilmory Business Park Machrihanish Airbase Community Company was hailed as a great example. The initiative hosts businesses including those from the public sector. Community ownership of land in the area is good and they are punching above their weight in relation to carbon sequestration. Expansion of Atlantis - it’s already there and is achievable. Greenshoots (community- owned garden and mental health and social enabler charity)- how to do more and expand. Business case proposal Build Community owned tourism into tourism strategy. Affordable small units in derelict properties > two large local hotels that are currently lying empty. Could there be a ‘Best Practice for Landowners’? Learning from elsewhere Fairbnb a good example of rethinking the Airbnb problem37. 37 https://fairbnb.coop/ Page 88
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Community Wealth Building in Argyll and Bute 35 Appendix 4: Community Wealth Building More than words Recent research by CLES has revealed that many areas are now recognising that traditional approaches to economic development, with narrow growth-led definitions of success, are no longer fit purpose.38 Moreover, there is widespread acknowledgment that changes to practice are required to provide a more comprehensive response to the challenges areas are facing around poverty, inequality and the environmental crisis. As such, the strategic focus is more upon the qualitative nature of the economic activity, as opposed growth for growth’s sake. Some have rebranded their economic development departments as directorates of inclusive economy and are adopting a broader set of metrics for success – going beyond GDP growth and looking at unemployment levels, groups of unemployed, the types of jobs people have, as well as life expectancy and hospital admissions. In the main, however, this renewed strategic purpose has led to areas trying to squeeze more benefits for local people and places out of inward investment opportunities as well as the continued reliance on property development-led regeneration. It remains to be seen, therefore, as to whether this will be enough to turn the dial here and have a positive impact on poverty, deprivation and inequality. Again however, recent analysis by CLES shows that while foreign direct investment (FDI) has increased in almost all English city regions,39 this has not correlated with a positive impact on deprivation.40 To date, growth-led approaches have been unable to resolve the intractable fact that low-paid, insecure jobs are a dominant feature of the UK’s mainstream economic model, with detrimental consequences for worker health and wellbeing.41 This is not to say, of course, that local economic development practitioners should not be trying to squeeze as much as they can out of inward investment. But in addition, they should also be looking to diversify their approach to produce wider social, economic and environmental benefits at scale. Leading lights To this end, some areas are starting to tread a different path.42 Here community wealth building has become a much more embedded approach, with local place-based assets becoming the focus of local economic development practice. This has resulted in the adoption of the following interventions and tactics with a greater focus on the grass roots economy. Vision and metrics Minimising the extraction of wealth and building prosperity for all should be the intention of local economic strategy. Local economies everywhere should now be rejecting the idea that the sole measure of economic success is growth and should be including additional metrics for wellbeing, happiness, the reduction of poverty and carbon emissions. While economic strategy and planning falls under the jurisdiction of local governments, they should unite and inspire here, encouraging and enabling other anchor institutions, communities and the VCSE sector to 38 TL Goodwin et al (2022). A light in the dark: progressive frontiers in local economies. CLES. Forthcoming. 39 Office for National Statistics (2021). Foreign direct investment involving UK companies by UK country and region, (directional): inward. Link. 40 Office for National Statistics (2019). English Indices of deprivation 2019. Link. 41 E Yates I Clark and W Rossiter (2021). Local economic governance strategies in thew UK’s post-industrial cites and the challenges of improving local work and employment conditions. Local Economy, 36(2). Read. 42 TL Goodwin et al (2022). A light in the dark: progressive frontiers in local economies. CLES. Forthcoming. Page 89
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Community Wealth Building in Argyll and Bute 36 play a key role in establishing an inclusive local economy vision. CLES’s recent work with the Ayrshire region, to produce a new inclusive economic strategy is a key example of this approach.43 Developing and growing local enterprise Looking for opportunities to support and influence the behaviour of local SMEs is emerging as a key local economic development tactic to promote a more inclusive local economy. In councils such as Fife, Luton and Carmarthenshire, they are using their own procurement expenditure as a mechanism to grow and diversify their local SME base. Here, economic development officers are engaging with local SMEs to make them aware of their goods and services pipeline, with a view to more of their supply chains being delivered by these local businesses. Through this engagement these local authorities are using this as an opportunity to address the environmental crisis – supporting local SMEs with retrofit and access to environmental grants. They are also encouraging the adoption of the living wage, as well as initiating discussions around succession planning, to potentially transition to worker ownership. This enables these local businesses to grow and develop with greater social and environmental purpose. Diversifying ownership The development of inclusive local economies also means growing other forms of more socially generative enterprise. Recent research by CLES has highlighted that employee-owned businesses, for example, tend to be more resilient, less indebted, pay higher wages and more productive.44 Here, councils such as Islington have diversified their business support by commissioning a social enterprise hub and a co-operative development agency.45 With support from Power to Change, Liverpool City Region has invested £6.5m to support the development local socially trading organisations. With this funding they have established Kindred - a new investment and development vehicle, owned and run by the sector, that is now providing business support and funding to local community businesses.46 In Greater Manchester, the combined authority is looking to establish a community wealth hub to support and grow co-operative, mutual, social and community enterprises in key sectors of the everyday economy such as childcare.47 In North of the Tyne, the combined authority has been working with a group of supply teachers and local trade unions to create a supply teacher co-operative. Owned and controlled by the teachers themselves, the co-operative will replace the prioritisation of profit with an imperative to pay fairly and provide good terms and conditions for teachers.48 Building inclusive skills and employment pathways Local anchor institutions often have significant numbers of jobs with good terms and conditions that can be targeted towards people and communities who need them the most. In the West Midlands, for example, the Birmingham & Solihull Integrated Care System (ICS) is leading a programme across all of its employing providers. The programme will deliver a minimum of 100 entry level job opportunities each year for three years for unemployed and young people, targeting economically disadvantaged areas across the sub-region. It includes the provision of tailor-made “get into work” development and support programmes, with careers, interview, application support and a programme of post-employment mentorship. The programme commenced during November 2021 and is now seeing its first successful applicants employed. Anchor collaboration Networks of anchor institutions exist across the UK in light of the numerous partnership arrangements that are particular to local places – such as community planning partnerships in Scotland. Harnessing the impact of place- based assets can be magnified by collaboration across anchors.49 The ICAN example above from Birmingham & Solihull ICS is a powerful illustration of the potential impact that can be achieved by anchor institutions working together in concert here. In a similar vein, local economies can also use these spaces to collaborate around harnessing the power of collective procurement budgets – as is being explored in Carmarthenshire in Wales –50 as well as the usage, disposal and stewardship of public land.51 43 CLES (2022). An inclusive economic strategy for Ayrshire: Building community wealth across the Ayrshire region. Forthcoming. 44 S Benstead and J Heneghan (2022). Owning the workplace, securing the future. CLES. Link. 45 CLES (2022). Community wealth building in Islington (2018-ongoing). Link. 46 Kindred (2021). What we do. Link. 47 Greater Manchester Combined Authority (2022). Launch of the report from the Greater Manchester Independent Inequalities Commission. Link. 48 F Jones (2022). Unions tackling wealth extraction on the front line. CLES. Link. 49 CLES (2020). Growing anchor networks in place: a how to guide. Link. 50 CLES (2021). Carmarthenshire anchors: food procurement. Link. 51 CLES (2021). Our Land: Final report of the Liverpool City Region Land Commission. Link. Page 90
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Model of Opportunity 1: Building greater employee ownership in Argyll and Bute Vision – Grow and develop the number of employee-owned businesses in the Argyll and Bute economy Objectives • Explore the development of different models of employee ownership in Argyll and Bute. • Support a model of business that disrupts wealth extraction, develops a healthier private sector and builds an economy for the future. • Support local businesses to progress a Fair Work agenda. • Investigate how CPP members’ activity can support these sectors through procurement, land and assets and finance. Background The Argyll and Bute economy faces a number of challenges which requires a step change in the approach to local economic development, moving towards an approach which has community wealth building firmly rooted at its centre, and one that celebrates and embraces the unique rural economy of much of the region. In a local economy dominated by SME’s, with a strong social economy, this model of opportunity pulls together a number of strands of community wealth building to develop a platform for ‘Doing business in Argyll & Bute’ with a focus on developing understanding and implementation of a programme of support around employee ownership. Employee ownership brings a variety of opportunities and benefits to the Scottish economy including job security, Fair Work practices and the embedding of people within place1. Research shows that in rural areas retaining and expanding existing businesses is often the best strategy for economic development2. By supporting employee ownership it not only supports economic development but also population decline as businesses and people remaining in the communities they are anchored to. Employee owned businesses also provide considerable benefit to the economy, collectively the turnover of the 146 Scottish registered employee owned businesses in 2022 was £691 million, with employee ownership leading to increased productivity, increased employee engagement, lower staff turnover and an improved retention of talent3. 1 Scottish Enterprise (2021) Employee-owned business demonstrate resilience and boost the Scottish economy. Link 2 University of Minnesota (2022) Retaining rural businesses through employee ownership. Link 3 Insider (2022) Scotlands 146 employee-owned businesses have a combined turnover of £691 million. Link Page 93
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As part of the National Strategy for Economic Transformation, the Scottish Government has set an ambitious target of 500 employee owned businesses in Scotland by 2030. Argyll and Bute is fertile ground for leading the rest of Scotland in this due to a combination of a number of factors including, a high proportion of SMEs, an ageing population and with it business owners getting closer to retirement age and communities that want to play an active role and have a stake in the local economy. ‘The way that modern economies have been grown has distanced people from their lands, their culture and their identity. Community Wealth Building essentially repatriates communities back to this. CWB gives communities a say again’ – Argyll & Bute citizen. There is a precedent for employee ownership in the tourism sector with a number of hotels across Scotland having transitioned to this business model. Within the food sector there are a number of employee owned enterprises and the growth in employee ownership across Scotland demonstrates the resilience this business model can provide to local communities and the businesses themselves. Model of Opportunity About Employee Ownership An employee owned business is one where the employees, rather than external shareholders, hold the majority of the shares – this can be done directly or through an Employee Ownership Trust which will buy the shares on behalf of the employees. There is not one prescribed employee ownership model and the structure can be shaped to fit the company. Page 94
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Many employee-owned enterprises trade in goods and services and generate surplus/profit. However, in contrast to investor owned business, that surplus/profit is not taken by outside shareholders. Employee ownership can take different forms and can be conceived as existing on a scale of diversity of ownership and democratic decision-making. This diversity of ownership also correlates with the generative potential of a business. As opposed to where wealth is extracted, generative businesses are those which are broadly held, locally rooted, recirculate income, put communities first and provide people with opportunity, dignity and well-being. What makes employee-owned business an exciting prospect for Argyll and Bute is that they are often defined by their relationship with a locality and they often develop due to a strong connection between the business operation and a specific place and community. We know that communities across Argyll and Bute have a strong connection to place and there is a desire to ensure this remains. This can take many and related forms — for example, employees may all live in the town or neighbourhood and/or the business has a close attachment with a specific geography. This means that there is the potential for the benefits of the business’s development to flow back into the local community in the form of jobs, income and investment. The democratic governance structures associated with employee ownership, depending on the specific model, can mean that a higher proportion of people are involved in the management process than in a conventional business of the same size. This potentially creates opportunities for management skills, competencies, responsibilities and expertise to be more widely shared amongst employees. This can Page 95
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provide the potential for businesses to be more aware and responsive to the needs of employees and the local community rather than the priorities set by investors and financial institutions who may not have a close connection to the specific locality where a business is based. Shared ownership between employees also allows for the share of profits/surplus to be distributed more evenly than in traditional private investor-led models. Next Step Actions • Conduct an audit of businesses across Argyll and Bute that are looking for an exit strategy and explore employee ownership as a viable option • Develop understanding on how employee ownership could help to tackle challenges across Argyll and Bute, including depopulation, ageing population and help grow growth sectors including food and tourism • Help support employee owned business to start/grow through an Affordable Workspace Strategies • Support business owners at start-up, or early evolution to adopt an employee owned or worker co-operative model • COOPsUK are rolling out the ownership hub model and would welcome a conversation with Argyll & Bute for a first Scottish based hub in 2025, this would involve upskilling business advisors and local accountants/solicitors to help business owners start, scale up or convert to employee and worker ownership Case Studies Auchrannie Resort In 2017 the Auchrannie resort on the island of Arran became the first Scottish resort to transition to a model of employee ownership. The model was agreed upon as an exit strategy for the former owners to enable the business to continue to flourish whilst maintaining the company ethos. New efficiency targets for the business, agreed by the ‘new owners’, enabled the resort to become a Real Living Wage Accredited Employer in 2018. There was a recognition that the introduction of the wage would support further financial benefits. These included lower staff recruitment costs (due to higher retention), greater productivity and increased occupancy from an improved reputation. Aquascot Originally founded in 1983, Aquascot is one of the largest employee owned businesses in Scotland and a large-scale salmon farming business in the UK. Page 96
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The business was sold to a global seafood business in 2000, but bought back by committed local shareholders in 2004. The journey to employee ownership then began in 2008 and by 2016 the company was 100% employee owned. Aquascot have progressive goals around sustainability and employee training and progression which may not have come to pass without their employee owned model. The business recognises they hold an important place in the local economy and within the local community and being employee owned cements that further. Swansons This food wholesalers from the north of Scotland has been in employee ownership since 2021. It was originally established in 1991 and grew from a single greengrocers to a wholesale business with over 40 staff and depots in three locations. After turning down a sale offer from a large wholesaler based in another part of the country the owner then decided to begin thinking of the exit strategy from the business. The transition to employee ownership, with support from Co-operative Development Scotland, encourages staff involvement, loyalty and shows to the local area the business’s commitment to it. Where To Go For More Information Employee Ownership Association Co-operative Development Scotland Social Enterprise Scotland COOPSUK Ownership Hub Page 97
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Model of Opportunity 2: Building community and shared ownership of the energy transition Vision – Capture the economic potential of community and shared ownership of renewable energy infrastructure in Argyll and Bute. Objectives • Increase in community ownership, or shared ownership of renewable energy infrastructure in Argyll and Bute • Explore land and estate mapping of CPP members to unlock energy opportunities in the region across all renewable sectors • Explore the potential for the development of a regional social enterprise installing renewables across the public and private estate • Address the skills and employment gaps to ensure a local pipeline of good work • Investigate CPP members’ energy purchase, and align where possible to local suppliers Background - Argyll and Bute has a wealth of natural resources which can and are generating energy within the region4. Local communities, however, should benefit from their natural resources. To ensure that they have ownership of renewable energy generation and infrastructure, this would ensure that the wealth generated stays within Argyll and Bute and provides long-term opportunities for sustainability of communities across the region. “There is a huge amount of wealth extraction from our rural communities – be that forestry, wind, fisheries” This model of opportunity explores how, through a community wealth building approach, local communities in Argyll & Bute can take ownership of the energy transition, directing the wealth created back into local communities. 5. Model of Opportunity Community Ownership There is a long history of community ownership in Argyll and Bute, with the Gigha ‘dancing ladies’ being the first community owned windfarm in Scotland6. Much of Argyll and Bute is currently covered by 4 Argyll and Bute Council (2019) Argyll & Bute in Numbers. Link. 5 Platform (2023) Public Ownership of Energy generation in North East Scotland. Link. IIsle of Gigha Windmills. Link. Page 98
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community benefit payments from renewables projects7. Whilst these community benefit payments are voluntary, there may be an opportunity to advocate region wide for higher than the standard £5,000 per megawatt for communities. Furthermore, as discussion over community benefits from the Energy Transmission Network are under discussion, there may be further opportunities for communities in the region8. When communities have the opportunity to own their own energy projects, the scale of benefit to the local area drastically increases. The research conducted on behalf of the Point and Sandwick Development Trust in 2019 indicates £170,000 per installed megawatt, compared to the £5,000 industry standard for community benefit9. We recognise the funding landscape for community ownership of renewables projects has changed with the retraction of Feed-in-Tariffs (FITs), however, as demonstrated by the ATTIX turbine plans in North Ayrshire there are opportunities for communities to leverage blended finance models of investment to own their own renewable energy projects10. Community energy projects have the power to contribute to Scotland’s National Just Transition Outcomes11 and make up a key component of the Scottish Government’s plans for the energy transition12. Shared Ownership Shared ownership of energy projects could provide an alternative model for greater ownership of the energy infrastructure across the region, without the financial challenges and responsibility challenges of community ownership. Shared ownership is any structure which involves a community group as a financial partner over the lifetime of a renewable energy project13. The three most common structures are; • Joint ventures – developer and community work in partnership to develop, own and manage a project. The company may be referred to as a Special Purpose Vehicle. • Shared Revenue – Developer agrees to provide a share of project revenues or profit. Community has a financial stake but does not own an asset. • Split ownership – developer and community own separate distinct entities – one turbine out of five. Shared ownerships can bring a number of benefits to communities including developing a sustainable income stream, creating strong partnerships and building resilience in a local area. It can also have benefits for the developer including increased community engagement, accessing rate reliefs and potentially supporting planning applications. There may also be opportunities for the public sector to look to develop their own projects, thus shoring up a regular income stream and offering regular community funding for strategic, regional projects. Next Step Actions 7 Argyll and Bute Renewables Community Benefit App. Link. 8 Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (2023) Community Benefits for Electricity Transmission Network Infrastructure. Link. 9 Aquatera (2021) A comparison of the financial benefits arising from private and community owned wind farms. Link 10 Social Investment Scotland (2023) Scottish community group secures over £5 million in investment. Link. 11 ClimateXChange 12 Energy Savings Trust (2022) Community and locally owned energy in Scotland: 2022 report. Link 13 Scottish Government (2019) Shared Ownership of Onshore Renewable Energy Developments. Link. Page 99
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• Ascertain where CPP members buy their energy from and the collective annual energy requirement today and forecast this into the future • Develop understanding of the collective role of the CPP members in the renewable energy supply chain, including understanding business support, use of land and property, skills development services and apprenticeships • Learn from existing community owned renewable energy projects to build more sustainable forms in the future • Develop an understanding of who owns land that could support community ownership of renewable infrastructure • Assess how the existing local financial architecture would need to evolve to support community ownership of renewable infrastructure in the region • Argyll and Bute Renewable Energy Alliance to act as a mechanism to explore a higher threshold payment in community benefit, or shared ownership as standard across the region • Identify projects in pipeline that could use shared ownership model Case Studies Edinburgh Community Solar Cooperative ECSC was formed in 2013 to address the low volume of solar panels in the city and give residents the opportunity of collectively owning a means to generate power. With the assistance of Energy4All, the City of Edinburgh Council and other organisations, ECSC launched a share offer to raise funds to install solar panels on assorted council buildings throughout Edinburgh. With £1.4 million raised, the share offer was successful and solar power generation commenced in 2016, totalling over 1.1GWh of electricity in the first year of operation. A Power Purchase Agreement was signed with the City of Edinburgh council, meaning that some of the electricity generated through the solar panels is provided to those same buildings at a reduced rate, compared to a market tariff. A second share offer has been completed with more solar panels being installed across the area. 30 buildings in Edinburgh host solar panels with the profits distributed to share offer members directly and the community though a Community Benefit Fund. A similar, smaller scaled project is underway in Glasgow with Glasgow Community Energy. Knoydart Renewables Knoydart Renewables Ltd (KRL) is a wholly owned subsidiary of the charity Knoydart Foundation. Knoydart Foundation was established in 1997 to take ownership of the 17,500 acre Knoydart Estate which makes up much of the Knoydart peninsula, including the village of Inverie, on the west coast of the Highlands. Page 100
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Knoydart is not connected to the National Grid and generates all of its own electricity. Over the last twenty years Knoydart Renewables has made significant locally generated investment to increase the amount of electricity that can be generated. Knoydart Renewables Ltd. exists as a wholly owned trading subsidiary of the Knoydart Foundation charity and is governed by a board of volunteer community directors. The day-to-day operations are conducted by a dedicated local team, supported by a wider network of consultants and contractors located throughout Scotland. Knoydart Renewables Ltd secured funding from the Scottish Government’s Community and Renewable Energy Scheme (CARES). It was awarded a capital grant of £2.41 million in 2021. Cross Dykes Crossdykes Wind Farm is one of the first subsidy-free onshore wind developments to be built across Scotland. The Crossdykes windfarm offered a £7000 per megawatt hour payment, meaning a higher than industry standard community benefit payment reaching the local communities. In addition to this the developers offered an initial 10% share in the farm to the local community, which was subsequently reduced due to local concerns and taken up at a 5% share14. The shares were to be purchased using a loan from the Energy Investment Fund (EIF). The loan would be repaid using income from their shares over a period of about 17 years for the 10% stake, and 7 years from the 5%. It was this decrease in loan repayment time which eventually enabled the community to go ahead with the development. In 2022, the developer decided to sell Crossdykes wind farm. Although the community had the option to keep their shares and partner with the new owner, they decided to sell. This meant they could pay off their loan immediately whilst still making a substantial profit which they could utilise for local projects. Where To Go For More Information Community Energy Scotland Local Energy Scotland Energy4All Green Cooperative-Energy Social Investment Scotland Community Shares Scotland 14 Local Energy Scotland. Crossdykes wind farm. Link. Page 101
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