21st Century Islands - Planning the Future

8 September 2003

A vision of local sustainable regeneration and renewal for the Western Isles is being launched for public consultation this week .

The 2003-2004 draft Community Plan centres around the broad themes of Sustainable Economic Development, Community Well Being, Culture (including Tourism), Lifelong Learning and Quality of Life.

The ideas behind Community Planning are a relatively new concept in the Western Isles. Community Planning is based on the assumption that in many cases the needs of an individual, or indeed a community, must be addressed by a range of organisations if they are to be met successfully. Problems that require action seldom come in neat packages and people increasingly require services and solutions which are flexible and responsive.

In the Western Isles there are already many operational partnerships between public agenices. To date, however, these have not been joined by any sort of plan and no overview has been taken of how working together could improve efficiency or effectiveness.

Led by the local Community Planning Partnership, it is Community Planning which aims to close this unnecessary gap. This local Partnership includes representatives from the main public agencies, the voluntary sector and the Chamber of Commerce. Reporting to the Partnership there are Forums responsible for Community Wellbeing, Economic Development, Gaelic Language and Culture and Lifelong and Community Learning.

Creating Communities of the Future, an economic regeneration strategy for the Islands, is notable as being the product of agreement between all the key players in economic development in the Western Isles. For the first time all partners have signed up to agree priorities and actions to spearhead the economic regeneration of local communities. In the forthcoming year The Community Planning Partnership intends to replicate this achievement in the other Forums to produce action plans which not only involve the community, but are accessible by the community and are agreed by all the relevant agencies.

Alex Macdonald, Convener of Comhairle nan Eilean Siar and Chair of the Community Planning Partnership, added:
“The challenges this community faces in the next few years should not be underestimated, but they are not insurmountable. What is inevitable, though, is change and if this change is to be managed it must be planned for. This is the essence of Community Planning.

In managing change on this scale, it is vital that all the main public agencies work together so that they are moving in the same direction to a joined up plan which takes account of all aspects of any proposed development. It is also essential that Community Planning involves the community. The agencies alone cannotcreate healthy vibrant communities without the involvement of the people who live here.

The main role of the agencies is vision, leadership and facilitation - not the imposition of ideas. It is implicit in Community Planning that people must be allowed and encouraged to participate in the debate about the future and that ways must be found to create a climate in which people feel free to speak and are provided with mechanisms for articulating their views.

Community regeneration is a shared responsibility between the agencies and communities. Community Planning aims to work with communities to improve the future.”

The Draft Community Plan can be viewed at the Community Planning website; www.cne-siar.gov.uk/cxdir/policies.htm

For further information contact Derek McKim on 01851 709270 or by email at dmckim@cne-siar.gov.uk

Nigel Scott
Communications Officer
Comhairle nan Eilean Siar

Tel: 01851 709389 (Work)
Tel: 01851 706412 (Home)
Tel: 07884 236103 (Mobile)
email: nscott@cne-siar.gov.uk