For as long as I can remember, local democracy has shaped my life.

It’s not just an idea — it’s real, living action in our communities: in community hubs, in youth clubs, in allotments, lunch clubs, in our energy and in our culture.  It’s about people connecting with each other, passing on skills, building resilience and creating a genuine sense of belonging.

This is the work that truly sustains our communities.  Not legislation alone.  Not party politics.  It’s people, rooted in place, shaping their future together.

And yet, that sense of connection is too often missing.  Many young people are desperately searching for meaning, for real relationships, for community.  Spaces where knowledge, skills and care are shared across generations.

This is the unique and powerful role of community enterprises and local democracy — and it’s something development trusts across Scotland are helping to rebuild every day.

Local Democracy: People Power

I’ve spent the last week involved in steering groups, advisory groups and even a summit all discussing democracy, economy, community wealth and inclusivity.  Development trusts are mentioned at every one because they are delivering essential social and community services, they are delivering on economic and environmental projects, they are building housing, owning renewable energy and in short, making a huge impact across the country.

Throughout the week I’ve met politicians, councillors, civil servants, community leaders, volunteers and concerned citizens.   All wanting to do their best and make a change and all saying they are stretched, so what is stopping us reaching our potential as a country!?!

I want to be really clear, that this isn’t about blaming individuals.  I know many dedicated councillors, MSPs, MPs and civil servants trying their best to help.  I also know that community enterprises aren’t perfect and fractions happen.  But the system itself is broken.

There are 1000s of amazing, complex and dynamic community enterprises delivering outstanding work but all too often, party politics, bureaucracy and power dynamics stand in the way of genuine community empowerment.  Instead of collaboration, we get division. Instead of long-term investment, we get short-term funding streams.  Instead of local people having a real say, decisions are still made far away— communities expected to ask/apply for resources they have already earned and deserve many times over (often not getting decisions until well in to the new financial year!).

Scotland’s communities have not stood still, they have acted.  They have created wealth, opportunity and hope through local ownership of land, assets, energy and enterprise.

Community enterprises are often run by volunteers, often under immense pressure but they are tackling depopulation, owning renewable energy, building local economies, delivering preventative health measures and fostering pride in place.

And they are doing it despite the system, not because of it.

From Policy to Power

Over the past two decades, Scottish Parliament has made important strides forward in certain areas. This includes the Community Empowerment Act, the first steps toward long-awaited land reform, the Democracy Matters work and the emerging focus on Community Wealth Building. These policies have helped to shift thinking, to give communities new opportunities, and to legitimise local ownership and action in a way that simply wasn’t happening before.

These policies have created real, tangible benefits — and we should be proud of what has been achieved.  Communities have stepped up time and again, proving their ability not just to manage assets, but to transform them: breathing life back into towns and villages, creating local jobs, tackling climate change, building new housing, keeping the local pub or post office open and reweaving the fabric of local democracy.

But now it’s time to move beyond the early successes and it’s not enough to give communities permission. We must give them real power.

The world has changed — and the challenges facing our communities and local authorities have only grown.  Communities have already shown what’s possible — but we must be honest about what’s getting in the way: bureaucracy that stifles ambition, and short-term funding that undermines long-term impact.

We need to reset our priorities and rethink where power sits.  National and regional systems have a role to play — but true transformation happens locally.  That’s where we must place real control and investment.  Revise, strengthen and expand the policies that underpin genuine community empowerment.

If we’re serious about building lasting community wealth, then communities must be trusted, resourced and empowered to lead.

Community Wealth

We know our public bodies are under immense pressure — but the answer isn’t building bigger government or adding more layers of bureaucracy.  The future lies in investing in people and organisations at the grassroots, where government supports and enables the real work of change — and where community wealth is created every day, in all its forms.

Power must be devolved to local communities — not locked away in city chambers or parliaments.

We need a model where local people don’t have to ask for permission to drive the change they know their place needs.  One where public resources are directed into local hands, building the skills, confidence and capacity of communities to lead.

Communities aren’t asking politicians or councils to do everything we are asking for a fairer system — one that levels the playing field and shifts real power, so more of this incredible work can grow.  A system that actually helps make the often impossible job of politicians, possible.

The Community Wealth Building Act will be the first of its kind, and we look forward helping shape the guidance that will accompany it.  But as we move forward, we must recognise the community wealth already being created across Scotland — and build on that strong foundation.

We cannot expect an already overstretched public sector to deliver this alone.  Community wealth building must grow from the grassroots up, led by the people and organisations already driving change in their communities.

We have the evidence – Community shares programmes, democratic business models, asset and land owners, social service providers, transport, energy, childcare and housing providers.

Crucially, community wealth building depends on strong local economic democracy — and that requires the right local democratic structures to support it.  One cannot succeed without the other, or at the very least it will be made much more difficult.  We have started some of this process through the Democracy Matters work but it all needs joined up.

The Future Is Local

Scotland’s best future will not be built solely in Holyrood, Westminster or in 32 Local Authority areas.  It will be built in new local democratic structures and citizen assemblies where community wealth is created and invested. When communities thrive, Scotland thrives.

Over the coming months DTAS will be ramping up our voice and action.   We are calling on our members, partners and supporters to amplify this message: community-led change is not just possible — it’s already happening and future policy needs to truly reflect the current and future power/potential of community ownership and leadership.  Join us in making local democracy real — loud, visible and impossible to ignore.  More to follow!

“We have an army of well intended, intelligent and good people in our civil service and statutory agencies. If they were based and worked in their own communities doing what they do, imagine how different their decisions would be”

Brendan Rooney – Healthy n Happy Community Development Trust

Links:

Scottish Government – Local Governance Review – Improving public services – gov.scot.

Community Wealth Building (Scotland) Bill – https://yourviews.parliament.scot/efw/community-wealth-building-bill/