Elected Member Briefing - Review of scheme of establishment of community councils

About this briefing note

Report by: Fiona Robertson, Head of Service - Culture and Communities Services

Date: 29 June 2023

Subject: Review of Perth and Kinross Council Scheme of Establishment of Community Councils

Responsible Officer: Lee Haxton, Team Leader - Community Planning

Details

Purpose

To advise elected members of the timescales for a review of the Perth and Kinross Council Scheme of Establishment of Community Councils ("the Scheme").

Briefing information

Background

The Scheme sets out the process through which community councils are established and supported in Perth and Kinross. It also includes a template constitution and standing orders and details of maximum and minimum memberships for each community council area. The Scheme was last reviewed in 2018/19 and approved at Council on 27 February 2019, with a future review date of 2023. This review is not statutory and as best practice reviewed in a 4-year cycle.

Timescales

A draft version of a revised Scheme will go out to public consultation for 8 weeks commencing at the end of June 2023. This will be located on the Perth and Kinross Council's Consultation Hub. The link will be sent to community councils directly and shared on the Perth and Kinross Councils social media. The consultation will be open to elected members, community councils and members of the public to make comment or suggestions. Elected members are welcome to submit their own views and can encourage responses from community councils and other members of the public. A link to the consultation will be shared with elected members once it goes live. 

Following the close of the public consultation at the end of August 2023, all feedback will be considered, and the draft Scheme amended where appropriate. A report will be brought to Council in December 2023 with the proposed final version of the Scheme for approval. 

Once approved the final version of the Perth and Kinross Council Scheme of Establishment of Community Councils will come into effect from January 2024 with a future review date of 2028.