On 25 March, Planning Democracy and the Environmental Rights Centre Scotland (ERCS) hosted a webinar on defending environmental democracy.  The webinar was in response to the current hostility being displayed towards planning and environmental concerns. Against the backdrop of public participation in environmental decision-making being dismissed as NIMBYism, rather than a fundamental pillar of a democratic society, we wanted to bring people together to discuss how we can mobilise in defence of our environmental rights.

Speaking at the webinar were writer and broadcaster Lesley Riddoch; Laurie McFarlane from Future Economy Scotland; and Malcolm Tait, Professor of Planning at Sheffield University with Dr Kiera Chapman from Oxford University. Malcolm and Kiera run Planning for Nature with Planning Democracy and Scottish Environment LINK as partners. Read on for a summary report and link to the webinar recording.

If you were unable to join the webinar on the day, recording of the webinar on defending environmental democracy is available to watch online.

Context on current challenges in politics, land use and planning

Laurie began outlining the political and economic context and the centrality of land use to addressing 21^st century challenges. He talked about the economics of development and the environmental crisis, and why tackling this requires a strengthened and more democratic planning system. The erosion of the planning system in response to vested interests, and the prioritisation of shareholder interests over the public interest is why creating a more democratic and proactive planning system is critical to building sustainable places that cater to human needs.

Erosion of environmental democracy in English planning reform

Malcolm and Kiera focussed on planning explaining how the state of debate within planning is myopically focused on policy tweaks, interpretation, and process. With the consequence being a reduction inattention on the material outcomes of development. They argued that democratic participation is being squeezed out of planning in favour of technical ‘solutions’ and centralised policy. The so called ‘win-win’ environmental policies are necessarily developed as a means of excluding communities, their concerns for the qualities of individual sites and places.

Democratic participation is now seen as antithetical to a ‘growth agenda’, even though those communities will have to live with the consequences of this growth. The Nature in Planning project will be tackling this problem in more depth.

Lack of local democracy in Scotland

Finally, Lesley gave some shocking statistics about the state of democracy in Scotland and suggested the reasons for the low election turnouts and community disempowerment.  She gave examples of community enterprises elsewhere and in Scotland showing how communities are filling this void.

To hear about future webinars and keep up to date on our work on environmental democracy, subscribe to Planning Democracy’s mailing list and ERCS newsletter.

This Bill was introduced by the Scottish Government on Wednesday 20 March 2025.

What does the Bill do?

Community Wealth Building (CWB) is an approach to economic development that tries to use the power of ‘anchor organisations’ to grow and retain wealth within a local economy.

Anchor organisations can be public, private, or third sector bodies that have a large enough presence in a local area to be able to change economic outcomes. These could include local authorities, the NHS, large private sector employers, universities and enterprise agencies.

Under the CWB approach, these types of organisations might, for example, use their spending power to procure locally, pay the real living wage, or facilitate community ownership of land or assets.

All of Scotland’s local authorities are currently working with their own CWB models. However, these are not always underpinned by formal plans and the extent of implementation varies.

The Scottish Government says the purpose of this Bill is to ensure that CWB is implemented consistently across Scotland as an economic development tool.

The Bill proposes to do three things:

• It would place a duty on the Scottish Ministers to publish a CWB statement which sets out the measures they will take to facilitate CWB.
• It would require local authorities and ‘relevant public bodies’ to publish and implement a CWB plan for their area.
• It would require ‘specified public bodies’ to have due regard to CWB guidance when developing their corporate plans and associated delivery strategies.

Community Wealth Building (Scotland) Bill – Scottish Parliament – Citizen Space

Aimed at community groups involved in renewable energy and low-carbon projects, this annual survey builds on previous years to provide the most comprehensive view of community energy across Scotland and the UK as a whole. Your input helps highlight sector achievements, strengthens the case for community-led energy and influences government policy and key decision-makers.

SOTS is a collective effort by Community Energy Scotland, Community Energy England, and Ynni Cymunedol Cymru (Community Energy Wales).  A link to the 2025 State of the Sector Portal where you can register for this year’s survey and submit your data is provided below, and previous SOTS reports can viewed here –  Welcome | State of the Sector

In this briefing, Community Land Scotland sets out their proposals for how to improve the Land Reform Bill as well as their reflections on the Stage 1 report from the Net Zero, Energy and Transport (NZET) Committee, including:

• Welcoming the Stage 1 report on the Land Reform Bill from the Committee which highlights significant areas of weakness within the draft legislation and several important ways in which the legislation will not meet its stated policy objectives, as things stand.  The chief concern with the Bill as drafted is that it does not seriously address the question of land ownership diversification in Scotland and offers limited influence on the issue of lesser significance, land use and management.
• Agreeing with the Committee’s conclusion that the principles of the Bill should be supported but that significant amendment is needed for the Bill to deliver the policy outcomes of more diversified ownership and greater transparency over land management and ownership.

Find out more in Community Land Scotland’s briefing.

Financial sustainability is a pressing concern for our sector. Navigating an unpredictable funding landscape has shifted thinking in how we might move towards self-generated income. There is recognition that the need to secure funding can sometimes steer organisations away from their core mission, resulting in less autonomy to respond to community priorities. This tension highlights the importance of financial independence, with some organisations exploring revenue-generating models such as community-owned wind farms.

The emotional well-being of those working in the community sector is tied to addressing urgent social and environmental challenge, which can take its toll. How we sustain ourselves and our teams, from simple but meaningful check-ins at the start and end of meetings to fostering a culture of mutual support is important. Laughter, celebrating small victories and spending time to visit and learn about successful community endeavours are essential to stay hopeful and connected to our practice. Some organisations have introduced more flexible working structures, such as a nine-day fortnight, to promote staff well-being. The value of storytelling is a way to showcase impact and a means of uplifting those doing the work by reminding them of the positive change happening daily in communities.

Environmental sustainability and the difficulties of integrating climate-conscious practices within financially strained organisations can sometimes feel like a competing concern when immediate financial and social needs take precedence. When we reframe the issue in a way that positions sustainability as an affordability issue rather than an additional burden, we help bridge the gap between environmental goals and economic realities. There is a growing interest in exploring renewable energy solutions, such as repowering community-owned wind farms, as a way to build long-term financial and environmental resilience.

Waiting for a broader cultural shift in attitudes toward these and other sorts of sustainability of human life and activity is not an option. Action desperately needs to come from within communities, driven by those already committed to change.

How we work together now to access collaborative funding models, emotional well-being strategies, and practical environmental solutions is also key to how we support sustainable community organisations—it all hinges on shared learning, mutual support, and a commitment to working together toward a more resilient future.

Community energy is about people and communities taking democratic control over their energy future, by understanding, generating, using, owning and saving energy in their communities, as well as working together across regions and nationally.

This database and research provides the most comprehensive and inclusive view of community energy in the UK and highlights sectoral achievements, makes a positive case for community energy and its role in the Net Zero transition, and plays a crucial role in influencing government policy and other key sector decision makers.

Community Energy Scotland State of the Sector portal

A new Fairer Funding pilot to deliver on the Scottish Government’s top priority of eradicating child poverty will provide additional multi-year funding in the form of 45 grants to organisations across Scotland.

The funding, subject to budget approval, will support projects in areas including health, education, poverty and culture and have a total value of £61.7 million in 2025-26 and £63.2 million in 2026- 27.

Just like our climate, local news is in crisis. Old models based on commercial advertising are no longer viable in today’s digital age. News publishers compete with sophisticated algorithms for the attention of their audiences. Polarising rhetoric dominates the conversation, driving wedges into communities. ‘News deserts’ expand as local titles dissolve or get swallowed up by media conglomerates. All but one of Scotland’s national newspapers are owned by companies based in other countries. The gulf between the people who produce the news and those who consume it is growing.

Yet, journalism remains a cornerstone of democracy. Locally produced, public-interest journalism is more vital than ever. Across Scotland, independent, community-based media outlets serve as beacons of hope – run by people who are deeply invested in the stories they tell.

The Birth of The Scottish Beacon

In response to these challenges, we launched The Scottish Beacon in 2023 – a collaborative network of 24 independent, community-driven local news publishers. No two outlets are alike. Some operate as for-profits, others as non profits or sole traders. Some are digital-only, while others maintain print editions. They cover everything from small villages to major cities. What unites them is a shared commitment to impact and community engagement rather than profit.

Our mission is twofold:

1. Strengthening independent local media – Through collective ad sales, funding partnerships, and collaborative reporting projects, The Beacon helps sustain and amplify its member organisations.
2. Amplifying community stories – The Beacon serves as both a network and a platform, elevating stories from across Scotland, facilitating collaborative journalism, and fostering cross-community learning.

Collaborative Reporting: The Green Transition

Since launching, we’ve led several collaborative reporting projects including about the loss of community spaces, increased food bank use and the visitor levy. Ahead of the last General Election, we asked our readers to tell us which issues mattered most. The results were clear: climate change and green energy topped the list. It became evident that the green transition needed to be at the heart of our reporting.

These findings led us to partner with the Local Storytelling Exchange, a non profit dedicated to uncovering and sharing stories of the green transition across the UK,  for 100 Days of the Green Transition: a project exploring community-driven climate action from September to November last year.

Insights from the Field

Local Storytelling Exchange Scotland Lead, Clare Harris, reflects on the experience:

“Working with the Beacon members – everywhere from the Glenkens in Dumfries and Galloway to north Lewis – has been a brilliant insight into the range and diversity of independent news publications, as well as how important they are to represent and report on communities.

“It’s fair to say that there’s activity happening just about everywhere to help tackle the climate crisis; whether that’s from families ditching the car and cycling to school instead, or groups of local people banding together to grow their own food and nurture green spaces.

“Whether these efforts are led by a concern for the climate, or simply are a way to come together, save money, and improve health – the end result is the same. It’s a sense of getting things done and making lives better for our neighbours.

“That’s not to say that the move towards a more sustainable future doesn’t present challenges. There are major questions in most, if not all the communities represented by Beacon members around how we ensure people are at the heart of our renewables boom, for example. And it is clear that those in power must do a whole lot more to support people who are already working for a better future.”

Stories That Inspire Action

Many standout articles emerged from this partnership. I invite you to take a look through them either here on the Scottish Beacon website, or over on Local Storytelling Exchange’s story map.

Perhaps this piece from Ryan Nicolson writing for the Shetland News sums it up – highlighting ordinary people taking meaningful action in the face of government inaction. It’s a testament to the power of local journalism in amplifying voices that might otherwise go unheard.

By continuing to spotlight these stories, we hope to inspire more people to take action in their own communities. After all, real change often begins at the local level.

As well as retaining the fee waiver for qualifying voluntary organisations, fees for the new Level 1 and Level 2 disclosure products will remain at their broadly equivalent levels in 2025.

Read more at Disclosure Scotland

Before looking at how Bridging the Gap is working in Scotland, it’s worth understanding a little more about the work happening within and around Scottish Government that provides opportunities – and barriers – north of the border.

The Good Food Nation Act (Scotland) 2022 was one of the most eagerly awaited pieces of food policy in recent years.  The Act is a landmark piece of systems-led legislation aimed at ensuring that Scotland’s food system evolves to meet pressing social, environmental, and economic goals. It requires Scottish Government and all local authorities and Health Boards to develop and report on cross-cutting plans to address food system challenges; creates a duty to engage in inclusive consultation; and establishes an independent scrutiny body, the Scottish Food Commission.  Put simply – if done well, it has the power to fundamentally change how we do food in Scotland.

Continue to read the blog by Simon Kenton-Lake, Nourish Scotland for more information on this work.