Community councils

The council is required by law to have a Scheme for the Establishment of Community Councils in its area.  However, community councils are not part of the council's structure - they are independent bodies which run their own affairs and elect their own members. All West Lothian's Community Councils can become members of the  West Lothian Association of Community Councils (new window) .  The Association was set up in 1998 to strenthen the identity of community councils and represents more than 30 community councils across West Lothian. They set up the yourcommunitycouncil website that provides information on all operational community councils across West Lothian.

The council helps to set community councils up when asked to do in areas where no community councils exist and where there is sufficient local interest.  A list of the areas where no community councils operate at the moment are listed below, along with the procedure that needs to be followed to set a community council up in these areas.  The council is responsible for running the community council elections.  The council provides funding and advice to community councils but what each community council does once it has been established, is then a matter for each community council to determine.

The purposes of community councils are to ascertain and express the views of the community to local authorities and other public bodies, and to take action which appears to the community council to be in the interests of its community.

The council has appointed a Community Councils Liaison Officer who is able to provide advice and assistance. The council's Liaison Officer is Lorraine McGrorty who is based at West Lothian House in Livingston.