West Lothian Community Choices

Communities in West Lothian are being given the chance to influence how budgets in their area are allocated through a process called Community Choices.

Communities and service users in West Lothian have the chance to influence spending through a process called Community Choices. West Lothian Community Choices is West Lothian's version of Participatory Budgeting - a democratic process which empowers people and communities to have a greater say in how public money is spent.

West Lothian Community Choices empowers everyone from community groups to individual service users to get involved in local decision making via a democratic Participatory Budgeting process.

A number of Community Choices exercises will be undertaken throughout West Lothian, enabling local people to be more involved in decisions that affect them and their community.

Community Choices can be carried out in lots of different ways ranging from public events to digital-only experiences. Digital engagement will be done via West Lothian Community Choices You can find more detail on the individual Community Choices projects using the tabs below or by going to West Lothian Community Choices.

The Convention of Scottish Local Authorities (COSLA) and the Scottish Government are supporting Participatory Budgeting as a tool for involving communities and as a way of building democracy locally. COSLA and The Democratic Society have produced a video about Mainstreaming Participatory Budgeting - 'Towards the Mainstream'

If you would like more information on Participatory Budgeting the PB Scotland Website has a whole range of resources available.

If you would like more information on West Lothian Community Choices, please contact Ailsa MacKerrow on 01506 281306 or by email: ailsa.mackerrow@westlothian.gov.uk.

Blackburn Community Choices

Blackburn Community Choices is a process that enables local communities to decide how public funding is spent. £25,000 has been allocated to the community of Blackburn to improve the health and wellbeing of individuals and families through Community Choices. This is a pilot project as part of the wider development of Participatory Budgeting (PB) in West Lothian.

Park Improvements

Thank you to the local communities involved in voting for Community Choices Park Improvements! The voting has now closed and the top five priorities for each park is now available; King George V Playing Fields in Uphall, Bellsquarry Recreation Ground in Bellsquarry, Craigton Park in Winchburgh, Langton Park in East Calder and Letham Park in Pumpherston. Please click here for more information.

Social Policy - Children and Families

Redesign of Supported Accommodation Services. Over the course of 2020 and 2021, the redesign of supported accommodation services has been progressed through a Community Choices approach via a Public Social Partnership (PSP) involving Social Policy, Housing, Customer and Building Services and other partners.

Education - Pupil Equity Funding (PEF)

The PEF national guidance sets out information on how Community Choices can be used as an innovative and effective mechanism to engage with parents and pupils, in particular those who face barriers to participation.

Operational Services - Grounds Maintenance

There is an opportunity, via Community Choices, to enable members of the community to influence the future work of the grounds maintenance service.

Open Space - Public Art

Officers have now launched a Public Art development and consultation for Whitburn Public Art Project.

HRA - Tenants Environmental Project

There is currently a Community Choices process which gives local people the chance to influence how money can be spent on environmental improvements across a number of locations in West Lothian. This will allow communities to put forward project ideas for areas of housing land, for example ideas could range from community gardens and grow your own spaces to improving hedging and open spaces. Initially the focus will be on areas of land around council owned housing areas in Blackburn, Whitburn & Bathgate. The first stage of the process has been extended until 1 November when members of the public will be asked to submit their ideas which can then be considered for allocation of funds from the tenant's environmental improvement budget.

Craigshill Community Choices

A community survey was recently carried out in Craigshill in conjunction with the Scottish Community Development Centre to help identify the priorities and current needs of the community in light of Covid-19. The findings from this consultation will be used to help to inform the scope and aim of the Community Choices process for Craigshill ensuring it is based on the needs of the community.

Equalities Community Choices

This will be a West Lothian wide Community Choices process with the aim of promoting equalities in West Lothian.

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West Lothian Community Choices