Community planning in Scotland: Prospects and potential for local governance?

The Local Government in Scotland Act provides the statutory basis for community planning, alongside related aspects of local governance, including arrangements for best value and the provision of a power to advance well being in communities. This chapter examines the background to community planning in Scotland, the progress made in putting community planning into effect and discusses the issues arising from the innovation in planning and management for strategic planning, development and service delivery in a modern devolved Scotland. The preparation of a national planning framework for Scotland, as currently proposed by the Scottish Executive, will be of particular importance in providing the spatial context to community planning. Combining the characteristics of community planning and the parallel powers to promote community well being, may herald the beginnings of a period of assertive local authority activism in Scotland.