NEW POWERS SURVEY - INVITATION TO ALL COMMUNITY COUNCILS
N.B. The survey now has the support of the Scottish Forum of Community Councils, the Joint Forum of Community Councils in West Lothian and the Midlothian Federation of Community Councils.
Scotland's 1,059 established community councils have no real power and virtually no money. By contrast, England's 10,480 parish councils have a wide range of powers and budgets to match. The net effect is that Scottish communities are the most powerless of any western democracy.
Join the Survey
Do people in Scotland feel that their local community council should have at least the same powers and money as England's parish councils? That is the topic of a new survey, which we invite community councils to carry out in their local area.
Each participating community council is given its own survey questionnaire, which it can publicise locally, for example using its mailing list, website and social media presence.
Here is an example - https://survey.alchemer.com/s3/8889763/New-Powers-for-Scotland-s-Community-Councils-TEMPLATE.
Results are automatically collated, as shown in this example - reporting.alchemer.com/r/412325_6a341f6f7f31b0.16799516
Powers of England’s Parish Councils
Parish Councils hold a variety of optional powers that allow them to take direct action for their residents, including:
Parish Clerks
You may be wondering how your Community Council could possibly take on more responsibilities, when it already has such a big workload. That’s where Parish Clerks come in. England’s Parish Councils usually employ a clerk who does most of the admin.
Regarding BudgetsAnd what about the money? Parish Councils can raise a local tax called a ‘precept’. While the average cost is approximately £91 per year for a Band-D home, smaller councils are often recognised for spending more efficiently than large, bureaucratic authorities. A key question of this initiative is whether transferring work from local authorities to Community Councils could ultimately lead to a more efficient use of Council Tax.
To date (28th June 2026), we have 66 participating community councils, listed below:
Armadale
Auchterhouse
Auchterless, Inverkeithny and Fisherford
Ballater and Crathie
Balloch and Haldane
Banchory
Bathgate
Bo'ness
Brechin
Broomhill
Buckie
Burnfoot
Cambuslang
Campsie
Cockenzie and Port Seton
Colinto
Cowie
Crathes, Drumoak and Durris
Crosshill, Straiton and Kirkmichael
Currie
Dennistoun
Duneaton
Duror and Kentallen
Elie and Earlsferry
Garnethill
Golspie
Gourdon
Govan East
Haddington
Halfway
Humbie, Saltoun and Bolton
Irvine
Jackton and Thorntonhall
Kenmore and District
Kinglassie
Kinlochbervie
Kinning Park
Kirkliston
Kirknewton
Laggan
Lochbroom
Lochrutton
Menstrie
Mid Calder
Milton of Campsie and Birdston
Monans and Abercrombie
Montrose
Morvern
Nairn River
New Town and Broughton
Northmaven
Overtown and Waterloo
Partick
Polmont
Prestwick
Pumpherston
Rosemount and Mile End
Springburn
Strathard
Symington
Torrance
West Calder and Harburn
West End, Dundee
West Kilbride
Whitburn
Scotland's 1,059 established community councils have no real power and virtually no money. By contrast, England's 10,480 parish councils have a wide range of powers and budgets to match. The net effect is that Scottish communities are the most powerless of any western democracy.
Join the Survey
Do people in Scotland feel that their local community council should have at least the same powers and money as England's parish councils? That is the topic of a new survey, which we invite community councils to carry out in their local area.
Each participating community council is given its own survey questionnaire, which it can publicise locally, for example using its mailing list, website and social media presence.
Here is an example - https://survey.alchemer.com/s3/8889763/New-Powers-for-Scotland-s-Community-Councils-TEMPLATE.
Results are automatically collated, as shown in this example - reporting.alchemer.com/r/412325_6a341f6f7f31b0.16799516
Powers of England’s Parish Councils
Parish Councils hold a variety of optional powers that allow them to take direct action for their residents, including:
- Providing allotments, bus shelters, parking spaces, footpaths, and public lighting.
- Providing premises for athletic, social, or educational objectives.
- Acquiring land for recreation grounds and public walks.
- Tackling environmental issues and crime prevention measures.
- Exercising the 'power of general competence' to incur expenditure in the interests of local inhabitants.
Parish Clerks
You may be wondering how your Community Council could possibly take on more responsibilities, when it already has such a big workload. That’s where Parish Clerks come in. England’s Parish Councils usually employ a clerk who does most of the admin.
Regarding BudgetsAnd what about the money? Parish Councils can raise a local tax called a ‘precept’. While the average cost is approximately £91 per year for a Band-D home, smaller councils are often recognised for spending more efficiently than large, bureaucratic authorities. A key question of this initiative is whether transferring work from local authorities to Community Councils could ultimately lead to a more efficient use of Council Tax.
To date (28th June 2026), we have 66 participating community councils, listed below:
Armadale
Auchterhouse
Auchterless, Inverkeithny and Fisherford
Ballater and Crathie
Balloch and Haldane
Banchory
Bathgate
Bo'ness
Brechin
Broomhill
Buckie
Burnfoot
Cambuslang
Campsie
Cockenzie and Port Seton
Colinto
Cowie
Crathes, Drumoak and Durris
Crosshill, Straiton and Kirkmichael
Currie
Dennistoun
Duneaton
Duror and Kentallen
Elie and Earlsferry
Garnethill
Golspie
Gourdon
Govan East
Haddington
Halfway
Humbie, Saltoun and Bolton
Irvine
Jackton and Thorntonhall
Kenmore and District
Kinglassie
Kinlochbervie
Kinning Park
Kirkliston
Kirknewton
Laggan
Lochbroom
Lochrutton
Menstrie
Mid Calder
Milton of Campsie and Birdston
Monans and Abercrombie
Montrose
Morvern
Nairn River
New Town and Broughton
Northmaven
Overtown and Waterloo
Partick
Polmont
Prestwick
Pumpherston
Rosemount and Mile End
Springburn
Strathard
Symington
Torrance
West Calder and Harburn
West End, Dundee
West Kilbride
Whitburn