LPL is an informal alliance of national networks, local community groups and individuals that has come together to campaign for a strong and independent community sector in Scotland.
LPL has two main functions - to promote the work of local people in their communities and to influence national policy development. We email regular briefings to our supporters on both these themes. More about us here...




On a fortnightly basis the LPL campaign will email briefings to our supporters and simultaneously post them here on our home page. Our overarching agenda is about community empowerment and there are indications that our new government shares some of our aims. We hope this site will become an inclusive gathering point for like-minded people. The momentum is building.



Parent power forces Council U-turn
2nd Jul 2008
When Glasgow City Council closed the local school in Milton a few years ago, parents were promised that buses would be provided for the three mile journey to their children’s new school. In the last week of term, the Council announced that this service would be stopped in the next school session. In the space of a week, parents were able to mobilise a campaign against the cuts and succeeded in forcing Council officials into an embarrassing U-turn...more

Community aim to secure future of Ecology Centre
2nd Jul 2008
Each year, over 5000 people visit the community run Ecology Centre based in Kinghorn, Fife. The Centre’s lease is due to run out soon and it is facing an uncertain future. Using the Land Reform Act, another local group, Kinghorn Community Land Initiative have registered interest in buying a number of nearby sites. If successful, KCLI are hopeful that they will be able to offer this highly valued local project long term security and a site on which a new Ecology Centre could be built...more

Comrie aim to reduce carbon footprint by 60% - in one year!
2nd Jul 2008
A year ago the community of Comrie in Perthshire purchased a former army camp on the edge of the village. The community is keen to develop the site in a way that is consistent with its broader commitment to tackle some of the issues of climate change. Under the banner of the Comrie Carbon Challenge, the local development trust have entered a national competition which carries prize money of £1 million for the community that can reduce its carbon footprint by 60% in one year...more

Wellhouse celebrate opening of vital new sports facility
2nd Jul 2008
Five years ago a Council run sports hall was closed due to flood damage. Since then it has lain empty and become prey to vandalism. Wellhouse Community Trust pulled together a package of support involving 15 different funders and last week ‘hubSports’ opened its doors to the public...more

New lease of life beckons for The Antlers of Jura
2nd Jul 2008
In 2002 the community trust on the island raised the funds to purchase a building in the village of Craighouse. Originally a byre, it had been converted into a tearoom 30 years earlier although it had been closed for some years. Known locally as The Antlers, the renovated building will play an important role in Jura’s continuing revival...more 		      

The Governance of Water
2nd Jul 2008
Many citizens believe that allowing the ownership of water to pass to the private sector is not only dangerous but wrong. This excellent piece about the governance of water argues for legislation to enshrine Scottish water for all time As a common good in community control ...more

Community Empowerment in Scotland
2nd Jul 2008
Scottish Government has decided to take forward its community empowerment policy in tandem with COSLA. The specific forum for developing this agenda will be a community empowerment task group chaired by COSLA on which LPL will be represented ...more

Community Empowerment in England
2nd Jul 2008
Hazel Blears – the English Communities Minister – will be talking to the Local Government Association`s annual conference this week. The deal on offer is “if you get more power from central government – are you prepared to share that power with the communities you serve?” ...more

Housing Associations as Community Anchors
2nd Jul 2008
The Scottish Federation of Housing Associations has published an excellent report looking at how its members could play a wider role in community regeneration. Community owned housing associations are particularly well placed to `anchor` the development of their communities ...more

Petitions – citizens juries etc won`t work
2nd Jul 2008
A new essay published today by the Social Market Foundation (SMF) suggests that the English Government`s measures to strengthen citizen engagement will not be effective. “When citizens realise that they can`t really change anything – they will become more disillusioned.” LPL`s position statement places more emphasis on asset ownership ...more