A number of local authorities have applied the tool across the whole geography of a council are, this set of case studies includes examples of this at Local Authority Scale.

Case studies are based on survey inputs from Shetland Island Council, West Dunbartonshire and South Lanarkshire.

These examples show variety in the methods and approaches used; they show joint working between community planning and spatial planning; they show the relevance of the tool for communities in diverse geographic contexts.

Key learning points  

Most examples took place at the Main Issues Report stage of the planning process, underpinning the preparation of Local Development Plans, Main Issues stage consultations or Locality Plans.

A cross-service approach is typical, going beyond planning to include Economic Development, Housing and Transportation. Other public services have typically been involved such as NHS or Police Scotland. Joint involvement in a single exercise is perceived to have widened participation and reduced consultation fatigue. Experiences are diverse and whilst some Local Authorities found that the tool worked at a population-wide scale, others developed a preference for building up evidence place by place at settlement scale.

Community Planning officers and Community Councils typically provided a link between planners and local communities.