Community participation requests
Through the Community Empowerment (Scotland) Act 2015, communities can now have more say in the decisions that affect them through what are known as Participation Requests.
Participation Requests allow community bodies - such as community councils or other eligible community bodies - to ask to be involved in decisions made by 'public service authorities' like the Council, police, fire service or NHS.
This gives them the chance to highlight community needs and issues, put forward ideas and suggestions on how outcomes for the community could be improved, and play an active part in developing the solutions that will make a difference and deliver improvements.
Participation Requests don't replace existing ways for communities to play their part in decision-making - such as consultations or other forms of participation - but create new opportunities for communities to influence service provision and decision-making.
Participation Requests need to have a clear purpose and objective and should be discussed with the public authority at the earliest opportunity before a formal request is submitted.
Before submitting a Participation Request, community bodies need to consider:
- What outcome(s) they want to improve
- Why the community body/organisation should participate
- What relevant knowledge, expertise and experience the community body/organisation has
- How the community body/organisation will contribute.
Participation Requests can be discussed, in the first instance, by contacting our Communities Team on Community.Engagement@south-ayrshire.gov.uk.
You should also read the Scottish Government's Participation Requests Guidance.
Participation Requests must be submitted using the Participation Requests Form (PDF) [275KB] .
Decisions issued 2019-20
Annual Reports
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