Conference welcomes the introduction of Proportional Representation for local government elections in 2007 and believes that this provides an excellent opportunity to develop genuine community power and put trust in people.

Conference believes that:

1. Power must be returned to local people and local communities in order to ensure the sustainability and prosperity of communities across Scotland;
2. Far-reaching reform of the system of local governance is required to give meaning to the principle of subsidiarity and to make sure that decisions are made at the most local level appropriate;
3. Short-term structural fixes and further centralisation must be resisted in favour of a longer-term vision for improving public services by giving local people a much stronger role in decision-making and public service provision;
4. Models for local government in different parts of the country should reflect local needs without a one-size-fits-all model imposed from the centre;
5. There is a strong case for passing new powers to local authorities from central government and the quango state but that this must be matched by local authorities passing responsibility down further still to local People.

Conference therefore calls on the next Scottish Executive to deliver real Community Power in Scotland by establishing a Governance of Scotland Commission to:

1. Grasp the nettle of the relationship between central and local Government;
2. Undertake a comprehensive examination of the structure and operation of the whole public sector including the quango state;
3. Make clear recommendations on what powers are most appropriately held by local government, central government and government agencies;
4. Consider the case to specifically ‘reserve’ powers to Scottish Ministers and ‘devolve’ all others to the most appropriate local level; and
5. Bring forward proposals for a Governance of Scotland Bill to entrench the rights and responsibilities of each sphere of government through an Act of the Scottish Parliament.

Conference also calls on the next Scottish Executive to put real trust in local people by introducing a Trust in Local People (Scotland) Bill to include measures to unlock the creativity, energy and enthusiasm of people in communities across Scotland, including:

1. Creating a right in local communities, where people want it, to require the establishment of a Burgh Council, Community Trust or similar body in their local area;
2. Developing the role and capacity of local authorities to act as facilitators and advisors and give support to local community groups that wish to take on responsibility for managing or running local services such as libraries, parks, sports facilities and other public spaces;
3. Develop a vibrant network of community groups throughout each local authority able to become involved in developing community facilities and infrastructure;
4. Place a duty on all public bodies to ensure genuine public involvement rather than simply consultation;
5. Introduce local spending plans which set out the details of all government spending in a local authority area by all public agencies, local or national, to include an open budget meeting process to involve local people in prioritising local spending, and to consider how this can be integrated into the Scottish Parliament budget process;
6. Require local authorities to actively consider how to empower local people to initiate improvements to their local neighbourhoods including taking over the ownership or management of communal spaces;
7. Breathe new life into small towns across Scotland through a small towns fund to regenerate these important market towns, and provide support for small ‘town centres’;
8. Consider the options to extend city growth funding into specific areas within the wider city region that could benefit from regeneration;
9. Consider the options for local authorities to apply for a Small Community Shop Business Rate Exemption to help revitalise local shops which provide a wider community benefit.