About
The Association of Scottish Community Councils is the national representative and campaigning body for all the Community Councils of Scotland. Whether you are a Community Councillor, constituent, parliamentarian, local authority member, or just interested in the work of the Association of Scottish Community Councils, we hope you find this website useful.
What is ASCC?
- It is independent of all governments – national and local, and all other interests.
- Its elected representatives are chosen by Community Councils, and are themselves Community Councillors.
- It was founded by Community Councils in 1994, in response to the proposals to reorganise local government, with a mission to ensure the voice of Community Councils was not lost in the new unitary local authorities.
- It operates, via a network of elected Area Representatives, all over Scotland.
- It is a representative democracy, controlled by Community Councils, which elect their representative in each local authority area.
- Its founding aims are to promote the role, effectiveness and status of Community Councils in Scotland, so as:
- To encourage exchanges of information between them.
- To promote examples of best practice in the work of Community Councils
- To offer impartial and unbiased advice, training and information to Community Councils
- To facilitate communication between national bodies and Community Councils
- Topreserve the independence of each Community Council
- To ascertain, collect, and express nationally, the views of Community Councils.
- It is the only national body whose sole purpose and interest is Community Councils. Its work is all about empowering CCs. It does much of this in the course of engaging with national and local government, civic institutions, public authorities, regulators and political parties. It also works locally to increase the impact and effectiveness of CCs and to share support and good practice.
- It is the Champion of Community Councils as unique, statutory, elected, representative bodies in Scotland.
Community Councils in Scotland are unique. They are:
- Statutory bodies, with rights, abilities and duties granted under the Local Govt Act 1973, The Race Relations Act 2000, The Local Government Act 2003 and laws & regulations of the European Parliament
- Not a tier of local government
- Not voluntary or community bodies.
