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Strengthening Local Voices: Building Scotland’s Community-Led Local Development Network
This week’s guest blog comes from Dinah Jackson, Principal Consultant and Future Ready Programme Manager at Urban Foresight. Dinah shares her perspective on the dynamic collaboration already in motion to build a national Community-Led Local Development (CLLD) network—an empowering initiative aimed at giving communities across Scotland a more influential role in shaping their own futures.
At Urban Foresight, we’re proud to be supporting a transformative step forward for rural and island communities across Scotland. Work is now well underway to establish a national Community-Led Local Development (CLLD) network—an initiative designed to give local communities a stronger voice in shaping their own futures.
Who We Are
Urban Foresight is a mission-driven consultancy that works with ambitious organisations to design and deliver projects that improve lives, protect the planet, and create new economic opportunities. With a multidisciplinary team and a track record of delivering impactful work across the UK and internationally, we specialise in turning bold ideas into practical action—especially in areas like sustainability, innovation, and inclusive growth.
Why Community-Led Local Development Matters
Across Scotland, community organisations are already leading the way—delivering affordable housing, running community centres, introducing electric vehicles for local transport, launching wellbeing programmes, and providing training to help people upskill. These projects are powerful examples of how communities can respond to local challenges with creativity, resilience, and ambition.
CLLD builds on this momentum. It offers additional support to strengthen the sustainability of rural and island communities, ensuring they have the tools and resources to thrive in the face of change.
Local Action Groups: The Beating Heart of CLLD
At the core of CLLD are Scotland’s twenty Local Action Groups (LAGs). These groups bring together local voices to identify priorities, allocate funding, and deliver projects that make a real difference. Rooted in the legacy of the EU LEADER programme, LAGs continue to be supported by the Scottish Government and remain central to the delivery of CLLD.
Towards a Stronger, Connected Network
In June 2025, representatives from all LAGs came together at a national workshop to shape the future of CLLD. The result? A shared commitment to establishing a national network that can serve as a single point of contact and a collective voice for community-led development across rural and island Scotland.
This network will advocate for continued investment in community-led projects and champion the importance of locally-owned decision making. It will also work to ensure that national policy reflects the proven benefits of empowering communities to lead.
What’s Next?
Urban Foresight has been commissioned by the Cairngorms Trust, on behalf of the LAGs, with funding provided by Scottish Rural Network (SRN), to support the development of this network. We’re working closely with the national CLLD Network Steering Group, engaging with LAG Chairs and Coordinators to co-design a framework that works for everyone.
A key milestone in this journey is the national co-design workshop, taking place in Glasgow in early November 2025. This event will bring together voices from across the country to shape the structure, purpose, and priorities of the new network.
We’re excited to be part of this important work and look forward to helping build a stronger, more connected future for Scotland’s rural and island communities.
