When “Community Empowerment” Fails the Community

By Wilson Chowdhry, Chairman – UK RAAC Campaign Group

For years, local democracy in Scotland has been inconsistent and, in some cases, completely inaccessible to residents. Whether you want to ask a question, submit a petition, or speak at a council meeting, your ability to engage often depends not on your right to be heard, but on where you live.

That is unacceptable in a modern democracy.

Click video above to hear Scottish Parliamentary Committee debate Wilson Chowdhry's Public Participation Petition – PE2198

This is why I launched Petition PE2198, calling on the Scottish Parliament to establish standardised, fair public participation processes across all Scottish councils. The petition sought minimum national standards for public questions, deputations, and petitions, alongside independent oversight to ensure councils actually comply.

The need for this reform is not theoretical. It is painfully real.

The lived reality for RAAC homeowners

In places like Clackmannanshire, RAAC homeowners have experienced first-hand what happens when councils are allowed to control participation without meaningful safeguards.

• Residents were evicted from their homes due to dangerous RAAC roofs built by councils decades ago.

• Many are now facing financial ruin, forced to pay rent and mortgages at the same time.

• Despite RAAC being a life-altering issue, the council does not permit deputations or public questions, even when RAAC appears on the agenda.

• The council petition process is restrictive, slow, and easily thwarted, meaning issues are often considered long after decisions are effectively settled.

In short, residents whose homes, safety, and finances are at risk are being shut out of the very forums where those decisions are made.

The Scottish Government’s response: permissive, not protective

The Scottish Government points to the Community Empowerment (Scotland) Act 2015 and existing guidance as evidence that participation is already supported. However, as the Scottish Parliament Information Centre (SPICe) briefing makes clear, it is left to individual local authorities to interpret and apply this legislation.

That is the heart of the problem.

Because there are no mandatory national standards, councils can – and do – choose how much scrutiny, challenge, and public involvement they allow. The Convention of Scottish Local Authorities (COSLA) may promote good practice, but it cannot enforce it. The result is a postcode lottery of democracy.

While local flexibility has value, basic fairness should not be optional. No council should be able to entirely deny residents the right to speak, question, or formally challenge decisions that affect their homes and livelihoods.

A petition closed, but the problem unresolved

The Scottish Parliamentary Petitions Committee ultimately closed PE2198, noting that while legislative change might be feasible, there is currently insufficient evidence to mandate a single participation model across all councils. The Government also pointed to future work under the Open Government Action Plan 2026–2030, where a national participation strategy may be explored.

This response effectively kicks the issue into the long grass.

Residents suffering today cannot wait until 2030 for councils to consider whether participation should be strengthened. For RAAC homeowners, the consequences of exclusion are immediate and devastating.

COSLA’s assurances raise serious questions

COSLA has indicated (click here) it may explore voluntary alignment and convene working groups to review best practice. But voluntary measures are precisely what have failed residents so far (read response).

Critical questions remain unanswered:

• How will councils like Clackmannanshire be compelled to adopt meaningful participation mechanisms?

• Will affected groups, such as the UK RAAC Campaign Group, be invited to the table to represent those directly impacted?

• When will mandatory minimum standards be introduced, so residents can never again be completely denied a voice in matters affecting their safety, homes, and financial futures?

Democracy must work when it matters most

Public participation is not a “nice to have”. It is essential, especially when councils are dealing with crises of their own making, such as RAAC. When residents are excluded, trust collapses, decisions go unchallenged, and injustice festers.

Petition PE2198 may be closed, but the issue it exposed is far from resolved. Until Scotland guarantees minimum, enforceable standards of public participation, local democracy will continue to fail the very people it is meant to serve.

“For RAAC homeowners, this isn’t about abstract ideas of participation – it’s about being shut out while decisions are made that destroy our homes and finances. When councils can refuse questions, deputations, or meaningful engagement, residents are left powerless at the very moment they most need to be heard.”
— Kerry Macintosh, Co-Vice-Chair, UK RAAC Campaign Group

“Councils created the RAAC crisis, yet many now block the very residents affected from speaking or even asking questions. Without mandatory participation standards, councils can manage dissent rather than face accountability. Voluntary guidance has failed RAAC homeowners. What’s needed are enforceable minimum standards so no council can silence residents whose safety, homes, and livelihoods are on the line. Local flexibility should never mean residents losing their fundamental right to be heard. The RAAC crisis has shown exactly why Scotland needs consistent, fair participation standards across all councils.”
— Wilson Chowdhry, Chairman, UK RAAC Campaign Group

The fight for justice continues—but today, we move one step closer.

JOIN OUR 'UK RAAC CAMPAIGN GROUP' FB PAGE (HERE)

PLEASE SIGN OUR PETITIONS  (CLICK HERE), OFFICIAL SCOTTISH GOVERNMENT PETITION (CLICK HERE)  OFFICIAL UK GOVERNMENT PETITION: (CLICK HERE)

📧 Email: wilson@aasecurity.co.uk
📢 Twitter/X: https://x.com/WilsonChowdhry

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