PB in Action: Western Isles

PB Scotland is featuring a series of updates from Scottish local authorities who have been supported to engage in PB activity by the Scottish Government.  The Scottish Government is part-funding PB consultancy support delivered by PB Partners during 2015/16 to twenty local authorities across Scotland signed up for PB activity in their area.

In the Outer Hebrides there are two PB projects:

1.       The local authority has used PB methodology to design the delivery of the non-statutory bus services across the islands of Uist and Barra, with the communities that live there.

Currently the buses are not meeting the needs of the community and are underutilised.

PB provides an opportunity to ensure the Local Authorities budget for public transport is spent in a way that works for local communities (a total of £650k). A range of events that have gathered information on priorities and give the community an opportunity to vote on these have taken place. Once tenders are received, the community will also participate in the evaluation of the received tenders’ to ensure there is community ownership throughout the process.

2.       A youth small grants pot is being allocated through PB. Currently funding is allocated through an application process, assessed by officers. Instead four PB events will be undertaken (one on each of the islands Lewis, Harris, Uist and Barra) with young people and groups working with young people participating to discuss budgeting £4,000. The events will take place during the Autumn 2015 term.