Community involvement UK news
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| Location | United Kingdom |
| Coordinates | 54° 42' 8.48" N, 3° 16' 35.67" W |
Stay updated with the latest UK news on Community involvement both for its own sake but also towards a better democracy more appropriate for the internet age, both more participatory and more deliberative. News of innovative strategies and of interest to community agency networks (CANs) and community groups.
2025
How heat from old coal mines became a source of local pride in this northern English town – new study, theconversation.com (Nov 20, 2025) - How community projects are building a brighter future for British farms, wickedleeks.riverford.co.uk (Nov 11, 2025)
- Flooded UK coalmines could provide low-carbon cheap heat ‘for generations’, theguardian.com (Nov 06, 2025) — Report says proven technology could benefit thousands in poor quality housing and help UK meet carbon reduction targets. Community engagement is vital, “In our experience, once people realise what value there is in the ground beneath their feet, they are enthusiastic. But many people, especially in less affluent communities, feel that things are being done ‘to them’ and not ‘with them’, and that breeds resentment and objection.” Prof Simone Abram, co-author and director of Durham Energy Institute
- How litter-picking became a competitive sport, positive.news (Nov 05, 2025)
- Allowing communities the opportunity to shape what happens in their area is a central part of planning democracy, cpre.org.uk (Oct 15, 2025) — The government’s approach risks valuing the voices of investors and big developers over ordinary people and nature
- Life in the UK didn’t improve last year reveals 7000-person study, carnegieuk.org (Oct 01, 2025) — The UK scores 41 out of a possible 100 for democratic wellbeing
- Citizens, food and next steps, ffcc.co.uk (Sep 29, 2025) — Citizen Advisory Council publish new report, calling for fairness in the new Food Strategy
- ‘You don’t get to aim big when you are somewhere small’: A teenager’s fight to end single use plastics on her Scottish island, theguardian.com (Sep 24, 2025)
- How Japanese 'tiny forests' are sweeping Scotland, BBC Future (Sep 11, 2025) — Grown using the Miyawaki method, fast-growing miniature forests in the middle of cities can bring surprisingly big benefits for people and the environment.
- As pine martens are reintroduced to south-west England, a new study shows why local people need to be involved, theconversation.com (Sep 09, 2025) — "...more collaborative relationships can be developed when people are involved in making plans for reintroduction."
- "Shetland is ideally placed to spearhead a green transition... commensurate with net zero aspirations" [Democracy Collaborative], Daily Alternative (Sep 06, 2025)
- A tiny Scottish island, a digital participation platform: the spirit of Comhairle [CrownShy], Daily Alternative (Aug 25, 2025)
- Poor decisions plague many national infrastructure projects – involving the public earlier in the process would help avoid them, theconversation.com (Aug 20, 2025)
- Why the Arthur’s Seat burn is a cautionary tale for the UK’s wildfire management strategy, theconversation.com (Aug 19, 2025)
- Residents being asked how best to spend £20m grant, BBC News (Jul 29, 2025)
- Community right to buy announced as part of English Devolution Bill, thenews.coop (Jul 18, 2025) — “For every neighbourhood to be able to reap the rewards of the Right to Buy – especially in more disadvantaged areas – it must be backed with proper resources.” Tony Armstrong, Locality. “The new requirement for neighbourhood-level governance... must place local people alongside council representatives as equal partners in decision-making." Richard Bell, We’re Right Here campaign for community power
- England’s communities got a boost, positive.news (Jul 18, 2025) — Community empowerment bill ‘lifeline’ for pubs and other assets threatened with closure
- UK Gov reveals anticipated new food strategy, wickedleeks.riverford.co.uk (Jul 17, 2025) — The Soil Association is among those who remain concerned that the ultra-processed food industry is having too much of an influence on food and health policy (which politicians do finally appear to be linking together)
- Low turnout and an unfair voting system: UK elections ranked in the bottom half of countries in Europe, theconversation.com (Jul 03, 2025)
- “We need renewables to be something *for* communities, not something done *to* communities”—the Scottish Beacon reports on the “Power Shift”, Daily Alternative (Jul 03, 2025)
- Support for proportional representation hits record high according to new research, electoral-reform.org.uk (Jun 25, 2025) — 60% of the British public now support proportional representation
- A blueprint for action: lifting the lid on what public engagement looks like in practice, climateoutreach.org (Jun 19, 2025)
- How to create a thriving forest, not box-checking ‘tree cover’, theconversation.com (May 27, 2025)
- Fife Council welcomes Scottish Government's commitment to local democracy, fife.gov.uk (May 15, 2025)
- Give us a chance and we’ll give you community power, powertochange.org.uk (Apr 10, 2025)
- Artist Cath Carver spreads soft power everywhere in her London area, Daily Alternative (Apr 07, 2025)
- We called for a one stop shop for election information – it’s now coming to Wales, electoral-reform.org.uk (Mar 13, 2025)
- CCC: Reducing emissions 87% by 2040 would help ‘cut household costs by £1,400’, carbonbrief.org (Feb 26, 2025) — Themes that underpin CCC recommendations include “Implementing an engagement strategy”: stressing the importance of the government providing ”clear information to households and businesses”, including on the benefits of low-carbon choices, and “Supporting households to install low-carbon heating”: Government support is specifically needed to tackle the high up-front costs of heat-pump installations and other barriers such as “misconceptions”
- Forum to allow young people to shape Folkestone & Hythe's future, BBC News (Feb 24, 2025)
- Frome residents win five-year battle for community-led housing project, theguardian.com (Jan 23, 2025) — “What’s really exciting for me is that it’s not actually about the amount of commercial space or the affordable housing it will provide – it’s about the sense of confidence and agency and possibility that I think it will give us as a community.” Fiona Barrows, Frome town councillor
- A decade on, six things the world can learn from Wales’ innovative future generations law, theconversation.com (Jan 06, 2025) — Includes "Engage all stakeholders early and effectively"
- At Extinction Rebellion, we aimed for UK net zero in 2025. That won’t happen – so here’s what to do instead, Rupert Read, theguardian.com (Jan 01, 2025) — With the climate crisis hitting Britain, we must build resilience at a local level by rewilding, saving water and fighting floods
2024
- Recalling two years of radical experiment in participatory democracy, the Stroud Area Assembly wishes you a “Radical Restmas”, Daily Alternative (Dec 15, 2024)
- This is what democracy looks like, parentsforfuturestroud.wordpress.com/ (Dec 11, 2024)
- A System Out of Step – New report on the 2024 General Election, electoral-reform.org.uk (Dec 10, 2024)
- "Laying the foundations for the hopeful, creative, just transition that we know is in our hearts". Civic Square mapping eco-possibilities for the West Midlands, Daily Alternative (Dec 03, 2024)
- The grassroots-based Islington Climate Centre is running People’s Assemblies on practical challenges brought by climate crisis - heatwaves and flooding, Daily Alternative (Oct 31, 2024)
- “‘Tell the truth’ didn’t just mean the facts of climate breakdown, it meant the heartbreaking truth of our own potential." Gully Bujak on Cooperation Hull, Daily Alternative (Aug 30, 2024)
- ‘Empowering and healing, people’s assemblies are the future of democracy’, positive.news (Aug 21, 2024)
- ‘My Southport shop was looted by rioters, then saved by strangers’, BBC News (Aug 11, 2024)
- Responding Not Reacting, Alternative Editorial (Aug 10, 2024)
- Community Planning Alliance Writes to New Labour Ministers, communityplanningalliance.org (Jul 10, 2024) — The Community Planning Alliance seeks greater participation for communities in planning, alongside greater environmental protections and the right developments & infrastructure in the right places. "On the subject of community participation, Labour leadership must understand that communities are not "blockers" as they do not have the power to prevent development... Instead, let’s see moves towards co-creation and engagement for positive outcomes... Sustainable development will only be achieved if communities are fully engaged and the Community Planning Alliance can provide insights, expertise and experience from the 600 campaigns registered on our map."
- As effluent from sewage works and agricultural pollution flow freely into rivers, researchers and local citizens are urgently seeking to clean up the UK's waterways. New wildlife-rich wetlands could be an answer, bbc.co.uk (Jul 05, 2024)
- Retrofitting homes and neighbourhoods helps us "embrace the wholesale reimagination of how we live together", says Civic Square's Immy Kaur, Daily Alternative (Jul 04, 2024)
- Becoming Independent, Alternative Editorial (Apr 21, 2024)
- Launch of a new political project from the Alternative Global— SPRING, Alternative Editorial (Mar 01, 2024)
- The Real Front Line, Alternative Editorial (Feb 04, 2024)
2023
- Why South Yorkshire needed a citizens’ assembly for net zero, newstatesman.com (Dec 11, 2023)
- Powys and Gwynedd County Councils vote YES to public consultations on scrapping First Past the Post for their elections and bringing in the fair and proportional Single Transferable Vote, electoral-reform.org.uk (Dec 07, 2023) — The Single Transferable Vote has been used in Scotland and Northern Ireland for over a decade.
- First Past the Post Voting System Barrier to Urgent Action on Climate Crisis, Major Environmental Groups Say, bylinetimes.com (Nov 21, 2023)
- The UK's score on reported "democratic wellbeing" is extremely low, says Carnegie Trust. We have answers for that..., The Daily Alternative (Nov 10, 2023)
- Meet the Climate Activists Who Moved Cross-Country to Build a New Civilisation, novaramedia.com (Oct 06, 2023)
- Win for local communities as NDMP scrutiny amendment is passed in the Lords, cpre.org.uk (Sep 07, 2023)
- This Participatory City ain’t pretty, municipal-enquiry.org (Aug 01, 2023)
- The climate crisis leaves students feeling helpless – what universities can do to empower them, theconversation.com (Jul 24, 2023)
- Barking up the wrong tree, municipal-enquiry.org (Jun 24, 2023)
- Not a ‘nice to have’ – the importance of working with people and communities, kingsfund.org.uk (Jun 23, 2023)
- Here Comes Everyone: XR's strategy for 2023-24 aims sees strengthening communities as the path to effective climate protest, The Daily Alternative (Jun 04, 2023)
- The road to collective action, Wicked Leeks (May 17, 2023)
- New People’s Plan for Food seeks input, Wicked Leeks (May 04, 2023)
- Does economic growth lead to higher happiness?, New Local (Mar 09, 2023)
2022
- Community Calling: People want more influence, New Local (Aug 04, 2022) — There is an appetite for more local control – 79% of people think the best decisions are made when the people who will be affected are closely involved in the process and 75% think that allowing communities to have more of a say in decisions that affect their area would be more effective than decisions taken centrally.
- If 400,000 groups, causes and charities could consciously generate social capital, says Mike Riddell, a "caravan of love" would start, The Daily Alternative (Jul 23, 2022)
- Recognising communities and citizens as generative participants in a pluralistic and shared future, and as the people best placed to organise and produce solutions to the problems that affect them, Neighbourhood Democracy Movement (Jul 18, 2022) — Responding to the New Local NHS Paradigms Report
- Communities need a say in reviving 800 dead spaces across London, Siân Berry, london.gov.uk (Jun 06, 2022)
- A New Media Sensibility, Alternative Editorial (May 29, 2022)
- Massive majorities in the UK value their community members most to sort out problems (and MPs least). Power to the lowest level is the cry, The Daily Alternative (May 16, 2022)
- Local citizens’ assemblies in the UK: a second report card, constitution-unit.com (Mar 25, 2022)
- Democracy Made in England: Where Next for English Local Government?, electoral-reform.org.uk (Mar 09, 2022) — "It is not for the centre at Westminster to decide how local communities should see themselves and how they should be governed, but to set out how those communities can choose their own governance, how citizens can themselves reinvigorate local democracy." Dr Jess Garland, ERS Director of Research and Policy
News sources
- Press releases, newlocal.org.uk, added 16:34, 10 March 2022 (UTC)
News archive
local information can be found, or shared, via our many UK location pages
| Authors | Phil Green |
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| License | CC-BY-SA-3.0 |
| Cite as | Phil Green (2019–2025). "Community involvement UK news". Appropedia. Retrieved November 28, 2025. |