How does this impact on Community Wellbeing? The centralisation of services, local government , police etc is sucking the life out of rural Scotland. That means that the number of jobs decreases and therefore people have to leave their home areas, especially the younger generation. This in turn means that there is decreased demand for local shops, hotels etc causing a spiral of decline. The other consequence of this policy is that people converge on cities that are already under strain in terms of service and housing provision. Why should the Committee focus on this as part of their future work? Reversing this policy would ensure a higher standard of living for people across Scotland. It would also lead to a higher quality of life for people across Scotland.
Centralisation is NOT restricted to rural areas. There is overcommitment of public funding to the main cities especially Edinburgh - that creates problems there but denies resources to other areas. The former coalfield communities continue to struggle with a lack of investment, jobs and ambition. We need regional policy that would devolve all central Govt funding out of Edinburgh to create opportunities large and small for example in Mid Fife, Ayrshire. The power lies in SC Govt hands
As someone who lives in a rural town I have personal experience of the impact of local authorities seemingly favouring and spending budgets in the main town centres at the expense of rural areas . This is unfair because we pay the same council tax as the main town centres we pay the same membership fees in Leisure Centres yet we get our services cut while the council splashes the cash on the larger centres.Where I live in Shotts we have an abundance of space around our village for safe walkways
We perhaps need discussion on what is best It should not be either or!
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