How to get involved with Community Councils
Community Councils provide a key role within their local communities and offer a wealth of local knowledge and experience that when shared with us can help deliver better services.
Community Councils have a statutory right to be consulted on local planning issues and while there is no statutory requirement for local authorities to consult Community Councils on licensing matters they are considered as ‘competent objectors’. Community Councils may appoint representatives to attend meetings of the Licensing Board and speak in support of objections.
They are the strongest means of becoming involved with your local area and membership will support a greater understanding of the workings of local government and what is going on locally and nationally.
Get involved with Community Councils
We encourages residents and local interest groups to get involved and become members of their local Community Council and/or attend meetings.
You can get involved by
- becoming a Community Councillor
- attending your community council's regular public meetings
- email your local community council or , developed by Improvement Service, as part of the Scottish Government's work, in collaboration with COSLA, to enhance the role of community Councils.
How to become a Community Councillor
Each Community Council has a prescribed minimum and maximum membership number which is detailed in the .
Where a Community Council has membership vacancies then you may be able to become a member. Types of membership include
- Elected member
- Co-opted member
- Nominated representative member of a Local Interest Group
- Associate representative
- Ex-officio representative
Candidates wishing to stand for election or co-option must be 16 years and over and reside in the Community Council boundary and be named on the electoral register for that area.
If there are no current vacancies in your local Community Council then you can still attend meetings and provide your input to matters discussed.
The Scheme for Community Councils also provides further information about membership including
- membership of Community Councils
- eligibility of elected members
- nominations and elections process
- filling of casual vacancies through co-option or Extraordinary General Meeting (EGM).
Local Interest Group nominations from 28 March 2025
From 28 March 2025 Local Interest Groups who are registered with the City of Βι¶ΉΣ³» can nominate representatives to Community Councils (known as nominated representative members of local interest groups).
Local Interest Groups have the same entitlements as elected and co-opted members of Community Councils including the ability to vote, move motions or amendments or to hold office.
Each community council has a prescribed minimum and maximum Local Interest Group membership number and further information is available in the .
How can I nominate a representative from my Local Interest Group?
After elections, and if there are Local Interest Group vacancies in your Community Council then you can register and nominate a representative by
- Complete the local interest group nomination form and attach your Local Interest Group constitution and email both to community.councils@edinburgh.gov.uk
- Ensure that all signatures on the local interest group nomination form are in ink.
- Once assessed we will let you and the Community Council know if the nomination is valid or not valid. If it is not valid and there are still Local Interest Group vacancies you will be provided with advice on how to rectify and resubmit.
- If there are no Local Interest Group vacancies then you can still attend your Community Council meetings and provide your views and input to matters discussed.
More information about Local Interest Groups
- Local Interest Groups must be voluntary with a governing body that has a majority of unpaid (volunteer) members which does not distribute profit among its members and which provides services for public benefit not restricted to its members.
- If a Local Interest Group operates in two or more community council areas, it may appoint representatives to all of those community councils and therefore the nominated representative members of Local Interest Groups at each community council could be the same individual.
- Nominated representative members of Local Interest Groups need not live within or appear on the electoral register for the community council area provided that they remain voluntary active members of the nominating Local Interest Group.
- Nominated representative members of Local Interest Groups shall cease to be members of the community council if they cease to be a member of the nominating Local Interest Group.
- Nominated representative members of Local Interest Groups are appointed to represent the interests of their group on the community council and to reflect the views of the community through the community council.
- Nominated representative members of Local Interest Groups shall have the same entitlements as elected and co-opted members including the ability to vote, move motions or amendments or to hold office.
Contact your local Community Council
Contact your local Community Council in Edinburgh directly to attend their meetings