In addition to producing Shetland’s Partnership Plan, which covers the whole of Shetland, the Shetland Partnership is also required to plan at a more local level. These Locality Plans should enable communities and wider partners to find innovative solutions to key local challenges, for those areas with poorer socio-economic outcomes. Locality Plans can be based on geographic areas, administrative boundaries or communities of interest (a group of people with shared characteristics).
Shetland’s Islands with Small Populations Locality Plan was delivered between 2020 and 2023. Following an assessment of socio-economic data across Shetland in May 2023, the Management and Leadership Team, in dialogue with the island communities, agreed that a second Locality Plan for the island communities of Fair Isle, Fetlar, Foula, Papa Stour and Skerries was needed. The process of community engagement and review led to the development of a second Locality Plan, which was signed off by partners and communities in March 2024.