Annual Report 2024/25 - Locality Plan Activity Update

In 2024/25, delivery of the Second Locality Plan for Shetland’s Islands with Small Populations was taken forward through several meetings and events that built on issues raised directly by island residents.

Senior managers from across the Council and the Shetland Partnership’s Management and Leadership Team met in June 2024 to consider service challenges and aspirations identified by the island communities.  Discussion focused on how best to respond to these, with attention to areas such as community resilience, the school estate, and the development of community maintenance roles.

In August 2024, the Islands with Small Populations Annual Event brought island representatives together with elected members, senior managers, partner agencies, and the Scottish Government’s Islands Team.  Workshops explored eco-tourism and the transition to net zero — both themes within the Second Locality Plan — while also providing space to discuss resilience, service delivery and the next National Islands Plan.

Alongside these events, contact between Community Planning & Development officers, senior managers, isle representatives and the island communities sought to keep communication open, enable local concerns to be raised, and ensure service issues remained visible to partners.