Community Council Seats Contested

This indicator looks at the percentage of Community Council seats contested at the most recent Community Council elections or by-elections.

A Community Council is a voluntary organisation set up under statute, by the Local Authority. As the most local tier of elected representation, Community Councils play an important role in local democracy.

Community Councils are run by local people on behalf of the wider community. They are made up of people who care about their community and are interested in making it a better place to live for everyone. They bring local people together: to make things happen; to protect and promote the identity of their community; to advise, lobby, advocate and influence on issues of concern on behalf of local people and communities.

There are 18 Community Councils in Shetland, each with a different number of seats depending on the size of the area they cover. This indicator measures how many of these seats are contested (where election of Community Councillors goes to a ballot).

Source

Data is taken from the Shetland Islands Council figures for Community Council elections and by-elections.

Most recent data

The most recent round of Community Council elections were held in October 2022. At this election there were no seats contested. With 163 seats available, a total of 125 nominations were received, a return rate of 77%. With no contested seats this left 38 vacant seats.

Why do we monitor this indicator?

This indicator contributes to monitoring the outcomes outlined in the Participation priority of the Partnership Plan. As an indicator it is a one of a number of measures that help to show individuals desire to engage in making things better for their communities.

“Communities will feel empowered and the majority of people in Shetland will feel more able to influence the decisions that affect them and have a strong understanding of how and why decisions are taken.”