Community Centres in West Lothian: a new chapter

Earlier this year, management committees of community centres across West Lothian were notified that the Council intended to seek new structures for managing the centres going forward.

Three types of management structure were suggested, including community asset transfer, and management committees were asked to engage with their communities, undertake a public consultation, and report their findings back to the council in January 2025.

The West Lothian Liberal Democrats deeply regret the way the initial communication sent to management committees was worded by Council Officers, we understand the upset, stress and uncertainty this caused. We have been informed that Council Officers have sought to rectify this initial confusion and have been meeting with management committees to further explain the options and possibilities going forward.

The West Lothian Liberal Democrats recognise the importance that these centres hold in their communities: many have been at the heart of activities for decades and are well-loved and well-used.

Following enquiries to Council Officers made by Councillor Sally Pattle, she says:

“I’m recommending to all management committees that they do undertake the consultation process. However, if at the end of the process, they don’t feel able to take on any of the options that have been presented to them, that’s what they should feed back to the council. This is a consultation, so there are no wrong answers. As long as they submit an answer, they will have fulfilled their duty.

"We know now that some management committees do feel able to take on a more involved role in running their centres. We also know that some will be unable to do so, and we’ve received reassurances from Council Officers that no community will be left without access to a community space.

"I’m very pleased that both the Voluntary Sector Gateway and the Joint Forum of Community Councils are now proactively engaging with West Lothian Council, and I want to reassure all communities that as an Elected Member, I will fight to ensure that their voices and wishes are heard and recognised as valid. I appreciate the difficult financial situation faced by the council, but I will not allow communities to have their communal spaces taken away if that’s not what the community wants. By working with Council Officers, I hope that we are able to find new ways of running these centres so that they can remain open at the heart of their communities.”