Have a say on Trust

Residents’poll

A Livingston community is being given the chance to have its say on the setting up of a Community Development Trust.

Murieston Community Council has been exploring the possibility of setting up a trust for their area and is looking for the views of the residents in their area. Community Development Trusts ( CDTs) are set up, organised and run by members of the community as independent not-for-profit organisations.

Normally they are run by a board of volunteers elected by the members who in turn are drawn from the community. For an area such as Murieston they can take ownership of land or property and attract funding for local projects, all on behalf of the community.

Usually, they try to work in partnership with local and national government but are not controlled by them and although its thought they should be linked to the community council, they are not managed by them. In West Lothian, Fauldhouse, Kirknewton, Whitburn and West Calder and Harburn all have formed their own CDTs and there are around 206 such trusts across Scotland.

Therefore, there is a great deal of experience and support for new Community Trusts especially from the Development Trust Association Scotland. The main aim of a Community Development Trust for Murieston would be to secure funding for community projects from wind farm community benefit schemes.

To have your say on setting up a trust, respond to the poll on the website www. murieston. communitycouncil.org.uk