The money has been allocated to deliver services to their area.

The council, along with other local authorities, has signed an agreement with the Scottish Government to commit at least 1% of its budget – around £5.5million – to allow local communities to become involved in this process.

This process allows local communities to decide projects or works they want to be carried out in their area by voting for what they believe would improve the area or make it a better place to live.

As part of our approach to participatory budgeting, Housing and Technical Resources allocates funding
for local communities through the following:

• the environmental aspect of the Housing Investment Programme
• the Estate Improvement Budget
• the Community Safety commissioning budget

During 2022/23, the Resource exceeded the target of dedicating £500,000 of the environmental aspect of the Housing Investment Programme to participatory budgeting by involving community members in
funding decisions totalling £759,000. This included:

• the involvement of sheltered housing tenants in East Kilbride and Rutherglen in directing a range of internal and external improvements, including choosing finishings such as flooring, tiles and wall coverings, and contributing to plans for landscaping;
• the involvement of residents at the Shawlands Crescent Gypsy/Traveller site, Larkhall, in co-producing plans for a new community facility that provides an accessible meeting and event space.

Tenants from across South Lanarkshire were also involved in identifying priorities for the Estate Improvement Budget, which has seen a range of local projects undertaken including installing benches in communal gardens at a number of multi-storey blocks, improving bin areas and drying areas and replacing communal paths and stairs.

Local Housing Officers will continue to identify opportunities for tenants and residents to become involved in deciding how money from these budgets should be allocated.

If you would like to be involved in these discussions please contact your local housing office.