CRT Place: empowering communities through Local Place Plans in Scotland’s coalfields
In Scotland’s coalfields, people know their communities best. But for too long, communities have had limited influence over how those places change.
Evidence shows that many coalfield areas continue to experience higher levels of deprivation and poorer health outcomes than the Scottish average. This makes it even more important that communities are able to shape the decisions that affect their local environment, services and future.
That is where CRT Place comes in.
CRT Place is a community engagement programme designed to help communities identify their strengths, understand local challenges, and develop solutions that reflect their priorities.
It provides practical tools and support to turn local insight into action — and into Local Place Plans that are recognised within Scotland’s planning system.
How CRT Place works:
- ‘3 Wishes’ campaigns to capture local priorities in a simple, accessible way.
- Use of the Place Standard Tool to assess strengths and areas for improvement.
- Workshops and community events designed to reach a wide and diverse audience.
- Conversation cards linking local issues to national planning policy (NPF4).
- Community mapping to identify place-based priorities and opportunities.
- Support to develop and register Local Place Plans as part of the statutory planning process.
This approach is already delivering results. In Glenboig, community engagement captured hundreds of local priorities and helped shape a registered Local Place Plan feeding into the Local Development Plan.
Importantly, this is not consultation for its own sake. It is about creating meaningful influence.
By linking community priorities directly to planning policy, Local Place Plans give communities a stronger voice with planners and decision-makers.
Coalfield regeneration is not just about investment. It is about empowerment — giving communities the tools, confidence and platform to shape their own future.
CRT Place shows what that looks like in practice: structured, inclusive engagement that turns local voices into action.