Community / Work to begin on forming next Shetland Partnership Plan
THE STRATEGIC direction of Shetland for the next 15 years will come under the spotlight over the coming months as the next Shetland Partnership Plan is formed.
Around 70 people from across Shetland’s public sector, community councils and community development organisations will sit down together for their first session on Thursday.
The ‘scene setting’ session is one of seven which will take place between now and February next year.
The Shetland Partnership is the local community planning partnership, made up of more than 20 public bodies and third sector organisations working together and with communities to improve outcomes and reduce inequalities.
Some of the members include the SIC, NHS Shetland, UHI Shetland, the arts, recreational and amenity trusts and emergency services.
Gary Robinson, chair of the Shetland Partnership, says the islands’ next plan would be developed against a backdrop of challenges including the working-age population, the growing impact of climate change, and persistent inequalities affecting quality of life.
“Shetland is a remarkable place, with strengths most parts of the country would envy,” he said.
“It also faces real challenges – from a shrinking working‑age population to climate pressures and stubborn inequalities – and none of them will be solved by any single organisation working alone.”
The next plan will set the islands’ collective direction over a 15-year period, replacing the current 2018–2028 version.
The process is not a public consultation. Communities across Shetland have already shared their views many times in recent years, through surveys, consultations and local planning.
Rather than ask the same questions again, the partnership is bringing together the “wealth of evidence” already gathered – data, research, frontline experience – and putting it in front of the people best placed to act on it.
“What we’re starting on 21 May isn’t another consultation, or a document for the shelf,” Robinson said.
“It’s a significant piece of work by the people who represent Shetland’s organisations and communities, sitting in the same room, looking at the same evidence, and being honest with each other about what needs to change.”
Each of the seven sessions will be informed by a detailed paper prepared by subject experts, covering one of the key issues facing Shetland – inequalities, population and economy, housing and connectivity, climate and biodiversity and public sector reform and communities.
The partnership is also developing a set of fictional but evidence-based stories about seven children growing up in households at different income levels in Shetland today.
Drawn from research, the stories are designed to make sure the discussion stays focused on improving the lives of households across Shetland.
Scalloway Community Council chair Lawson Bisset said: “The issues we discuss at our community council meetings every month are some of the issues these sessions will be working through.
“It’s good to see community councils sitting at the same table as the bigger partners and treated as equals in this. That’s the right way to plan for Shetland’s future.”
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