Falkirk

Dans la collection : Atlas des chartes des communs urbains

Objet(s) de commun : Charte Enjeu(x) : Co-creation, Democracie Participatif

Documentation

Médias (10)

Métadonnées

Langue du contenu	EN
Pays	UK
Fait partie de	Atlas des chartes des communs urbains
Média	Fiche

Producteur(s)	Community Chartering
Contributeur(s)	CARLISLE Isabel
Site Web	Adresse du site
Coordonnées géographiques	56° 0' 6.77" N, 3° 47' 2.08" W

56° 0' 6.77" N, 3° 47' 2.08" W

In 2013, the first Community Charter of UK was brought into being by communities in and around Falkirk in Scotland that were mobilising against coal bed methane extraction, a process similar to fracking. In order to protect their health, their way of life, and the future wellbeing of their children and grandchildren, they came together to list all the things they valued and wanted to protect. They also imagined what a long-term sustainable local economy would look like and what they could do to make sure the natural world around them was unharmed.

Their words went directly into the Charter, setting out “all the things in our local area which residents have agreed are fundamental to the present and future health of our communities. These ‘assets’ include a clean environment, our children, our homes, our community stability, a rich eco-system, food security, a healthy economy and trustworthy elected representatives.” You can access the Falkirk Charter here and if you visit the website you will see that the Charter is presented as a rights-based document, drawing on an international UN convention and EU directives about Environmental Impact Assessment. The Falkirk Charter has played a key role in winning a moratorium on drilling for unconventional gas from the Scottish Government.

The Charter is not a legal document but as a piece of “vernacular” or “moral” law that gathers support from signatures it is a “material consideration” in any planning process. Unlike a Neighbourhood Plan it covers the entire lived experience of the community. It is a bench mark against which any proposed planning needs to be measured, and a living document that is regularly re-visited. Its power comes from the strength of support for it in the community, and that it is held by the community. When any development is proposed, citizens can turn immediately to the Charter and enter into dialogue with developers, land owners and planning authorities. Rather than repeatedly campaigning against development that is not appropriate, communities with Charters are constructively presenting what they are for.

Contact:, co-founder of the Community Chartering Network http://www.communitychartering.org/ email: info@communitychartering.org

This charter was co-created by the Community Councils and the residents/communities of Larbert, Stenhousemuir and Torwood; Avonbridge and Standburn; Bo'ness; and Shieldhill and California with the facilitation of the association known as Community Chartering. This charter represents general initiatives that range from food food security, cultural heritage, and environmental aesthetics, which means that it covers all forms of quality-of-life among its residents. It cites, "We declare our Cultural Heritage to be the sum total of the local tangible and intangible assets we have collectively agreed to be fundamental to the health and well-being of our present and future generations. These constitute an inseparable ecological and socio-cultural fabric that sustains life, and which provides us with the solid foundations for building and celebrating our homes, families, community and legacy within a healthy, diverse, beautiful and safe natural environment." This charter has a legal status, and therefore citizens have the right and the access to use the legal tools available to pursue direct action on the initiative.

This charter is divided into 5 parts, which are :

Declaration (the importance of the preservation of cultural heritage) Our Assets (Presentation of the tangible and intangible resources that constitute the cultural heritage of the community) Definitions (Assets, Cultural Heritage, Ecosystem, Natural Communities, Participatory Planning, Precautionary Principle, and Sustainable Development), and Basic Rights and Responsibilities (In jurisdictional articles which are, Article 1: Basic Right to Self Agency, Article 2: Basic Responsibility, Article 3: Principles for Participatory Planning, Article 4: Right to Peaceful and Civil Preventative Representation). It doesn't specify the date it was written, but it is still in effect today. Framework and contexte présentes 11 principles to respect.

Fichier:Nom_de_fichier.pdfModèle:A Community Charter (Falkirk, UK)page=1