A general term used for public and community benefit organisations, particularly those based in local communities and benefiting from voluntary participation.

A type of real burden created by section 25 of the Title Conditions (Scotland) Act 2003 (TC(S)A 2003). Where the same or similar real burdens are imposed on two or more units and each of those units is in relation to some or all of those burdens both a benefited and a burdened property, the real burdens will be known as 'community burdens'

Local Government analysis: The decision considered community deprivation of liberty and specifically the arrangements for reviewing the deprivation of liberty and ensuring the person’s participation. It was held that without the appointment of an independent representative, in most cases there will be a breach of Article 5. In many cases this role will be secured through the appointment of a rule 1.2 representative. In cases where there is no family member or friend who could be appointed, local authorities should consider whether to fund a professional representative. If they are unwilling to do so, the court will need to consider other options. On the specific facts of this case, the court decided that the person should remain a party and the Official Solicitor should continue as litigation friend to fulfil this role. Written by Tim Spencer-Lane, lawyer specialising in mental health, mental capacity and social care law.

What is the policy and legislative background to the support for community energy projects? Legal and policy support for community energy projects is a relatively recent phenomenon; and while some initial progress was made following early policy commitments, for a period of several years afterwards this progress remained limited. This history is explained at a high-level below. The Community Energy Strategy originated in a 2010 Liberal Democrat manifesto commitment to ‘encourage community-owned renewable energy schemes where local people benefit from the power produced’. This commitment survived, unaltered, in The Coalition: programme for government. Following this, in 2014 the (then) coalition government, via the former Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC), published the UK’s first ever Community Energy Strategy. In March 2015, DECC published an update on that Community Energy Strategy. As with the original Strategy, the focus was on empowering local communities to take their own steps towards a more decentralised energy system with community participation. Further details on the update to the Strategy are explained in section: What government

A review of all or part of a Principal Council's area for the purpose of making specified recommendations about local community governance (see section 79 and generally Part 4 of the Local Government and Public Involvement in Health Act 2007).

A financial charge which local planning authorities are entitled (but not obliged) to charge on development in their area. Liability is calculated by reference to the time when planning permission first permits development. The money raised is to be spent on local infrastructure.

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What is a community interest company? A community interest company (CIC) is a type of limited liability company formed specifically for the purpose of carrying on business for social purposes or to benefit a community. A CIC must comply with usual UK company law requirements, and is also subject to additional regulation to ensure that the CIC's assets, income and profits are used in the interest of the community it is intended to serve. It is a social profit-making enterprise. It is not a 'not-for-profit' organisation, as it must generate profit to remain solvent, but its profits will be applied to its community purpose rather than for private gain. Legal framework The principal legislation governing CICs is: • the Companies Act 2006 (CA 2006) and subordinate legislation • the Companies (Audit, Investigations and Community Enterprise) Act 2004, Part 2 and Schedules 3 to 7 (C(AICE)A 2004) • the Community Interest Company Regulations 2005, SI 2005/1788 (the CIC Regulations) • the Community Interest Company (Amendment) Regulations 2014, SI 2014/2483, and • the Companies (Miscellaneous Reporting) Regulations 2018, SI 2018/860 A

A limited company operated for the benefit of the community and incorporated in accordance with the requirements of the Companies (Audit, Investigations and Community Enterprise) Act 2004 and the Community Interest Company Regulations 2005.

A community interest development is a property or regeneration project designed and operated primarily for community benefit rather than private profit. In UK and Irish legal practice, the term is descriptive rather than a defined statutory concept, and may encompass housing schemes, mixed‑use developments, community land trusts, social enterprises, and assets of community value.Such developments commonly involve legal structures that lock in social purpose, for example community interest companies (CICs) in the UK, charities, co‑operatives, or community benefit societies, and may rely on planning obligations (section 106 agreements in England and Wales), community right‑to‑buy mechanisms, long leases, or restrictive covenants to secure ongoing community use.In England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, the phrase is often used in planning law, housing, public procurement, and regeneration projects, but without a uniform statutory definition. In Ireland, it is likewise used in policy, social housing and community-led development contexts rather than as a term of art.Practitioners typically address community interest developments when structuring land ownership, drafting governance documents, securing funding, or negotiating with local authorities and public bodies to ensure long‑term community benefit and compliance with regulatory and charity law requirements.

A mainstream school belonging to the Local Authority.

Community service refers to unpaid work carried out for the benefit of the community as a criminal sanction, usually imposed as an alternative to custody. It requires an offender to perform specified hours of work, supervised by probation or equivalent services, within a set period.In England and Wales, community service is now usually referred to as “unpaid work” within a Community Order or Suspended Sentence Order under the Criminal Justice Act 2003. In Scotland, a similar requirement is imposed as an “unpaid work or other activity requirement” within a Community Payback Order under the Criminal Justice and Licensing (Scotland) Act 2010. In Northern Ireland, “community service orders” are provided for under the Powers of Criminal Courts (Northern Ireland) Order 1980. In Ireland, the Criminal Justice (Community Service) Acts provide for “community service orders”.Across all four jurisdictions, community service typically involves risk assessment, suitability reports, breach procedures and consequences for non-compliance, and is used by courts to promote rehabilitation, reparation and proportionality while avoiding short custodial sentences.