Steps to strengthen communities and empower local leaders will be
set out today in a new plan to help retain and attract people to
depopulating areas.
The Addressing Depopulation Action Plan will outline the next
steps in the Scottish Government’s work to support people to
stay, live and work in places where populations are set to
decrease – many of them rural and island areas.
The plan will include targeted funding to support places that are
particularly impacted by the effects of depopulation. It will
also consolidate work that is already ongoing in areas including
housing, transport and education.
Migration Minister said:
“People are Scotland’s greatest asset. However, a falling birth
rate, ageing population, and lower inward migration after Brexit
mean that some places need support to secure the populations
required to help their local communities and economies thrive.
“Addressing depopulation is a priority for this government. While
there is no quick fix to the challenges that lead to population
decline, this plan will set out the next steps in our work to
help communities up and down the country grasp opportunities and
unleash their potential.
“Understanding that depopulation affects different places in
different ways is at the heart of this strategy. Local leaders
and organisations know their communities best, and we will set
out concrete steps to empower them and channel their expertise.”
Background
The Scottish Government’s Addressing Depopulation Action Plan
will be published at 09:30 on Friday 16 February.
This plan builds on the More Balanced Population pillar of the
Scottish Government’s Population Strategy,
launched in 2021, and will set out the first phase of work within
the Population Programme. It also delivers on one of the key
commitments made in the National Islands
Planpublished in 2019.
