Comhairle nan Eilean Siar

What Comhairle nan Eilean Siar does

Comhairle nan Eilean Siar (The Western Isles Council) is the statutory local authority for the Outer Hebrides of Scotland, serving the islands of Lewis, Harris, Uist and Barra. Established in 1996 under the Local Government etc. (Scotland) Act 1994, it is a publicly funded, democratically governed body with no private shareholders, accountable to residents and the Scottish Government. Its mandate spans the full portfolio of local government services: council tax administration, benefits and grants, waste collection and recycling, education, health and social care (including adult and children's services), housing, planning and building standards, roads and travel, leisure and sport, and cultural/heritage services including Gaelic language preservation.

The council operates a headcount of 251–500 staff from its Stornoway headquarters on Sandwick Road. Its revenue is drawn from three streams: council tax levied on residents, Scottish Government grants, and transactional service fees (licensing, planning applications, non-domestic rates). Distribution is direct-to-consumer through a tri-channel model: an online self-service portal hosted at eileansiar-self.achieveservice.com, in-person customer service centres, and on-location service delivery (waste collection, road maintenance, social care home visits). Its digital stack is built on the LocalGov Drupal CMS, supplemented by the AchieveService self-service portal, an address search tool, and a mobile application launched in 2026 in partnership with MyBins for bin collection management and recycling guidance. The site supports dual Gaelic/English content, Google Translate integration across ~100 languages, and British Sign Language resources, and is registered with the ICO as a data controller (registration Z7313689); it is partially compliant with WCAG 2.2 AA.

The business model is that of a public sector monopoly: by statute, no competing authority may serve the same territory. Customer concentration is therefore geographic and structural rather than commercial. Recent operational priorities visible in the input include expansion of adult social care capacity, capital upgrades to leisure facilities, planning consent activity around the Spiorad na Mara offshore windfarm, and digital service extension through the MyBins mobile app. The organisation operates exclusively within the Outer Hebrides and has no disclosed subsidiaries, M&A activity, or external funding rounds.

Name

Comhairle nan Eilean Siar

Legal name

Comhairle nan Eilean Siar

Website

https://cne-siar.gov.uk

Company type

Public

Founded year

1996

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

Comhairle nan Eilean Siar is the statutory local authority for the Outer Hebrides (Lewis, Harris, Uist, Barra) in Scotland, delivering council tax, waste, education, social care, housing, planning and roads services to ~26,000 residents, funded by council tax and Scottish Government grants.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Local Government Services

NAICS

Executive, Legislative, and Other General Government Support (921), Administration of Housing Programs, Urban Planning, and Community Development (9251), Administration of Housing Programs (925110), Administration of Urban Planning and Community and Rural Development (92512)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300), Sanitary Services (4950)

akta.pro primary industry

State/Provincial Transportation, Roads & Public Works Administration (BPAIABAK)

akta.pro secondary industries

State/Provincial Human Services & Benefits Administration (Welfare, Disability, Child & Family) (BPAIABAI), SCADA/DMS/OMS Integration, Upgrades & Managed Services (EUAEANAE)

Keywords

• Local government services
• Council tax administration
• Waste management
• Social care services
• Public sector administration

Headquarters

HQ city

London

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Council Tax: Local taxation charged to residents for funding public services
2. Government Grants: Central Scottish Government funding for public service delivery
3. Service Fees and Charges: Fees for various services including licensing, planning applications, non-domestic rates, and other council services

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Comhairle nan Eilean Siar is the local government authority for the Outer Hebrides (Western Isles) of Scotland, providing statutory public services to residents including council tax administration, bins and recycling collection, education, health and social care, housing, planning and building standards, roads and travel, leisure and culture, and licensing. Services are delivered through an online self-service portal, customer service centers, and on-location service delivery across the islands of Lewis, Harris, Uist, and Barra.

Product overview

Comhairle nan Eilean Siar is the local council for the Outer Hebrides (Western Isles) of Scotland. It provides a broad portfolio of public sector services including benefits and grants administration, bins and recycling, business support, education, health and social care, housing, leisure and sport, planning, roads and travel. The council's digital offering consists of its main website providing service information and online self-service access, supplemented by the MyBins mobile app (in partnership with MyBins) for waste management, an address search tool, and the AchieveService self-service portal for payments and forms. Services span from bin collections to planning applications, with accessibility features including multi-language support via Google Translate and British Sign Language resources.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• MyBins App: Mobile application for householders to manage bin collections and recycling reminders

Products and services

• MyBins Mobile App Free mobile application developed in partnership with MyBins that helps householders manage bin collections, receive reminders, access recycling guidance, and receive direct council updates. Targeted at residents of the Western Isles.
• Online Self-Service Portal Digital self-service platform enabling residents to make payments, submit enquiries, and access council services online. Hosted at eileansiar-self.achieveservice.com.
• Address Search Online tool that allows users to search and locate any address in the Outer Hebrides.

Named customers1 record

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

Feature2 records

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Angus Council: Mid-sized Scottish unitary council with a comparable mix of urban and rural service-delivery challenges and a similar statutory service portfolio.
• Argyll and Bute Council: Scottish council covering a dispersed mainland-and-island geography with similar challenges around ferry-linked service delivery, rural depopulation and small tax base — directly comparable operating model.
• Highland Council: Largest Scottish local authority by area, also serving remote and island-adjacent communities. Directly comparable as a unitary Scottish council delivering the full range of statutory local-government services.
• North Ayrshire Council: Scottish council with significant coastal and island communities; comparable on the operational challenges of ferry-linked service delivery and similar statutory remit.
• Orkney Islands Council: Scottish island council authority delivering the same statutory services to a comparable island population; highly comparable mandate, scale and demographic profile to Comhairle nan Eilean Siar.
• Scottish Borders Council: Rural Scottish unitary council with a similarly dispersed population and reliance on council tax plus central grant; broadly comparable scale and service mix.
• Moray Council: Scottish unitary local authority of broadly similar scale, delivering the same statutory portfolio of council services to a mixed rural/urban population.
• Aberdeenshire Council: Large Scottish unitary authority covering a wide rural geography; comparable on statutory service scope and LocalGov Drupal-style digital delivery.
• Perth and Kinross Council: Mid-sized Scottish local authority delivering a comparable basket of statutory council services including roads, housing, education and social care, useful as a mainland reference point.
• Shetland Islands Council: Scottish island council authority of similar size and structure serving a remote island population. Closely comparable statutory remit, funding mix and demographic pressures.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/cne_siar
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/comhairle-nan-eilean-siar

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments1 record

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Comhairle nan Eilean Siar