Community Development/Independence

Independence has been described in many ways, most of them misleading. The one I like best it the one used by the Active community Unit not long after it was set-up. If a community group can decide to continue as a group its activities after the council pull their funding then it's independent, if it has to fold it isn't. Simple, some would say sad, But TRUE.
As for community development It has been stagnated for many years, with the community having things done for it or too it and it often feels like control/manipulation?
What do you say?