What is a Local Place Plan?
The Scottish Government states that:
Local Place Plans are community-led plans setting out proposals for the development and use of land. Introduced by the 2019 Act, these plans will set out a community’s aspirations for its future development. Once completed and then registered by the planning authority, they are to be taken into account in the preparation of the relevant local development plan.
Local Place Plans are a way for communities, working with local authorities and other public sector organisations, to bring forward proposals that reflect National and Local Outcomes. Also, by reflecting those wider policies and plans in Local Place Plans, communities should find it easier to make change happen. In addition, the Place Principle promotes a shared understanding of place, and the need to take a more collaborative approach to a place’s services and assets to achieve better outcomes for people and communities. The principle requests that all those responsible for providing services and looking after assets in a place need to work and plan together, and with local communities, to improve the lives of people, support inclusive and sustainable economic growth and create more successful places.
What is a masterplan?
A masterplan presents a vision for the future of an area and considers the way the land is used, the design and look of a neighbourhood, the kinds of community facilities needed and a range of other factors such as business needs, transport and green space. A masterplan should provide a long-term strategy for a place, considering the needs over many years or decades. It should remain flexible to be able to adapt to changing circumstances, and have regard to financial, economic and social impacts as well as proposals for how change will be paid for and delivered. Most masterplans contain a detailed illustration to show the proposed scheme.
The “Our Community” project outline states that; “The aim is to prepare a masterplan for the villages which will ensure a sustainable development future in terms of their economy, infrastructure, housing, recreation, transport, public services and the response to climate change, whilst recognising the importance of the peninsula heritage. All for the benefit of the community. This will ensure that individual initiatives fit into a well-considered plan that has resulted from thorough community consultation. It will also allow us to establish the short term, medium term and long-term priorities.”
The masterplan will be designed to enable a strong link to the development of a Local Place Plan. Initial discussions have taken place with Argyll & Bute Council to ensure that the masterplan preparation process and output provide good alignment to enable the new Local Place Plan approach to be tested. Ideally, this may also enable future funding for implementation of agreed priorities to be quickly obtained.
How is the “Our Community” project being managed?
Rosneath Peninsula West Community Development Trust (RPWCDT) has been awarded a grant from the Scottish Government’s Strengthening Communities Program through CEiS, which is confirmed for financial year 2022/23 and allocated subject to Scottish Government agreement for years 2023/24 and 2024/25. This grant is being managed in partnership with Cove & Kilcreggan Community Council (C&KCC). The C&KCC and the RPWCDT have established a Steering Group to oversee the implementation of the grant. The Steering Group will undertake the management of the grant, including the implementation of the agreed workplan and contract with SKS Scotland.
What is the Rosneath Peninsula West Community Development Trust (RPWCDT)?
The Rosneath Peninsula West Community Development Trust was founded as a charitable organisation in 2010 with the agreed objective being to pursue the prevention or relief of poverty and the relief of those in need by reason of age, ill-health, disability, financial hardship; the advancement of health and education, citizenship, environmental protection, and the arts, heritage culture or science; and the provision of recreational facilities.
Their activity is focused on the West of Scotland villages situated on the Rosneath Peninsula and, over the years, they have delivered a wide range of community activities and facilities including building a children’s play park, and organising and hosting a wide range of cultural and sporting events.
We’ve had community consultations in the past, why again, why now?
It’s been over ten years since the last time the community was consulted. Many things have changed in that time, including welcoming many new people to the villages, the cost of living crisis and the declaration by the Scottish government of a climate emergency. In addition Local Place Plans (LPP’s) are a new (2019) government initiative which empowers communities to play a proactive role in defining the places we live. LPP’s play a statutory role and have been put in place since our last community consultation.