KIRKMICHAEL COMMUNITY ACTION PREPARED AND PRODUCED BY CREETOWN INITIATIVE LTD PLAN Kirkmichael CAP.indd 1 05/03/2018 09:38 CONTENTS Summary.....................................................................................................2 Often a failing of some communities additional funds. This plan will SUMMARY in receipt of wind farm benefit illustrate how the community can funds has been not to develop a build its capacity and the benefits of 3 Kirkmichael Parish Community Action Plan 2018-2023........................... Like many small rural settlements in legacy from these funds. The funds doing so. However the decision to South West Scotland the Kirkmichael have been used for small quick fix go down this route will rest entirely projects which have done nothing with the community. 4 - 6 Parish has been handed the Kirkmichael Parish Now......................................................................... opportunity to make a difference to to secure the long-term future and Local Economy and Employment their community through access to sustainability of the settlement. This The Community Action Plan is a Population and Demography wind farm benefit funds. plan will try to create a plan of action document designed to support the Transport which meets both the short-term community make best use of the and the longer-term needs of the Safety, Health and Wellbeing In order to maximize the potential wind farm benefit funds and insure community. It will also demonstrate that the funds are being used for Education of this cash windfall the community how wind farm benefit funds can projects that the majority support. Community Organisations and Facilities council received some funding from Local Energy Scotland to be used to lever additional funds, Its findings are based on extensive Geographic Access and Environment commission consultants to produce adding further value to projects. community consultation which took Heritage and History of the Parish a Community Action Plan. place during October, November Crucial to the successful and December 2017 which included This Community Action plan is management of wind farm benefit a questionnaire delivered to People Have Their Say.........................................................................7 - 10 for the people who live in the funds is the need for transparency every house in the parish and Questionnaire Responses Kirkmichael parish/Community and the community must have the one to one focus meetings with Interview Questionnaire Responses Council Area Parkgate and capacity to manage the process. the steering group members and Top Priorities at a Glance Nethermill areas in Dumfries Transparency takes the form of other oganisations, partners and Example of a Community Making Things Happen for Themselves and Galloway. The contents creating an application procedure stakeholders. provide the results, conclusions that people understand. It also sets and recommendations from the out clearly what the money can and The Action Plan is a guide for what can’t be used for and explains the Kirkmichael Priority Projects..............................................................11 - 14 survey and one to one and group the community want to achieve consultations carried out through size of the fund and its limitations. over the next five years, laying Project 1 – Community Capacity the latter months of 2017. The Action the foundations for Project 2 – Location, Access and Services Plan is a statement about the type In some cases communities have change over the Theme 3 – Communication of place the community wants the decided to employ staff to help longer term. Theme 4 – Facilities area to be and what needs to be manage wind farm benefit funds, both to administer grants to Why Set Up a Charitable Development Trust? done. It provides an outline of the community profile, a summary of organisations and to help develop the community’s views and a vision bigger legacy projects by Kirkmichael - The Future..........................................................................15 for the future, where the issues that obtaining matter the most are priorities for action to be taken. 1 2 Kirkmichael CAP.indd 2-3 05/03/2018 09:38 KIRKMICHAEL PARISH COMMUNITY ACTION PLAN 2018 - 2023 KIRKMICHAEL PARISH NOW Local Economy and Employment This Community Action Plan is a tool for change. It will help the parish of Kirkmichael achieve its aspirations and to make a better place to live, work and visit. This will be the guide for what the community will focus on achieving over the next five years. 70% travel to work by car This plan will show: The main employment sector is A higher than average what it’s like to live in Kirkmichael parish now self-employed A larger than average 17% of the population are retired how Kirkmichael could change in the future what things matter most to the people who live there Those living within the A higher than average % of the what the priorities are and how they can be addressed work more than % of the population are population parish Many communities in Scotland produce such plans, as they deal with issues arising in changing times work and often in relation to the receipt of Community Benefit Funds. 49 hours from home a week, mainly due to time-intensive agriculture agricultural work A community action plan needs to be: of the population work in clear, well-researched, robust, strategic, accessible and importantly, readable 27% skilled trades, compared to the national average of only 12.5 % designed in a way to contribute to securing funds for projects able to help shape local services Many people work in retail, motor vehicle and able to make best use of community assets - land, buildings, funds and people and motorbike repair, caring health 55% of unemployed people living in the parish are aged 16 - 24 and elementary occupations Data from Scotland Census Online. 3 4 Kirkmichael CAP.indd 4-5 05/03/2018 09:38 Population and Demography Community Organisations and Facilities Kirkmichael has a population of approximately 725 people, comprised of 19% aged under 16, 66% aged 16 – 64 Kirkmichael Community Council Indoor Bowling Club Church Guild and 15% aged 65+. These figures reflect the Scottish national averages of 17.3%, 65.9% and 16.8% respectively. Woman’s Rural Institute Badminton Club XYZ Club Pilates Club Kirkmichael Parish Church Kirkmichael Village Hall Parkgate Play Park Nethermill Play Park SRUC Barony Campus Transport Nethermill Primary School Singleton Park Care Home The village of Parkgate is served by buses which run between Dumfries, Moffat and Glasgow. The bus service from Dumfries to Edinburgh via Moffat also serves the village. Buses run every hour on weekdays and Saturday and 3 hourly on Sunday. The last bus to Glasgow leaves Parkgate at 18.05 pm and 22.05 pm to Dumfries. No buses pass through Nethermill. Geographic Access and Environment There are no rail links within the parish, but the area is served well by stations in Dumfries going to Carlisle The Parish of Kirkmichael is located 8 miles north of and Glasgow, and Lockerbie for services to Edinburgh, Glasgow and Carlisle. Dumfries on the A701 road to Moffat, 40 miles from Carlisle and 70 miles from Edinburgh. The Water of Ae runs through the parish, the Forest of Ae is to the west of the parish and the M74 is less than 10 miles away. Safety, Health & Wellbeing Kirkmichael is very rurally isolated and rates within the most deprived ranking on the Scottish Index of Multiple Overall, the health of the inhabitants of Kirkmichael Parish is good, with only 4.9% of people limited a lot Deprivation for geographic access to facilities (1 out of 10). by a long term health problem or disability, which is below the national average of 9.6%. The drive time to The rural location is reflected in the drive time to facilities; the nearest GP is 11 minutes and within the Scottish Index of Multiple Deprivation, Kirkmichael’s ranking for 10.7 minutes to the nearest post office and 17.9 minutes to health is 7 out of 10 (10 being the least deprived). Furthermore, the crime ranking for Kirkmichael is ranked at the nearest secondary school. The small hamlet of Parkgate least deprived and therefore indicates that crime levels are very low, most likely due to the isolated and rural formerly had its own post office and the Ae Inn, both of location of the parish. which have now closed. The nearest police station, fire station and ambulance is in Lockerbie, whilst the nearest hospital is in Dumfries. Other essential services are also outside of the parish - the nearest doctors surgery, dental surgery, pharmacy, sheltered accommodation and taxi Education service are all in Lochmaben, which is 12 miles south east of Parkgate. Nursery/early learning provision is available at Lochmaben Primary School, which is outside of the parish. According to www.statistics.gov.scot, Kirkmichael Parish has The primary school in the parish is located with in the small hamlet of Nethermill. It is a small, rural school 0.03 dwellings per hectar, which is substantially lower than with only two classes and a school role of 36 children and is partnered with Johnstonebridge Primary 0.12 for Dumfries and Galloway as a whole. School, however there is now no school transport for pupils. The school has an outdoor learning area in the playground which they hope to develop into an eco-classroom. There is also an area opposite the school which is used for as an outside classroom (the land is owned by a local farmer who allows the school to use it). Heritage and History of the Parish There is not a secondary school located within the parish, but families have the choice of two catchment institutions; Lockerbie Academy and Dumfries Academy, whilst Moffat Academy is out of catchment. “Many remains of ancient fortifications and Roman roads are All schools are between 8 and 13 miles from the parish, however only Lockerbie Academy has a school visible in this district.