GIRVAN Place Plan 2021 CONTENTS Introduction
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A Better Place to Live Commitment 6 Enhanced environment through social, cultural and economic activities GIRVAN Place Plan 2021 CONTENTS Introduction............................................................... 3 Girvan Today............................................................. 6 What is Happening already in Girvan.............. 10 Community Priorities............................................... 12 Priority Projects......................................................... 14 How to Make it Happen......................................... 21 2 Thriving Places - Girvan INTRODUCTION This plan has been prepared by the The actions in the plan should be deliverable community in Girvan, South Ayrshire Council by the local community and partners, over the and other partners. The plan sets out the short to medium term. local community’s priorities and actions for making Girvan a better place to live, work and The priorities will help to inform other plans visit. and strategies going forward, such as the Council’s Local Development Plan. There is no The plan is the result of a new approach guarantee that all actions will be delivered, to placemaking in South Ayrshire, one that as in some cases funding and commitment is embedded within, and driven by the from partners will need to be secured. The community’s own concerns and aspirations. plan should assist the local community and At the core of this approach is comprehensive other delivery partners to access funding and and effective community engagement, which support in order to deliver proposals. The is used to identify the actions that should be plan will also represent the community’s views undertaken by all those with a stake in the and aspirations for the area. It can be used place. to inform other work of the Council and other partners in delivering services in the area. This plan has been prepared reflecting the conversation we had with the community in Parts of Girvan have suffered from social 2019, and early 2020. However, it’s important issues and increasing levels of deprivation to remember that the plan is flexible. At the in recent decades, the town centre has also time of writing we are in the midst of the suffered with the reduction of tourism in the COVID-19 pandemic, which has brought town and the increasing prevalence of online unprecedented challenges to the town of shopping. There is a role for all partners in Girvan. The full long term impact of the tackling these issues to help build a better pandemic is still unknown, and therefore, Girvan. However, in many cases it’s the this document will change and evolve as community who know the area best, and the community faces new and unforeseen it should therefore be the community that challenges. identifies priorities and works with partners to deliver real change. Place Plan 2021 3 PLACEMAKING IN SOUTH AYRSHIRE We recognise that ‘place’ is where people, support a clear way forward for all services, location and resources come together to assets and investments, to maximise the create a sense of identity and purpose. impact of their combined resources. As part Placemaking is at the heart of addressing of this, we are empowering local communities the needs, and realising the full potential of to prepare ‘Place Plans’ built on these communities. Places are shaped by the way placemaking principles. resources, services and assets are directed and used by the people who live and invest A place plan is owned by its authors; and in them. As part of the strategic objective “A the Council, partners and communities, Better Place to Live” the Council Plan commits should collaborate on the content. The ‘Place to working with partners and communities Standard’ tool, which was developed by the to develop thriving places that are positive, Scottish Government, NHS and Architecture proud and ambitious. and Design Scotland, exists to be used for this type of engagement. It provides a A more joined-up, collaborative, and simple framework to structure the community participative approach to services, land and conversations around 14 key questions on buildings, across all sectors within a place, the physical and social elements of a place, enables better outcomes for everyone, and and to help identify areas of improvement, increased opportunities for people and or priority actions, that everyone involved communities to shape their own lives. can sign up to. This process is supported by the use of robust evidence and data from a South Ayrshire Council has signed up to the number of sources, and output from previous Scottish Government Place Principle, which community projects on the place being requests that: evaluated. “All those responsible for providing services and looking after assets in a place need Once drafted, the content of the place to work and plan together, and with local plan, and priority actions for improvements, communities, to improve the lives of people, should be agreed by all stakeholders, and support inclusive growth and create more ownership taken of the relevant areas for successful places.” improvement. The place plan should be seen as a living document, one that may have to We are committed to a collaborative, place flex and adapt to influences and the current based approach. Our shared purpose is to environment. A Place Plan is the community’s plan. It is prepared collaboratively by all groups who have a stake in a local area, but must be owned by the community. The successful delivery of actions will rely on strong community leadership and effective partnership working. 4 Thriving Places - Girvan Place Plan 2021 5 GIRVAN TODAY Girvan is the largest town in the historic acts as a key service and retail centre for district of Carrick. Sitting at the mouth of the rural villages in South Carrick. Dalrymple the Water of Girvan, the town occupies a Street is the main shopping street in the town, picturesque location beside the popular with many independent retailers. The main beach with views to Ailsa Craig and Arran. route from the north to the ferry ports in the Girvan was first established as a port with the South runs through the town. Water of Girvan acting as a natural harbour, the town subsequently grew with its wealth The town is predominantly residential, however coming from shoemaking, weaving and also includes key local services such as the fishing. With the arrival of the railway in 1860 Girvan Community Hospital and the Quay the town flourished as a seaside resort with Zone leisure centre. There are also several key visitors from Glasgow flocking to the coast. employers in or close to the town such as the With a population of around 6,700 Girvan William Grant & Sons distillery and Nestle. Girvan population (NRS 2018 mid-year estimates) 49% 51% 16.2% male female 0-15yrs 58% 25.8% working age 6,455 65+ (16-64 yrs) © Crown copyright and database rights 2020 OS 0100023400 6 Thriving Places - Girvan Place Plan 2021 7 Employment (ONS Business Register & Employment Survey) The largest employment sectors in the area are maufacturing, entertainment, recreation and other services, education and public administration. Approximately 3.4% of people aged 16 and over claim out of work benefit (pre-pandemic) 8 Thriving Places - Girvan Housing (Housing household tenure source: Census 2011) Girvan Owned Council or Social Housing Private or other rented 61.7% 24.8% 8.5% Place Plan 2021 9 WHAT IS HAPPENING ALREADY IN GIRVAN Investment in affordable housing and housing pontoons and landside facilities to further for communities with additional needs has enhance the marina. A further £300,000 been an important element of improvements investment has been identified for the in Girvan, with notable examples including the repair of the harbour facilities to ensure the housing at North Park Court (£1,300,000) and maintenance of this important facility. the new modern facility for the local travelling community (£1,540,000). The biggest change to the town in recent years has been the opening of the Quay Education provision is a significant area for Zone leisure centre, which has become an planned investment by the Council in the important community facility since it opened coming years, with a new Girvan Primary its doors in 2017 after an investment of (£22,000,000) and Sacred Heart Primary £5,400,000. The Council has set out a future (£3,900,000) planned. investment of £965,000 to deliver a new all weather pitch in the town and improvements Girvan harbour has seen many improvements to the shorefront play area and the play area in recent times with the development of new at Linden Avenue. 10 Thriving Places - Girvan Place Plan 2021 11 COMMUNITY PRIORITIES The Community Voice Engagement with the community is at the core issues raised by the community was concern of this plan. The community will be over the level of influence and control they further empowered and enabled as the plan have in their own area, and the issues it faces. grows and evolves over the coming years. It is for this reason that one early action will be Community involvement and representation to seek to empower local people to take a can increase and improve. more active role in future versions of this plan, and ownership of any actions that arise from it. We utilised the Place Standard tool for the first stage of community engagement which The Place Standard sees a score awarded for involved conversations with a wide range each of the identified topics. This ranges from of community groups and school pupils 1, where most improvement is needed, to 7, during the second half of 2019. Over 175 where no improvement is needed. The scores members of the community took part in these given by each member of the community who conversations, across a wide range of ages. took part were averaged to give an indication The place standard tool was also made of priorities.