Interim Garioch Community Plan 2019 – 2022

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Contents

Foreword ...... 4

Executive Summary ...... 6

The Garioch Area ...... 8

Priority 1 Stronger and Empowered Communities ...... 12

Priority 2 Healthier Communities ...... 14

Priority 3 Connected Communities ...... 16

How are we doing? ...... 18

Foreword Welcome to the Garioch Community Plan 2022

Since the previous Garioch Community Plan 2016- 2019, there have been significant global changes which have impacted not just Scotland but all areas of Aberdeenshire including Garioch. The Community Partners working together to ensure that the right services are delivered in the right place at the right time is an even greater priority. This Interim Garioch Local Community Plan will support our communities to deal with the challenges ahead and to prepare for the opportunities which will make a difference.

In order to understand the impacts that COVID-19 pandemic has had on our residents, our economy and our environment and to ascertain the vulnerabilities in our communities, both pre-existing and newly identified, the way we gather evidence and engage with our communities needs to change. We need to ensure that everyone has an equal opportunity to engage, influence and shape our community plans. This adaptive engagement process will be key to delivering the Interim Garioch Local Community Plan and will help us to identify emerging issues and will ensure that we are responsive and agile enough to not only live with COVID-19 but be able to move into recovery too.

Community Planning is all about joining up the efforts and resources of Community Planning Partners so we can all effectively plan and deliver services that meet the needs of our local people and communities. It is this collaborative work which helps us all work together towards delivering the best quality of life for people in Garioch. By doing this together we can all provide more responsive and better services.

How will we do this -

• The Garioch Community Planning Partners have the opportunity to use the Plan to inform their own short, medium- and longer-term recovery plans from COVID-19 and also influence how community confidence, resilience and ability will be rebuilt and renewed following the crisis. • The Council’s ongoing Community Impact Assessment process presents the opportunity for the Community Planning Partners to understand the impact of COVID-19 and how communities perceive how the response has been handled. The assessment process will also identify how the communities’ perception of the risk of COVID-19 has led to behavioural and societal changes and challenges. • Using innovative, inclusive, and varied engagement tools and strategies to ensure that we listen to everyone in Garioch • By focusing on working with service users and community groups including hard to reach and vulnerable sectors of communities, to bring forward their thoughts and experiences.

• By continuing to develop and maintain the strong and robust local framework which supports partnership working. There will be regular and focused Garioch Community Planning Partnership events and we will all continue to reinforce the strong links with our Garioch strategic and community groups.

This plan is a live document and will have to adapt and reflect the changing priorities and emerging issues in Garioch using the feedback from the Community Impact Assessment and discussion and dialogue with our local partners and our communities. Watch this space!

Ann Overton, Chair of Garioch Community Planning Group

Executive Summary

Priority Aims for Garioch 2019 - 2022 This edition of the Garioch Community Plan brings together information, evidence, and feedback from a wide range of sources including Community Planning Partners, Elected Members, and most importantly local Communities to focus on the following 4 key priorities to be worked on:

• Priority 1 – Stronger, Empowered Communities Communities are empowered and supported to develop and deliver a vision for their local area, by delivering Place Based Community Plans. Communities are well informed, involved in decision-making and take a responsibility in delivery of local actions and priorities. Stronger local resilient communities through the contribution of volunteers. Our Communities feel empowered and enabled. • Priority 2 – Healthier Communities Reductions in inequalities in health outcomes between communities and across Aberdeenshire. To protect and support public health, community mental health and physical wellbeing and build community resilience as we adapt to live with COVID-19. Greater community partnership working, increasing the ability of individuals and groups to influence matters affecting them and their communities. Increased participation in quality wellbeing activity.

• Priority 3 – Connected Communities Reduce loneliness and social isolation. It’s easy and safe to move around local areas using good quality active travel route. An improved transport provision to access healthcare and wellbeing activities to address challenges of inequality, social exclusion, rural isolation, and vulnerability. Greater opportunity to connect digitally to reduce commuting, access services and encourage commercial and social enterprise.

Developing a Community Planning approach in Garioch To support the development of these priorities, the Garioch Local Community Planning Group have engaged widely to develop a co-ordinated and inclusive approach to community planning, with the ability to target resources where these are most needed. This includes regular Joint Meeting Events brings together the wider partnership from across Garioch on a regular basis to focus on specific areas of needs and to work in collaboration to find solutions to these.

At an Aberdeenshire level we have a Local Outcomes Improvement Plan (LOIP) with 3 priorities – Tackling Child Poverty, Connected & Cohesive Communities and Changing Aberdeenshire’s relationship with Alcohol. Community Planning Partners are working towards mitigating the impacts that these are having across Aberdeenshire, which no single partner can solve on their own This Plan is committed to deliver outcomes towards the LOIP on behalf of Garioch, which represents a key component of strengthened community planning as set out in the joint Scottish Government/COSLA Statement of Ambition. These priorities continue to link strongly with the Council’s Priorities - People, Environment and Economy as well as linking to other key Partner Plans where there are shared outcomes to be met.

Partners Development of the Plan has been led and facilitated through the Garioch Local Community Planning Group, who will monitor progress and aid the various partnerships who will take forward agreed priorities and actions. Partners of this group include:

Aberdeenshire Council Scottish Fire & Rescue Service NHS Grampian Police Scotland Garioch Area Committee Aberdeenshire Voluntary Action The Garioch Partnership Garioch Community Council Representation

Equalities Garioch Community Planning Partnership is committed to promoting equalities, and through the Local Outcome Improvement Plan approach, all Community Planning Partners have committed to embedding equalities in their service delivery. Local outcomes will seek to promote equality of opportunity across Garioch and will contribute to the indicators that have been developed to monitor progress. Communities Working in partnership with Communities to deliver this Plan will be fundamental to achieving its intended outcomes. Partners have incorporated the legislation from the Community Empowerment Act (2015), Community Action Plans, Place Standard and Democracy Matters which has helped inform how we have worked with our communities to deliver our key priorities in previous Plans, including the Participatory Budgeting process which enabled communities to have more say about the local services and initiatives they wanted to see delivered. In 2019, Community Representatives engaged with the Scottish

Government’s consultation on Democracy Matters “The Big Conversation” event, facilitated by The Garioch Partnership, focusing on how responsibilities and resources can be shared across national and local government in a way that delivers the greatest benefit to different places and communities deciding their own future. This is particularly relevant to the present Covid-19 situation. More recently, the relationship with our communities has been further strengthened through the recent Community Impact Assessment engagement, a series of online Ward Forums was held in tandem with an online survey to get feedback on how our communities within Garioch have coped during lockdown and the subsequent months. This has given us valuable feedback on how we can support our communities with their resilience efforts going forward and helped influence and shape the Interim Garioch Community Plan.

The Garioch Area Overview

Children (0-15yrs) Working Age (16-64yrs) Pensionable Age (65+ DEMOGRAPHICS 9,582 (20%) 30,715 (64%) yrs) 7,806 (16%)

POPULATION – SALIENT POINTS Garioch may be described as fastest growing Ward areas in and 16% are over the age of 65 Garioch’s population is over the age According to the 2011 Census, the among the fastest growing areas in Aberdeenshire. This could be linked (2017). of 75. (Westhill & District’s figure is vast majority of Garioch residents Aberdeenshire in terms of to the proliferation of businesses in 6.0%.) (94%) were born in the UK. population. Garioch’s population the area and, indeed, factors Inverurie & District appears to be Approximately 82% were born in increased by 7% between 2011 and associated with quality of life. home to the largest proportion of Compared to other areas in Garioch, Scotland, 11% were born in England 2017, compared to just 3% for residents aged 75+ relative to the a higher proportion of East Garioch’s and 5% were born in Northern Approximately 20% of Garioch’s population is under the age of 25 Aberdeenshire as a whole. Within MMW area’s total population (8.2%), Ireland. Less than 0.5% of residents population is under the age of 16, (32% versus an average of 28% for Garioch, Inverurie & District and followed by West Garioch (7.2%). in Garioch were born outside of 64% are aged between 16 and 64, Westhill & District are among the Conversely, a mere 4.8% of East Garioch’s other 3 MMW areas). Europe.

Total population per Multi-Member Ward and Garioch as a whole (2011-2017) Garioch population by age group & gender (2017)

West Garioch Garioch Total Population Pop. 9,769 (+6.0%) MALES FEMALES 48,103 (23,940) (24,163) +7% 90+ 85-89 49.8% 50.2% 80-84 MALE FEMALE Inverurie & District 75-79 Pop. 14,379 (+10.6%) 70-74 65-69 44,926 60-64 55-59 50-54 45-49 40-44 Age Group Age 35-39 2011 2017 30-34 25-29 East Garioch 20-24 Garioch’s estimated population has increased by 7% 15-19 Pop. 10,805 (+2.5%) between 2011 and 2017, which is a higher proportion than 10-14 Aberdeenshire as a whole over the same period (3%). 5-9 0-4 Within the wider Garioch area, all Ward areas (with the Westhill & District exception of East Garioch) has experienced above average 2500 2000 1500 1000 500 500 1000 1500 2000 2500 population growth. Both Inverurie and District and No. of Males No. of Females Pop. 13,150 (+8.1%) Westhill and District are among the top 3 Ward areas in Aberdeenshire in terms of population growth over the last few years. There are no marked differences in Garioch’s gender split relative to Aberdeenshire.

HEALTH / LIFESTYLE

LIFE EXPECTANCY EARLY MORTALITY COMPARATIVE ILLNESS LT HEALTH CONDITIONS 83.9 and 80.8 – the average life the population as it ages, such as 290.8 – Garioch’s projected 38.9 – Garioch’s Comparative 23% – approximate proportion of expectancy for Garioch females and reduced smoking rates and mortality rate per 1000,000 Illness Factor (SIMD 2016). A figure people in Garioch who suffer from 1 or males respectively (2013). These are improvements in treating illnesses population of people under 75 years below 100 denotes a lower more long-term health conditions higher than the respective rates for and conditions such as heart disease. of age (2017-2021). Although lower proportion of Garioch’s population (Census 2011). Psychological problems both Aberdeenshire and Scotland. But in recent years the progress has than the Aberdeenshire rate (and receive incapacity/disability benefits as a result of such conditions can have Throughout the 20th Century, the UK slowed (with some pointing to decreasing) the gap relative to relative to Scotland as a whole. a significant effect on: quality of life, experienced steady improvements in negative implications of ‘austerity’ as Aberdeenshire as a whole is Garioch’s figure is also lower than health happiness, relationships, life expectancy at birth. This has been a potential cause). expected to narrow over the next Aberdeenshire’s equivalent rate personal finances and/or employment. attributed to healthier habits among few years. (57.9).

Modelled Early Mortality (2004-08 to 2017-21 average), rate per 100,000 pop. Aged <75 Modelled emergency hospital admissions (2004-07 – 2018-21) % of people with 1 or more long-term health condition Garioch’s early mortality rate is projected to decrease in future, which is positive – and will 23% remain lower than the Aberdeenshire average Scotland Scotland (26,694) (509.2) (although the gap is expected to narrow over time).

Scotland Aberdeenshire – 27% (2011) Aberdeenshire (431.3) Scotland (397.8) (23,392) Aberdeenshire Comparative Illness Factor Garioch (324.8) (Scotland = 100) (330.2) Aberdeenshire Garioch (19,783) (290.8) 38.9 Aberdeenshire 2004-08 ______2017-21 Garioch (18,493) (18,179) Garioch (SIMD 2016) Life Expectancy (2013) (17,115) Life expectancy in Garioch for males and females tends to be higher Garioch’s figure is better than both than the equivalent rate for both Aberdeenshire and Scotland. Scotland (100) and Aberdeenshire (57.9)

Developmental Concerns at Male Life Expectancy (2013) Female Life Expectancy (2013) 2004-08 ______2017-21 2730 months

83.9 3.8% 80.8 82.7 The rate of hospital admissions is expected to decrease in 79.6 81.1 both Garioch and Aberdeenshire over the next few years. Both areas tend to experience far lower levels than 77.1 Scotland as a whole – and the trend is diverging from Aberdeenshire – 4% upwards trend expected across the whole of the country. (2014/15 – 2016/17) Garioch Aberdeenshire Scotland Garioch Aberdeenshire Scotland

Garioch’s Property Types Flats: 13% (12%) Semi-Detached: 28% (29%) (Aberdeenshire) HOUSING / FINANCIAL STATUS Terraced: 9% (12%) Detached: 50% (47%) OVERCROWDING DWELLINGS Approximately 5% of people in of infections and have mental 23,098 – the approximate number Aberdeenshire than is the case two general areas, Inverurie & Garioch live in households that are health problems. Growing up in of dwellings in Garioch (2017). The elsewhere. District contains a greater number overcrowded (SIMD 2016). This is poor or overcrowded housing has number of dwellings has remained There are 9.8 dwellings per hectare of dwellings per hectare (12.2) slightly lower than the Aberdeenshire been found to have a lasting impact relatively static since 2011 but has in Garioch. This is unsurprisingly than Westhill & District (10.2). average (6%) and significantly lower on a child’s health and wellbeing increased by 4% over the last few higher than Aberdeenshire (6.1 House prices in Garioch tend to be than the Scottish average (11%). throughout their lives (Shelter, years. Meanwhile, the population dwellings per hectare) given that higher than the Aberdeenshire Children living in poor or overcrowded 2006). has increased at a faster rate Garioch contains a couple of average. This is in keeping with conditions are more likely to suffer suggesting demand for housing may relatively large urban areas other indicators which suggest the respiratory problems, to be at risk be higher in this particular area of (Inverurie and Westhill). Of these area is relatively affluent.

No. of Dwellings, Average House Price & Council Tax Bands per Intermediate Zone, Garioch (2017) % of people income deprived (SIMD 2016)

Garioch Aberdeenshire Scotland West Garioch Council Tax Bands % Overcrowded 12 Dwellings: 4 ,7 7 4 36% Band A-C 33% Band D-E 5.9% House Prices: £271,000 30% Band F-H 23,098 6 Total dwellings in Garioch 4

Inverurie & District Council Tax Bands % Overcrowded Dwellings: 7,125 42% Band A-C 33% Band D-E 7.3% House Prices: £238,000 25% Band F-H Income Deprivation

% of people employment deprived (SIMD 2016) East Garioch Council Tax Bands % Overcrowded Garioch Aberdeenshire Scotland Dwellings: 5,152 19% Band A-C 42% Band D-E House Prices: £236,000 39% Band F-H 3.7% 11

5 3 Westhill & District Council Tax Bands % Overcrowded Dwellings: 6,047 14% Band A-C 38% Band D-E House Prices: £249,000 48% Band F-H 3.2% Employment Deprivation

2019-2022

Action Plan

Priority 1 Stronger and Empowered Communities

Key Outcomes:

1. Communities are empowered and supported to develop and deliver a vision for their Successful, inclusive, local area, by delivering Place Based Community Plans. resilient communities with 2. Communities are well informed, involved in decision-making and take a responsibility the confidence, capability in delivery of local actions and priorities. 3. Stronger local resilient communities through the contribution of volunteers. and capacity to tackle the things that matter to them. 4. Our Communities feel empowered and enabled.

How? When? Who? Outcome Progress 1.1 We will Support the development of Ongoing • Garioch Area Office 1, 2, 3, 4 Community Action and • Garioch Community Resilience and Place Plans Planning Partners • Community Learning and Development (and Local Learning Partnerships) • Aberdeenshire Voluntary Action and Third Sector • Local community groups

2019-2022

How? When? Who? Outcome Progress • Garioch Community Councils 1.2 Continue to work with our community Ongoing • Garioch Area Office 1, 2, 3, 4 and voluntary sector partners to assist in • Aberdeenshire coordinating activities and support Voluntary Action (AVA) residents • Garioch Health Improvement Network • The Garioch Partnership

1.3 Ensure communication and information is Ongoing • Garioch Community 2, 4 always available, clear, and accessible in Planning Group whatever language and format is required • Garioch Area Office

2019-2022

Priority 2 Healthier Communities

Key Outcomes:

1. Reductions in inequalities in health outcomes between communities and across Aberdeenshire will be Aberdeenshire 2. To protect and support public health, community mental health and physical wellbeing recognised as a great place and build community resilience as we adapt to live with COVID-19 to live and work – fairness 3. Greater community partnership working, increasing the ability of individuals and groups and equality of opportunity to influence matters affecting them and their communities 4. Increased participation in quality wellbeing activity. for all.

How? When? Who? Outcome Progress

2.1 Support vulnerable members of our Ongoing • Garioch Health 1, 2 community to stay safe and work with Improvement Network partners to help ensure services meet • Health and Social Care the needs of diverse local communities Partnership

2.2 The mental and physical wellbeing of the Ongoing • Garioch Community 1,2,4 residents of Garioch is improved, work Planning Group with partners to develop and explore • Aberdeenshire Alcohol & initiatives with the aim of reducing Drug Partnership alcohol and drug abuse. • Garioch Health Improvement Network

2019-2022

How? When? Who? Outcome Progress 2.3 Continue to support opportunities for Ongoing • NHS Public Health 1, 2 accessible, physical, and active exercise Coordinator • Active Schools Coordinator

2019-2022

Priority 3 Connected Communities

Key Outcomes:

1. Reduce loneliness and social isolation Aberdeenshire will be 2. It’s easy and safe to move around local areas using good quality active travel route recognised as a great place 3. An improved transport provision to access healthcare and wellbeing activities to to live, work, visit and address challenges of inequality, social exclusion, rural isolation, and vulnerability. 4. Greater opportunity to connect digitally to reduce commuting, access services and invest with effective encourage commercial and social enterprise. transport and connectivity links.

How? When? Who? Outcome Progress 3.1 Support service providers and Ongoing • Aberdeenshire 1,2,3 communities to explore possible Community Transport community-based transport initiatives to Forum improve access to services and better • Health and Social Care access to hospital and health Partnership appointments for rural communities in • NHS Public Health Garioch

3.2 Work with our partners to support our Ongoing • Garioch Community 1, 2 communities to stay better connected Planning Group • Garioch Area Office

2019-2022

with each other and explore and develop • Aberdeenshire Voluntary initiatives to reduce social isolation. Action

3.3 Work with communities to ensure digital Ongoing • Aberdeenshire Council 4 solutions support all activities and is • Local Community Groups available everywhere. Support • Elected members communities to ensure rural digital connectivity is expanded.

How are we doing? Our Community Planning Partners have pledged to work together to develop, support and progress actions from this plan to improve the quality of life for people living in Garioch.

As part of this pledge, partners will provide regular updates on the progress of its priority actions and will endeavour to promote these with local communities.

Information can be accessed through our website: www.aberdeenshire.org.uk/garioch.

Contact Us For more information about this Plan or to find out more about community planning in Garioch, please contact us using the details below:

Caroline Smith Community Planning Officer Gordon House Blackhall Road Inverurie Tel: (01467) 534726 E-mail: [email protected]

Useful Websites:

Garioch Community Planning www.aberdeenshire.org.uk/garioch Partnership Aberdeenshire Community Planning www.ouraberdeenshire.org.uk Partnership Police Scotland www.scotland.police.uk Scottish Fire & Rescue Service www.firescotland.gov.uk NHS Grampian www.nhsgrampian.org The Garioch Partnership Gariochpartnership.org.uk Aberdeenshire Voluntary Action www.avashire.org.uk Aberdeenshire Community Safety www.aberdeenshirecommunitysafety.org.uk Partnership Aberdeenshire Council www.aberdeenshire.gov.uk