Imagine Udny Action Plan with Ideas Were Gathered from the Process, with These the Support of PAS
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IMAGINE UDNY: Community Action Plan Developing a future vision for Udny January 2019 Imagine Udny: Community Action Plan Contents 1 Introduction / Executive Summary p5 2 Purpose and Approach p7 3 Imagining Udny p9 4 Action Plan p15 This document is to be read in conjunction with the Imagine Udny Spatial Masterplan, which illustrates the actions as separate spatial/location based projects, and the Appendices document, which contains a record of supporting material and findings from the Imagine Udny Charretteplus® process. Imagine Udny: Community Action Plan | 3 | January 2019 Thanks to the residents of Udny, Udny Community Trust, community groups, Pitmedden and Udny Green primary schools, Meldrum Academy, local youth groups and businesses, councillors and Aberdeenshire Council officers involved in the ‘Imagine Udny’ engagement process – whose enthusiasm, help and input were vital to its success and to delivering what can now happen as a result. Imagine Udny Community Action Plan | 4 | January 2019 I 1 Introduction / Executive Summary The Udny Community Trust commissioned and Imagine Udny plan (Section 2). A wide variety of helped realise this Imagine Udny Action Plan with ideas were gathered from the process, with these the support of PAS. As a culmination of previous then being tested in various community forums to engagement activities this Imagine Udny identify preferences and how they may be considered charrette process, undertaken in Pitmedden in alongside other actions and initiatives. 2018, creates a shared vision and workable action plan to help address local development growth Section 3 then documents a broad strategy and issues and community needs comprehensively. vision for the plan, and the various actions that were suggested and supported by the community. The Imagine Udny brought together key partners such action table in Section 3 serves as a comprehensive as Aberdeenshire Council, local landowners, and list and, where possible, these actions have been community representatives to help ensure that new incorporated within distinct location focused development and initiatives happened with the projects. These ‘spatial projects’ are detailed in community. The process inspired imagination and illustrative and conceptual form in the supporting conversation. Imagine Udny Spatial Masterplan. The plan firstly outlines the community engagement approach taken in Imagine Udny, and the subsequent evidence base that was gathered to inform the Imagine Udny: Community Action Plan | 5 | January 2019 Imagine Udny: Community Action Plan | 6 | January 2019 2 2 Approach and Purpose The Imagine Udny Action Plan outlines the aspirations of the Pitmedden and Context Setting At A Glance wider Udny community for the next 10 Evidence Gathering years. Local residents and stakeholders Research proposed the actions contained within Meetings and Conversations pre-engagement this plan, and these were gathered by 28 stakeholder PAS on behalf of Udny Community Trust discussions in late 2018 using the PAS Charretteplus® community engagement process. days of school Visioning PAS’s Charretteplus® programme is where the 2 workshops community sets the agenda for change, it focuses Idea and Proposal Creation specifically on aligning spatial planning with Proposal Testing community planning. The aim of Charretteplus Prioritisation charrette is to work with the whole community to find out Delivery Planning sessions held what their priorities are, create a shared vision 5 for their place and a realistic community plan to Reporting achieve change. people attended It is envisaged that this plan will be used to public workshops influence the local statutory planning process, 180 and may be seen as a Local Place Plan, bringing together residents, local elected representatives, Action community groups, Aberdeenshire Council and Ratification support partners to deliver and realise a shared Delivery vision for Udny’s future. Ongoing Support PAS Charretteplus® Engagement Process Imagine Udny: Community Action Plan | 7 | January 2019 Imagine Udny: Community Action Plan | 8 | January 2019 3 3 Imagining Udny Context Setting Pitmedden Evidence Gathering Stakeholders Involved: Udny (pop. 2242) is a parish in the Formartine The context setting and evidence gathering stage • Udny Community Council district of Aberdeenshire, and consists of the rural of Imagine Udny involved desk based studies and • Elected Officials, incl. MSPs and Local settlements of Hattoncrook, Pitmedden and Udny research as well as stakeholder engagement with Councillors Green. The largest of these, Pitmedden (pop. 1444), key community groups, elected members, and • Pitmedden and Udny Green Primary is approximately 15 miles north of Aberdeen, and related planning partners. These activities helped Schools, Meldrum Academy is notable for the extensive National Trust for determine key issues relevant to the Pitmedden • Aberdeenshire Council spatial and Scotland owned garden and estate that surround and surrounding Udny area. community planning officers Pitmedden House. Given Pitmedden’s proximity to • Local housing developers Aberdeen it is a commuter village with high rates Previous engagement outcomes, planning • Local business owners of car ownership and private housing. documents, and various reports and appraisals • Udny and Pitmedden Church pertinent to the area were researched. Alongside • Local landowners Udny Community Trust, who commissioned this this, multiple meetings were convened with key • Service and care providers work, had identified that there were particular individuals and groups to clarify and document • Sports club representatives challenges for the future of Pitmedden. These relate any new or existing issues. Key findings from this • Statutory representatives to physical issues such as two busy roads passing stage informed the planning and coordination of through the village, pressure for new development, the Charrette design stage and workshop themes. and the disjointedness of community spaces and facilities. However, Pitmedden is closely related to the wider community of Udny, providing a wider range of facilities and services than in the other Udny villages. It was therefore important to the Trust that Pitmedden should not be looked at in isolation. In some cases the themes which emerged through the process relate to this wider Udny context, others relate more specifically to Pitmedden. Imagine Udny: Community Action Plan | 9 | January 2019 Imagine Udny: Community Action Plan | 10 | January 2019 3 What you said Connectivity Community Facilities Your Village (Udny wide) (Udny wide with focus on Pitmedden) (Udny wide with focus on Pitmedden) Health and wellbeing concerns and unrealised There was a need for a new multi-functional It was felt that Pitmedden had a strong sense of tourism opportunities were raised and these and multi-generational hub, to include community, which had helped realise significant local were directly linked to access to walking and toddler and youth provision, health and projects, e.g. ‘Tilly’. cycling in the area. Possible solutions were wellbeing facilities, a possible post office and given, including improving the condition of pharmacy, community cinema, learn to cook There was a need to improve digital connectivity to path networks, the connectivity/continuity of facilities, church space, and a community address issues such as isolation, and barriers to local different paths, and accessibility for different café. The earmarked local plan site was business initiatives. path users (e.g. cyclists, walkers, wheelchair questioned as the best location for this hub, users). with a need to consider other alternatives. It was felt that the local economy and job opportunities could be improved through new tourism, retail, and Better promotion and navigation of the path There was a need to better manage and promotion of existing attractions such as Pitmedden network was also seen as key, along with coordinate the use, maintenance, and long Garden, and local hospitality with a food focus. lighting in parts to address personal safety term state of repair of existing assets such as concerns. the Pitmedden Village Hall and Church. There was a need to address local housing issues: the lack of diversity of house types, affordable homes, and the Congestion on roads and general road Issues of anti-social behaviour in Pitmedden location of future housing development. It was felt this safety were seen as an issue, particularly for Park were raised, and a lack of play facilities could be community led. There was broad acceptance of pedestrians/active travel users. for early age groups was noted. There was a need to develop more housing, but that this needed to a need to improve play and recreational be proportionate. Insufficient parking was seen as an issue in facilities for both children and young people, Pitmedden village, for both cars and cyclists, and repurpose existing settlement spaces to It was felt that the overall sustainability of the village and this was linked to congestion. Solutions do this, e.g. quarry, Pitmedden Hall and the could be improved by addressing greenspace included providing more carparks, and bike skatepark. accessibility and provision, allotment availability, and storage facilities within the central area. energy consumption. There was a need to improve physical access There were general concerns about isolation for disabled and less mobile residents to There was a lack of a coherent centre in Pitmedden, with and reduced independence