Portsoy Community Action Plan June 2017 Location Map Community Action Plan

2 Introduction Community Action Plan

This is the new Community Action Plan All the ideas in this booklet came from for the rural community of Portsoy the community. The table at the back and District. It has been developed by shows those ideas that can be taken Banffshire Partnership Ltd following a forward by the community on its own, community engagement event held at those which require help from an the primary school on Wednesday 8th external partner and those which can March 2017. only be taken forward by one or more external agencies, which can provide The event was attended by individual moral, technical and possibly financial Loch Soy. local residents and representatives support. of local community groups. Local councillors and officials from It is recommended that this Action Aberdeenshire Council were also Plan has a maximum lifespan of three present as observers. years. Some projects may be completed quickly whist others may take much During the evening the residents and longer but all should be reviewed community group representatives regularly to ensure that they are still put forward many ideas in 6 specific relevant. categories and the vast majority of these ideas have been distilled into It is important that this booklet is seen those listed in the table at the end of by all interested parties, both within this document. the local community and the other partners that may be able to assist with This information can now be used the implementation of any actions set to guide the community and the out in the table. Community Planning Partners in compiling detailed action plans to take Banffshire Partnership Ltd is one forward the top priorities, as well as of a number of rural partnerships addressing the other issues which have in Aberdeenshire that run the The Sail Loft. been identified. Community Action Plan initiatives which are sponsored by Aberdeenshire For each priority, or issue, this will Community Planning Partnership. involve agreeing who needs to be involved, what resources will be required and target dates set for completion.

Liberty Garden and the dolphin in the distance.

3 History & Development Community Action Plan

Portsoy, in the Parish of Fordyce, is called Portsoy Community Enterprise an historic town - created a Burgh of has grown into a very strong social Barony by Mary Queen of Scots in enterprise. It is a company limited by 1550 - with much of its early focus guarantee and a registered charity. being on the sea. Its harbour first In addition to the annual Festival, it opened for import and export trade owns and runs the Salmon Bothy, (rather than for fishing) in 1693 - restored in 2009 to include a museum, one of the earliest on the Moray genealogy centre and community East Braes looking towards caravan site and Firth - and it became a renowned facility, now heavily used by many Salmon Bothy. commercial centre, both for legitimate groups. It has restored a derelict and illegitimate business. Latterly a building by the harbour (the Boatshed) fishing port, the harbour continued which is a centre for boat building, to be the main focus of the town boat restoration courses and sailing. until the Second World War, although It has teamed up with local primary other businesses flourished including and secondary schools to teach the MacDonald Brothers with their traditional craft of boat building and interest in maritime and agricultural restoration. It has also taken over equipment. management of the town’s caravan park from Aberdeenshire Council and Being a tidal harbour, after the war the manages the newly restored Sail Loft fishing interest declined and indeed the bunkhouse, officially opened by HRH whole town saw a change to more of Duke of Rothesay in June 2017. a dormitory role through the 50’s, 60’s Portsoy is also home to the annual and 70’s. However it is a town which HAAL folk festival, now in its 8th year has always enjoyed a remarkably strong and brings together musicians and community spirit with a wide range of storytellers from all over Scotland and societies and groups playing various beyond. parts. The 75 Club in particular, formed Scottish Traditional Boat Festival. in 1975 has made many important As with many rural communities, contributions to the community since Portsoy and the surrounding district its formation and continues to do so faces numerous challenges, including today. shops and the last local bank closing an ageing population and the associated In 1993 the town celebrated the challenges with the provision of tercentenary of the harbour with an healthcare and transport. However, event which proved so successful that there is a very strong community it became established as an annual spirit with the Community Council, event: The Scottish Traditional Boat other community groups and external Festival. The festival organisation, now partners ready to face these challenges.

Portsoy Thrift Shop.

4 Top Four Priorities Community Action Plan

Portsoy Community Action Plan 2017-2020 The top four priorities to emerge from the community engagement event The ideas put forward at the were, in brief and in descending order:- community engagement event were grouped into six categories. 1. Upgrade, promote and highlight all walks around These are listed below together with Portsoy and provide pictorial the final number of “ideas” for each information. One of the walks around Portsoy. shown in brackets:- 2. Establish, upgrade and Buildings & the Physical encourage use of outdoor Environment (3) recreational and learning Community Activities (8) facilities for all ages. Roads, Paths & Transportation (4) Crime & Safety (4) 3. Introduce traffic calming Health & Housing (3) measures throughout the town. Jobs & the Economy (1) 4. Create dog friendly areas and At the event there were a number of deal with dog mess issues. issues/actions put forward that were similar. Where appropriate, these have Virtually all the ideas put forward have been amalgamated with their scores been classified as either capable of into generic issues/actions. There were being taken forward by the community also a number of issues where the themselves, or progressed by the scores were very low and these have community in association with an been excluded from the final plan. external partner or partners, or projects that can only be undertaken by external partners. Portsoy Play Park.

Proposed cycle tracks from Kirkies woods.

5 Top Four Priorities Community Action Plan

The top four issues are in the This category also included the fourth categories of being taken forward most important issue which was to either with an external partner or create Dog friendly areas and deal with solely by an external agency and are as Dog mess issues. (Category - “Buildings & follows:- Physical Environment”).

Projects which will require Projects which will require action by the community in action by an external partner: Portsoy. association with an outside partner: The third most important issue concerned road safety. This was the The number one priority issue raised amalgamation of a number of similar was to Upgrade, promote and highlight issues and was distilled into “Introduce all walks around Portsoy and provide traffic calming measures throughout pictorial information. (Category - the town”. (Category - “Crime & Safety”). “Community Activities”). At the other end of the scale there Also in this section was the second were two “ideas” that received most important issue raised. This was substantial negative votes. These were:- to establish/upgrade and encourage use of outdoor recreational learning • A bypass for Portsoy. facilities for all ages. This issue is the • Install CCTV in the town centre. result of amalgamating a number of similar themes, including establishing Neither of these appear in the table at a skate/trampoline/skipping park with the end of the plan. a big chute and creating an outdoor classroom. (Category - “Community Activities”). One of the walks around Portsoy.

Loch Soy.

6 Other Issues Community Action Plan

Portsoy Community Action Roads, Paths & Plan 2017-2020 Transportation

Many other issues received positive Projects which the community support and these are listed below can take forward independently: under the six category headings. Two suggestions in this section, the top Community Activities scoring suggestion at number nine is to replace broken benches and install Improve road safety Projects which the community seating at the East Braes. can take forward independently: The second suggestion in this category The top scoring suggestion in this is to promote the Thrift Shop through category came in at number 10 and signage. was to create a community website/ central diary. There were no other Projects which will require action by the community in Other ideas that were put forward association with an external partner in were:- this category.

• Telescope for watching Dolphins. Projects which will require action by an external agency: • Investigate establishing Allotments. The only issue in this section • Establish a men’s shed. concerned street lighting which came in at number 17 in the overall list of • Feasibility of building a community issues. “Install/improve street lighting in owned Hydro-electric scheme. various places in the town”. Keep fit equipment. Projects which will require action by the community in association with an external partner:

At number seven in the list of overall priorities was to “Bring back the boats on Loch Soy.”

There was one other suggestion in this section:-

• Improve drainage and floodlights at the Football pitches.

There were no Projects in this category which will require action by an external agency.

Improve drainage at Football Pitch.

7 Other Issues Community Action Plan

Health & Housing Crime & Safety

In this category there were no Projects Projects which will require which the community can take forward action by an external agency: independently. There are three issues in this section. Projects which will require The 1st issue came in at number five in action by the community in the overall scoring and is too “improve Improve access at school. association with an external safe access to the school with a ramp partner: at the rear of the school”.

One suggestion came in this section:- The other two suggestions in this category are:- • Establish a befriending service for older people. • Improve parking and pick-up/drop off provision at the school. Projects which will require action by an external agency: • Greater police presence.

There were two suggestions in this section:-

• Recruit more Doctors and Nurses and keep the community informed re the surgery.

• Build affordable housing for young people in particular. East Braes looking towards Caravan Site and Sail Loft.

Gates to former Campbell Hospital area.

8 Other Issues Community Action Plan

Buildings & The Physical Jobs & The Economy Environment Projects which the community Projects which will require action by can take forward independently: the community in association with an external partner: There was only suggestion in this category which came in at number There are two suggestions in this 14 in the overall scoring and this was section:- to “investigate establishing a Farmers Introduce more rubbish bins. market”. • Clear beach of rubbish and introduce more litter bins.

• Enhance the school grounds.

Enhance school grounds.

Portsoy Links Caravan Park.

9 Action Plan Summary Community Action Plan External Agency External lighting in various street Install/improve places in the town. Doctors and Nurses Recruit more the re informed community keep young housing for Build affordable people in particular. Agency External Introduce traffic calming measures traffic calming measures Introduce the town. throughout access to school with a safe Improve of the school. ramp at the rear off parking and pick-up /drop Improve at School. provision police presence. Greater

Partnership Establish/upgrade and encourage use of and learning outdoor recreational all ages. facilities for Bring back the boats on Loch Soy. drainage and floodlights at Improve pitches. the Football and highlight all walks promote Upgrade, pictorial and provide Portsoy around information. Establish a befriending service older for people. Partnership and deal with areas dog friendly Create dog mess issues. Clear beach of rubbish and introduce litter bins. more Enhance the school grounds.

Independent website/central a community Create diary. watching Dolphins. for Telescope Investigate Allotments. establishing shed. Establish a men’s of building a community Feasibility scheme. Hydro-electric owned benches and install Replace broken seating at East Braes. signage. Thrift Shop through Promote Independent a Farmers market. establishing Investigate

1. Activities 1. Community Transportation & Paths Roads, 2. Housing Health & 3. Surgery. Crime & Safety 4. 5. Buildings & The Physical The Physical Buildings & 5. 5. Environment The Economy & Jobs 6.

10 Action Plan Summary Community Action Plan External Agency External lighting in various street Install/improve places in the town. Doctors and Nurses Recruit more the re informed community keep young housing for Build affordable people in particular. Agency External Introduce traffic calming measures traffic calming measures Introduce the town. throughout access to school with a safe Improve of the school. ramp at the rear off parking and pick-up /drop Improve at School. provision police presence. Greater

1. Activities 1. Community Transportation & Paths Roads, 2. Housing Health & 3. Surgery. Crime & Safety 4. 5. Buildings & The Physical The Physical Buildings & 5. 5. Environment The Economy & Jobs 6.

11 Making It Real CommunityCommunity Action Action Plan Plan

This booklet is one of a series This information can now guide It is important that this booklet produced by Local Rural the community and Community is seen by all concerned as an Partnerships for a number of Planning Partners in drawing account of the community’s communities in Aberdeenshire. up detailed action plans to views at the time of the latest implement the top priorities consultation, and that it will have This initiative is sponsored by as well as addressing the to be regularly reviewed and Aberdeenshire Community other issues which have been updated. As some projects are Planning Partnership and run identified. For each priority or completed, other issues will arise by Aberdeenshire Local Rural issue this will involve agreeing and take their place in future Partnerships. The aim is to who should be involved, what versions of the community plan. provide community action plans resources will be needed and in an attractive, easy to read, target dates for completion. It is We recommend that this Plan professionally printed format. hoped that this process will be has a maximum life of three driven by representatives of the years. community with support - moral, technical and financial - from the relevant Partners.

Thanks are due to the Portsoy & District Community Council, the staff, parents and pupils of Portsoy Primary School, and the Portsoy Primary School Parent Council for help in organising the community engagement event, the catering at the event and providing background information on the community.

June 2017 Banffshire Partnership Developing Communities The Old School • Boyndie • Banff • AB45 2JT T & F: 01261 843598 • E: [email protected]

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