Cornhill and Ordiquhill Community Action Plan
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Cruden Bay Community Action Plan May 2018 1 Location Community Action Plan 2 Introduction Community Action Plan This is the Community Action Plan for the This plan will only be delivered if all parties, communities of Cornhill, Ordiquhill and the community and public agency, cooperate surrounding rural area. It has been developed and communicate. It certainly cannot be by Banffshire Partnership Ltd following a delivered by one group acting on their own. community engagement event held at Ordiquhill School on 15th May 2018. All the The table at the back shows those ideas split ideas in this booklet came from the community. into those that can be taken forward by the community on its own, those which require The event was attended by individual local help from an external partner, and those residents and representatives of local community which can only be taken forward by one or groups. Local councillors and officials from more external agencies. We hope such agencies Aberdeenshire Council were also present as will also provide encouragement, plus observers and helpers, but they did not steer technical and possibly financial support too or add their views to the information where needed. gathering. During the evening the residents and It is recommended that this Action Plan has a community group representatives put forward maximum lifespan of 3 years. Some projects many ideas in 6 specific categories and the may be completed quickly whist others may majority of these ideas have been distilled take much longer, but all should be reviewed into those listed in the table at the end of this regularly to ensure that they are still relevant. document. Banffshire Partnership thus recommends doing This information can now be used as a guide this exercise again in 2021. by the community to prompt and encourage projects over the coming three years. It is not It is important that this plan is seen by all designed to be followed to the exclusion of interested parties, both within the local all else, but it does give willing community community and the other partners that may members plenty of ideas as to how may be able to assist with the implementation of perhaps be best to channel their time and any actions set out in the table. efforts. Banffshire Partnership Ltd is one of six rural partnerships in Aberdeenshire that run the External agencies, such as Aberdeenshire Community Action Plan initiatives. Council and other Community Planning Partners, will be encouraged to take note of these suggested projects too, when planning their own budget spend and activities in this community. 3 History & Development Community Action Plan The parish of Ordiquhill and the estate of In 1817 the turnpike road which connects Park were conterminous until the mid 1950’s. Banff and Keith was laid down and Cornhill On the north it is bounded by the parishes of was built as a single breasted Village and that Boyndie and Fordyce and on the South by is how it remained until the Free Church and Grange and Marnoch. The parish with an Manse were built in 1844. Some 50 years area of 4,756 acres, was the second smallest later the Baker’s shop was built across the in the county. The highest point is at the top street from the Gordon Arms Hotel which, it of Knock Hill (1,409 feet), the Central point in is believed, was the first built house in the the parish is Corn Hill (711 feet), formerly village. called Corncairn. The original village of The proprietors of Park Estate, the Gordon-Duffs, Cornhill was near the top of this hill and is who owned most of the land in Cornhill & now referred to as Old Cornhill and the Ordiquhill, built a school and school house. current village of Cornhill was previously known as Corncairn. The main house of the In 1859 the railway from Aberdeen to Banff estate, Castle of Park, was built in the early reached Ordiquhill, with a station at Glenbarry 1500’s although there is reference to the on the Parish boundary and Cornhill Station, lands as far back as the 12th Century. in the Parish of Fordyce. The name of the parish is derived from the Gaelic, meaning ‘the hollow beside the height’ 4 History & Development Community Action Plan In 1893, Mr William Hay, who originated from During the second World War, a small Cornhill but who emigrated to Australia and prisoner of war camp was built in the park made a large fortune when gold was found which was occupied first by Italians, then on his sheep farm, agreed to present Germans and then later was used as a Polish Cornhill with a public hall. The hall was Camp. In 1950 the camp was derequisitioned. designed by Mr Duncan MacMillan of On 18th June 1918, a Womens’ Rural Institute Aberdeen. A half acre in the centre of the was formed in Cornhill, only the second in village was gifted by the Gordon-Duffs and Banffshire and it is still flourishing today. Thomas Gordon Duff opened the Hall in 1894. In the early days of the second world war a In the early 1900’s a Police Station, Post number of children were evacuated from Office & Grocer shop were built. Edinburgh to Cornhill. In 1904 the Old Free Church was taken down and the current church from plans by Messrs There was also a very successful weekly cattle MacMillan & Son market at Cornhill Station. There was also a very popular annual fair at Cornhill, the Cornhill Berry Market. It was In 1913 at Upper Culphin of Park, a world- once held at Old Cornhill, then it moved to famed potato was produced by James Henry, the manse garden and then finally to the when he emigrated to Canada in 1913, he middle of the village at the market park. sold a pit of potatoes to a seedsman, called During the Great War and the park was Kerr, who renamed the potato “Kerr’s Pink’. ploughed up and there were no fairs. It was restarted after the War but discontinued in 1939. 5 Themes and Issues Community Action Plan Cornhill & Ordiquhill Community Many ideas centred round consolidating and securing what was already existing, an Action Plan 2018 to 2021. example being the Knock Hill Race, and also For ease, the suggestions and ideas gathered to encourage expanding popular activities, have been grouped into six themes. such as the Craft Club. A first step would be to ensure what exists currently is better known and thus made Community Activities more accessible: use of social media, websites and hard-copy village newsletters, As is usually the case within active communities, were all popular suggestions. this theme generated both the largest number, and the greatest diversity of ideas Such media could also be used to fulfil and suggestions. What was notable, however, another aspiration, which was to record and was the community’s acceptance that if they publicise the history and heritage of the are to be progressed, these projects will need community, both as a record for posterity to be taken forward by the community, and and as a way of raising the community’s not by external agencies such as Aberdeenshire profile to visitors. Council. There was deemed by many contributors to Such projects will almost certainly require be a special need to encourage and promote existing active community groups and activities for children and young people, both individuals at least to communicate with, and indoor and outdoor. The Playpark was seen potentially work with, one another. as a vital resource in achieving this. (see theme “Buildings & Physical Environment”). 6 Themes and Issues Community Action Plan Roads, Paths & Transportation Projects which will require action by the community in association with an external Projects which the community can take partner: forward independently: A safe walking and cycling route for children A great deal of interest was shown in accessing Ordiquhill School was singled out opportunities for making this community a as a particular priority, and this would require safe and interesting places for recreational working in partnership with Aberdeenshire walkers, cyclists and horse riders; both locals Council. and visitors. It was clearly felt that the community’s location and its surrounding Projects which will require action by an countryside were valuable assets, currently external agency: under-appreciated. A safety issue was identified at the Manse of A number of individual suggestions included Ord junction, and investigation of potential focusing on connection to Portsoy by various solutions by Aberdeenshire Council will be routes, specific promotion of woodland paths, sought. They would further be requested to given the higher proportion of woodland than consider road signage at key locations, many neighbouring communities, and making warning of horses being ridden. maximum use of Knock Hill. Another conversation with Aberdeenshire Precisely what routes and what nature and Council should be started to evaluate and scale of path development, would be a good consider whether current bus services could starting point for a more specific study by the be improved, with recognition from the community. community that budgets are very tight, so it will be a case of maximising effectiveness rather than expectation of significant expansion. 7 Themes and Issues Community Action Plan Health & Housing Buildings & the Physical Environment Linked to the point above, there was support A specific issue was highlited, in finding a for working with outside agencies to ensure secure and affordable storage solution for best possible access to health and wellbeing equipment used by Cornhill Guides. services. However, the main topic in this category was Broadband availability and quality was an the Playpark area, and a wide range of ideas issue affecting this community, in common and suggestions were raised for consideration.