New Pitsligo Community Action Plan ALP Map Community Action Plan In New Pitsligo there are three main opportunities for new development. • Site eh 1 is suitable for around 12 houses • Site eh2 is suitable for around 10 houses • Site eh3 is suitable for around 10 houses • Future housing land shown as Site fh1 2 Introduction Community Action Plan The village of New Pitsligo (or and successfully implementing Cyaak as it is called locally) has a projects has resulted in a population of just over1,000 and number of good projects is situated just off on the A950 including a new Play Area in the Peterhead to Banff road in the centre of the village and an All- Buchan area of Aberdeenshire. It weather sports facility next to was founded in the mid18th the school. There is a very century becoming famous as a active, productive Community Lace makers. thriving centre of lace making, Council and many other groups being at one time the largest which create a vibrancy in the village in Scotland. community. New Pitsligo today As with many communities there New Pitsligo is still a thriving are also problems of socio- community with local goods and economic deprivation with services, including a well-known resulting health and housing bakery and one of Buchan’s most problems. With this in mind the successful social enterprises, The active Community Council, View of New Pitsligo. 4 Cs café. The Public Hall and St together with Buchan John’s Centre host many Development Partnership, activities from the usual leisure facilitated a community and activity groups to bigger consultation using the Planning events such as the popular for Real® process in 2005. The annual Visual Arts Exhibition outcomes from this, together which attracts visitors from all with the results of an inter- over the north-east and beyond. agency workshop looking at The traditional industry of lace- service needs in the area, were making is still practised with used by the community to create classes held to pass the skills on a prioritised Action Plan to help to young people. The initiative the community to focus on and of local people in raising funds develop their future goals. Parish Church Things we like about our Things we don’t like : community (as given by various members of the community of different ages): “Good educational facilities eg school, “Speeding traffic through our village” library” “Dog mess on the pavements” “Good local facilities at competitive “Not enough buses” rates” “We’re too isolated” “It is a close, friendly community” “Hard working, traditional community” “The Four Cs and St John’s Day Care are great for community spirit” Planning for Real© model. 3 Buchan Area Local Plan Community Action Plan New Pitsligo: Buchan Area with the local communities, local Plan 2006-2009 community groups, and the community planning partners - The Area Plan for the Buchan Grampian Fire and Rescue, NHS Area shows the Council’s Grampian, Grampian Police, intentions for developments and Scottish Water, Scottish projects with the Area for the Enterprise Grampian, Countryside new New Pitsligo. forthcoming three years. The Communities Scotland, BRIDGE Plan is laid out under five (CVS), Buchan Development headings: Jobs and Economy, Partnership and the Buchan Learning, Community Wellbeing, Community Councils Sustainable Environment and Developing our Partnership. Although the latest version does not include actions specifically It is drawn up by the Area for New Pitsligo, many of the Committee and officers of the identified priorities within the Council, based on consultation plan may affect New Pitsligo Primary School. General Intentions Heading/Lead ServiceAction/Project Jobs & The Economy Central Buchan Industrial Potential Learning Halls and Recreational Use Play Areas Community Wellbeing Rural Housing Needs Residents/Tenants Groups Central Buchan Project Meeting the needs of Older People Substance Misuse Youth Shelters Community Safety Plan Addressing Anti-Social Behaviour Sustainable Environment Local Transport Strategy Rural Buchan Regeneration Strategy Environmental Improvements The Library. The Square. 4 Top Five Priorities Community Action Plan The top four priorities to beat” was highlighted by the emerge from the consultation community although current are outlined below operational priorities for the police would seem to make this Traffic calming in residential unlikely. The community would streets/near school (Theme: like to work with the Police Traffic and Transport) around all the issues identified in Traffic speed along the mile-long this category and highlighted Traffic in High Street. High Street was identified as a later in this plan. major problem, creating a significant danger to pedestrians. Improvement of Public Hall The community would like to (Theme: Community Facilities) work with the Council to The Public Hall is extremely explore measures to reduce well-used and is home to a traffic speed particularly in the number of local groups including High Street and to improve the Boys’ Football Club as well safety for pedestrians crossing as the venue for various this road and that near the fundraising events including High Street. school. coffee mornings, dances and the Annual Visual Arts Exhibition. Transport (Theme: Traffic and However after many years of Transport) constant use it is now in some The provision of public need of refurbishment to transport is very poor despite provide a modern, sustainable the low percentage of car facility accessible to all. ownership compared with Aberdeenshire as a whole The community aims to work (17.9% compared with 29%).This with funding providers to was identified in both the Traffic improve this facility for the and Jobs and the Economy benefit of the community. section. There is a need for an improved bus service for the area together with addition and relocation of existing bus stops. Police Station. Security Cameras and Police Foot patrols (Theme: Crime) Together with traffic issues this issue provoked the largest number of comments. The Buchan area has the second highest proportion of reported crime of all Aberdeenshire’s six areas. The need for a much more visible police presence “on the Public Hall. 5 Other Issues Community Action Plan Other Issues used to its full capacity to bring maximum benefit to the Many other suggestions received residents and that it was support, and these are list on adequately protected from pages 6-9. A summarised Action vandalism Plan can be found on pages 10-11. • A gap in activities and Community Facilities meeting places for teenage St John’s Centre. and activities children exists and boys especially appear to be less General: This category catered for. 15% of those provoked the greatest response responding were keen to see in the consultation with a total some form of of 345 suggestions for skateboarding/ improvements. The theme rollerblading park within produced one top priority (see the community. page 5). Play Park. • A community newsletter The consultation revealed that and community people felt excluded from noticeboard were certain social and recreational suggested as being a good activities because they did not way of disseminating have access to cars and public information. transport was expensive and irregular. • The Play Area in the centre of the village, created through • The St John’s Centre is the funding raised by a base for the numerous village community group, is popular activities including Playgroups, and the community see this as Daycare , evening classes and a valuable facility which needs other support groups. There to be maintained. was strong feeling that this building could be used more Other responses under this Children enjoying Multi-Use Games Area (MUGA). and access should be available category include: throughout the whole year • provision of a Cash Point with more classes available. • Internet café • youth theatre • A new Multi-Use Games • 9 hole golf course. Area was opened in 2005 which will provide an invaluable facility for sports and health initiatives in the future. The consultation indicated that the community Community Newsletter group receiving funding award. want to ensure that this is 6 Other Issues Community Action Plan Jobs & the Economy • Dog Bins - dog dirt is seen as a major problem. There is General: Monthly NOMIS a need to advertise where figures show that unemployment dog bins are and provide in the area is low but this does more bins in suitable places. not mean incomes are Offenders need to be necessarily high as Central reported to Dog warden, Buchan is ranked 13th worst in with more notices detailing Four C’s Cafe. terms of income in the Scottish location of bins Index of Multiple Deprivation. • The Millennium Garden in New Pitsligo has a good mix of the centre of the village is an community services with a attractive feature but needs variety of shops, including a very to be tidied successful social enterprise, the • The Denburn in the centre 4Cs cafe, a primary school and of the village was a feature in GP surgery although the bank times past but has now an has recently closed and the unkempt appearance, with the consultation showed a demand pathways requiring for a non-charging Cash Point in maintenance. The community Millennium Garden. the village. There is no land would like provision made zoned for industry and attracting for seating and picnic areas to businesses to the area may be encourage walkers and difficult in the current climate. recreational users. However the land is privately owned • Lack of availability of and there seems no prospect childcare in the immediate of this taking place in the near area was highlighted as a future. problem and one that might • Cemetery - general prevent people from appearance needs to be working. improved. • Lack of public transport • Recycling facilities in the to get people to work early village need to be improved enough although the new A2B and expanded with possible bus service might improve relocation of the skips.