Mintlaw Community Action Plan ALP Map Community Action Plan Mintlaw West Mintlaw East This is from the 2002 Aberdeenshire Local Plan which is currently under review. Information on the new plan which has yet to be approved can be found at www.aberdeenshire.gov.uk/ldp 2 Introduction Community Action Plan Origins and Development and wider rural area. Museum, which is situated within Mintlaw (Auchnagatt, New Deer, Maud, Aden Country Park, has been New Pitsligo, Strichen, Old Deer, approved as a Recognised Mintlaw is the largest settlement Stuartfield, Fetterangus, Collection of National in central Buchan - the Longside, New Leeds and Significance by the Scottish population was recorded in the Kininmonth). Mintlaw has never Museums Council (SMC). The 2001 census at 2,647 but it been a Parish and has no Parish Park itself was recently awarded serves a wider rural area of Church - the boundaries of a prestigious Green Flag award, around 13,000. The village, Longside and Old Deer parishes being recognised as one of the established around 1813, owes pass through the village. country’s best green spaces. its existence largely to its geographical location, sitting at Unusually, the centre of the Over the years several the crossroads of the old coach village - “The Square” is actually community consulations have routes from Aberdeen to a busy roundabout. Community been conducted in Mintlaw - Fraserburgh and Peterhead to activities centre around the notably in 2003 when a Banff. The village has grown Public Hall which was built in comprehensive consultation rapidly over the years - notably the late 19th century with a using Planning for Real® was in the 1860s, when the railway bequest from a local merchant, carried out. In 2010, at a session line from Aberdeen to Peterhead Sylvester Davidson and a with the Community Council opened and also in the 1970s donation from Charles Farquhar, and at the local Gala during the with the arrival of the North Sea a local bank agent. The Trustees summer, this information was oil and gas industry. In the latest still own and run the Hall and reviewed and updated. The draft of the Aberdeenshire Local Park today. The Hall is the centre outcomes of this have been used Plan, housing land has been for community activities and is to create this prioritised Action allocated that will see the much in demand. Plan to help the community to focus and develop their future population almost double over There are community activities goals. the next 25 years. for all ages but there is a severe Mintlaw is an important service lack of suitable community Things we like about centre and is able to sustain a facilities which it is fair to say Mintlaw (as given by various variety of shops and businesses - limits the number and range of members of the community of including a butcher, chemist, activities and events that could different ages) convenience stores, filling be sustained in a settlement the “Central location” station, garden centre, hotels, size of Mintlaw. The Gala “ beautiful setting” takeaways etc. Several businesses Committee organise a popular “ friendly community / people - are located in and around the Gala each year and the still has a village feel about it” industrial estate providing community have actively “Aden Park - the jewel in employment to the local fundraised for Christmas Lights Aberdeenshire’s crown - right population. There is also a which are admired by all who on our doorstep” travel through the village during Health Centre, Veterinary What could be better the festive season. Practice, Library, Police Station, “better leisure facilities - Dentist and Bank. There are two To the west of the village is especially for the younger primary schools - Mintlaw Aden Country Park - a 230 acre generation” Primary and Pitfour Primary and park which was once a country “less litter” one secondary school, Mintlaw estate and home of the Russell “better play facilities in the Academy, which takes in pupils Family. Aberdeenshire Farming village” from all the surrounding villages 3 Buchan Community Plan Community Action Plan Mintlaw: Buchan local communities and local Community Plan 2012-2014 community groups. The plan can The Buchan Local Community be accessed on Plan brings together the key www.ouraberdeenshire.gov.uk/ actions and projects of a number buchan of public agencies under five themes - Community Wellbeing, The latest version includes Developing Our Partnership, actions specifically for Mintlaw Mintlaw Academy. Sustainable Environment, Jobs which are listed below and there and the Economy and Lifelong are numerous general intentions Learning. It also includes actions in all categories within the plan based on consultation with the which might affect Mintlaw. Specific Actions Heading/Lead Service Action/Project (with reference in LCP) Community Wellbeing A1 Affordable Housing - To work in partnership with the Scottish Government, Private Developers and Registered Social Landlords to assist in the delivery of affordable housing on both brownfield and Greenfield sites throughout Buchan. Mintlaw is named as a top priority area. View of Square showing Public Hall. A18 Modernising Government/Joint Futures - To undertake early implementation of electronic sharing of single shared assessments for older people between Health and Social Work. Central Buchan will be the first priority for the Joint Older Peoples’ Team Jobs and the Economy B2 A90 Trunk Road - To improve road safety and access in and out of Buchan. Road improvement scheme at Toll of Burness is included as a priority and well as the duelling of the Tipperty- Balmedie road. B5 Central Buchan Industrial Potential - To promote the development of a high amenity site at Mintlaw and look at the potential sites in the other villages in Central Buchan B11 Social Economy - Sustainability of social enterprises – the MACBI project is named as a priority Lifelong Learning C2 Active Schools Programme - To increase the level of participation in sport and physical activity by young people in Buchan. To develop improved links from schools in Buchan to sports and recreation clubs in the wider community through the Community School Network that covers the Mintlaw area. Aden Country Park. C3 Holiday Activity Programmes - To continue to support and promote the Holiday Activity Pro- grammes and increase the range of activities, through the Community Schools Network at Mintlaw, which includes all the feeder Primary Schools to enable young people to participate. C5 Young People - To work with the Central Buchan Youth Forum to carry out youth consultations with peers and respond and act on current youth issues. To work in conjunction with Community Learning and Development and Mintlaw Academy, offering a pilot project to support a number of young students experience volunteering opportunities within a community based project as part of the exceptional entrance program and within the More Choices More Chances Strategy. Engage with hard to reach young people through arts and media work – the ‘Let’s Make Music’ Project based in Mintaw is named as an example Develop a Youth Cafe in Mintlaw in partnership with young people, community groups, Community Learning and Development, Princes Trust and Grampian Police. C10 Cultural and Heritage Opportunities for People of All Ages - To improve and promote access to the collections of Aberdeenshire Council. The education resource centre in Mintlaw will be developed as The Discovery Centre focusing on family friendly and school orientated activity Happy Plant Garden Centre. linking to the Curriculum for Excellence. C15 Play Areas - To continue to work with communities and others to upgrade existing play facilities in settlements - Mintlaw Sustainable Environment D7 Aden Country Park - To work with the Development Group and produce a five year plan to promote the existing facilities and widen representation on the group. To explore the feasibility of extending the Caravan Site to cope with increased demand To continue the establishment of an Arboretum D9 Nature Conservation - To look for opportunities for future tree planting across Buchan to increase sources for marketable timber - Aden Country Park is named as an example D10 Paths and Outdoor Access - To continue the delivery of the core paths plan - the Formartine and Buchan Way is named as an example. To produce a revised edition of the Formartine and Buchan Way leaflet 4 Top Four Priorities Community Action Plan The top four priorities to was still perceived to be a emerge from the review are problem. outlined below Play Area (Theme –Lifelong Lack of leisure activities Learning) (Theme –Lifelong Learning) The consultation exercises There is a clear identified need identified a need for play for a leisure facility in the central facilities within Mintlaw. The Buchan area to provide a centre old tennis courts are now where a wide range of unusable and the Hall and Park community activities can be Trustees have plans to create a delivered. In the 1990s a play area there since tennis can successful campaign to raise the be played on the all weather money for a swimming pool surface at Mintlaw Academy. Proposed new Community Facility. (SPLASH) was thwarted at the final stages when the local Traffic issues (Theme – Jobs authority were unable to and the Economy) guarantee to cover any potential A lack of parking continues to loss the facility might incur in be an issue for the community in future years. From the Planning Mintlaw. Parking for the shops for Real© exercise in 2003, a at the Square is directly off the new group was formed to take roundabout which means drivers forward this project – MACBI have to reverse directly on to (Mintlaw and Central Buchan the roundabout – an extremely Initiative). After fact finding hazardous and somewhat bizarre visits to other community manouvre. Commuters from Play Area. facilities in other areas of the outlying rural area using the Scotland it was decided that the bus service in to Aberdeen use most sustainable option was to the parking spaces at the playing build a multi purpose community field.