Portgordon Planning for Real® Portgo rdon Contents Introduction 3 Why we got involved 3 Feedback from the Planning for Real Working Group who are ALL local residents of Portgordon 3 How we did it! 4 Who we consulted with the map and flags 4 How Portgordon got to this point – A brief history 5 What did you say about Portgordon? – The themes and priorities identified by you 6 Prioritisation Event Results 8 What services are currently available in Portgordon? 14 Portgordon Now 16 Planning Objectives for Portgordon 17 Wider Environmental Designations for Portgordon 18 Where does the Portgordon Community Action Plan fit within Moray 2026? 19 What happens next with Planning for Real? 20 Your Notes 22 2 || Moray Community Planning Partnership Introduction This Community Action Plan has been produced by and for the community of Portgordon with the assistance of The Moray Council, Community Support Unit, Moray Health & Social Care Partnership, numerous local individuals and organisations, using the Planning for Real ® methodology (www.planningforreal.org.uk/). Portgordon Planning for Real® Portgo rdon Why we got involved feedback from the Planning for Real Working Group who are ALL local residents of Portgordon “I wanted to participate in helping to create a village ‘I was first drawn to the Planning-for-Real process at a that is both appealing and offering of opportunity for meeting with Crown Estate, Moray Council, DTS and TSI the ‘next generation’”. Moray discussing future potential for developing the harbour. It was suggested that the PfR process might be “We had recently moved back to Moray after some the vehicle to bring all the different groups within our years away - and getting involved with this community- village together under the one umbrella, so-to-speak, led project has been a good way to meet more with a view to achieving a broader consensus from fellow-residents of Portgordon as well as being part the community for all our aspirations for the future of something that can only be a positive force for of Portgordon as a whole. To this end we continue Portgordon in the future.” towards our united goal of ‘One community - One vision.’ ‘I decided to become involved with the Portgordon Planning For Real (PFR) Project as I firmly believe the Village has a great future and with the tools provided through the PFR process we, the community, can make this so with the support of the various local agencies’ Portgordon Community Action Plan || 3 How we did it! A Working Group of 10 community members took forward the Planning for Real ® process in Portgordon. We spent 8 weeks creating a 3D map of their community along with many volunteers who dropped in during the map making bi-weekly sessions. The sessions were held on a Tuesday evening and Wednesday morning and included visits from Portgordon Primary School. “As a school we were delighted to be involved in the Planning for Real Project in Portgordon. The children were very interested in helping with the making of the 3D map and keen to create buildings. We were impressed with the wide range of issues and ideas the pupils identified for themselves and for other residents of the village. The discussion in school and the work they did around the project fitted very well with the The working group also carried out a buildings survey, citizenship aspect of our curriculum and ideas raised designed, delivered leaflets and posters, undertook a were discussed further by groups in school such as our services audit, promoted the process locally through Eco-Committee and Junior Road Safety Officers. These newspaper articles and Facebook. The peak of the ideas will now become part of the agenda for these activity took place at the launch event and with groups in our new school session. The chance to work the map visits – all 8 of them culminating in the with members of the project group and hear about the Prioritisation Event in late-February. views of other groups and individuals in our community was also very valuable for our pupils” Portgordon Primary School Headteacher Who we consulted with the map and flags: • Launch Event which was open to the general public • Primary School Event where all Primary School pupils visited and had their say • A Consultation took place during a Quiz Night when contestants had their say • Members of Lennox Community Council had their say • Portgordon Post and Heritage Group Consultation visited and had their say • Attendees at Portgordon Primary School Parent Council Tea Party welcomed the chance to have their say • Portgordon Fireworks Volunteers had their say following the Fireworks Display • Portgordon Community Church had their say 4 || Moray Community Planning Partnership How Portgordon got to this point – A brief history In 1797 Portgordon, or more precisely Port Gordon, The Moray Firth Coast Railway came to Port Gordon in was the third new village to be founded by Alexander 1886 increasing transportation for business and work 4th Duke of Gordon. This was some twenty years after opportunities. the establishment of Tomintoul and Fochabers and gave them all important access to the sea. Shipbuilding in nearby Kingston had almost petered out by the beginning of the 1900s and the years 1903 Stones shipped from Lossiemouth were used in the – 1915 may be regarded as the golden age of boat construction of the harbour and for many years it was building in Port Gordon. Steam drifters were in great a more important port than Buckie. Apart from fishing demand and the village was a hive of industry. there was a considerable trade in the export of grain from the hinterland and the import of salt, coal and Not only boats, but many substantial houses were bones for processing into fertiliser. built reflecting the increased prosperity and shops and public houses flourished. Not surprisingly, almost 100 years later it was unfit for purpose and was totally reconstructed and enlarged Most households in Port Gordon did not benefit to accommodate the increased number of boats from electricity until 1940s or 50s. this resulted in its registered at Portgordon. This time it was under dubious title ‘Paraffin City’. The community however the auspices of Charles Gordon-Lennox, 6th Duke of warmed to this and in 2001 happily chose the name Richmond. “The Lampie Hoose” for the community hub housed in the historic building in Gordon Square. It was to be another hundred years before the next improvement came. This time in the shape of the 69th Through it all – the ups and downs of village life Gurkha Independent Field Squadron who addressed – Portgordon has retained its school, central to the major decay to the historic structure. the community where education for all has been paramount and lifelong friendships have been forged. Portgordon Community Action Plan || 5 What did you say about Portgordon? – The themes and priorities identified by you As a result of the map visits and the Launch event a total of 1264 flags were used by the public to indicate their issues and priorities. Every flag and comment made was entered onto a database. The database was then analysed for themes and priorities. The top five themes and priorities for Portgordon are listed below. For each theme identified, the top four or five priorities were taken forward to the Prioritisation Event on 25th February 2017 where they were then discussed by the public and the relevant Moray Community Planning Partners and relevant agencies. The 5 main themes (and top priorities) identified were: Theme 1: Leisure and Tourism Theme 2: Environment & Sustainability Total 302 flags Total 207 flags Physical, Recreational Improvements Steps in the Village including 6-12 Adventure Playground, Football Equipment and Tennis Court Drainage around the Village Harbour Redevelopment Dog Bins Camp Site Clean ups – various locations / Litterbins Mountain Bike Trail Create an Orchard, Flowering Shrubs and Street Flowerbeds 6 || Moray Community Planning Partnership On 25th February at the Prioritisation Event held in Portgordon Village Hall these themes with their priorities were discussed by the public and the relevant Theme 3: Facilities and Services Moray Community Planning Partners and other Total 232 flags agencies. Community Café • Attending Moray Community Planning Partners: Toilets with Disabled Facilities • Moray Council (various departments) Availability of Cashpoint machine • Moray Health and Social Care Flu injections in Village / Prescription Delivery • Police Scotland Service Farmers Market Other Agencies : Theme 4: Traffic, transport and Access • Crown Estate Total 230 flags • Buckie Pharmacy Group Traffic to be slowed down / speed limit to be lowered Bikes, secure lockers needed Bus service to be improved Road surface to be improved HGVs to be banned / blind spots / parking not here Theme 5: Crime & Safety Total 83 flags Speeding / Dangerous Driving Lighting to be provided / improved I don’t feel safe here / security cameras needed Police – more foot patrols Alleyways to be closed off Portgordon Community Action Plan || 7 Prioritisation Event Results What needs to happen Who takes this forward Potential Partners Priority Timescale Notes/who will identified by the Level monitor this? community Leisure and Tourism – 6-12 Adventure Playground, Football Equipment, Tennis Courts – Priority 1 Identify interested parties Community / Parent Council High Medium Portgordon Primary Identify suitable site Partnership working Moray Council School Parent Council Secure funding Help and advice Community Funding Leisure and Tourism