The Historic Douglas Support Estate ‘Our Glen’ Business Plan Viewpark Conservation Group March 2019 Contents 1. Where we are now ............................................................ 3 1.1 Background and Context ................................................ 3 1.2 The Organisation ............................................................. 3 1.3 What we have done so far .............................................. 4 2. Demonstrating Need ........................................................ 5 2.1 Research Findings ........................................................... 5 2.2 Demographic Profile of Viewpark .................................... 7 3. What people told us about ‘Our Glen’ ............................. 9 3.1 What people like about ‘Our Glen’ .................................. 9 3.2 What difference will it make? .......................................... 9 3.3 What people don’t like about ‘Our Glen’ ..................... 10 3.4 What people want to see in ‘Our Glen’ (infrastructure)10 3.5 Suggestions for Community Benefit Projects .............. 11 3.6 Income generation ideas .............................................. 11 4. Developing our vision ..................................................... 12 4.1 Strategic Aims and Objectives ...................................... 12 4.2 Outcomes ...................................................................... 12 5. Developing ‘Our Glen’ ..................................................... 14 5.1 Infrastructure and Maintenance .................................. 14 5.2 Environmental Learning and Leisure Activities ........... 15 5.3 Health, Wellbeing and Community Growing ................ 16 5.4 Heritage ......................................................................... 17 5.5 Events ........................................................................... 17 5.6 Sports activities ............................................................. 18 5.7 Commercial activity ....................................................... 18 6. How we will do this ...................................................... 19 6.1 The Organisation .......................................................... 19 6.2 Staffing ......................................................................... 19 6.3 Volunteers .................................................................... 20 6.4 Governance and Building our Capacity ...................... 20 6.5 Steering/Advisory Groups ............................................ 21 6.6 Policies and Procedures .............................................. 21 6.7 Marketing ..................................................................... 21 6.8 Funding Strategy .......................................................... 27 6.9 The project without grant funding ............................... 28 6.10 Finance and Sustainability ......................................... 28 6.11 Monitoring and Evaluation ......................................... 30 Appendices ......................................................................... 31 Appendix 1 Title Ownership Plan ..................................... 31 Appendix 2 National and local policy .............................. 32 Appendix 3 Staffing .......................................................... 42 Appendix 4 Partners ......................................................... 44 Appendix 5 Financial Cash flows ..................................... 46 Appendix 6 Action plan and KPIs ..................................... 52 Viewpark Business Plan 2019 2 1. Where we are now 1.1 Background and Context The Historic Douglas Support Estate locally known as ‘The Glen’ or ‘Our Glen’ comprises approximately 170 acres of woodland surrounded by A8, M74, A721, A726 and the new M8 extension. This is shown in Appendix 1. The main settlements around The Historic Douglas Support Estate are Viewpark including Tannochside and Birkenshaw, Bellshill and Uddingston. The areas immediately surrounding the Glen (Viewpark, Tannochside and Birkenshaw) have a population of approximately 15,500. Viewpark Conservation Group (VCG) was set up to look after the glen and encourage local people to use this outdoor space right on the doorstep. In 2000, a North Lanarkshire Council led development plan set out a strategy for the glen to be developed as a business park but the value of ‘Our Glen’ to local people was such that a campaign arose to “save The Glen” which was (and continues to be) a highly valued community space for walkers, children playing and informal uses. It is seen as the community’s “green lung” and although it was acknowledged that economic development and jobs were important, creating a business park would remove a key green belt and would change the nature of the community. It was further noted that this is a very old site which has been used by the public for hundreds of years with significant heritage and environmental impact. The campaign was active for a number of years, responding to each proposed re-zoning of the land for development. Symbolising the strong sense of community in Viewpark, the campaign attracted wide support, including a children’s protest that took place in 2014. As a result of the campaign, the local authority dropped its plans and there has been a slow trajectory towards community control ever since. VCG is now in a position to acquire the glen from its current owners, The 1969 Blythswood Trust. Together with the community, VCG has explored the feasibility of taking on community ownership of the glen through research carried out in 2018. Based on the findings and recommendations of this research report, this business plan sets out proposals for the first five years of ownership and management. 1.2 The Organisation Viewpark Conservation Group is a Scottish Charitable Incorporated Organisation (SCIO) officially established in May 2014 although it has been working in the community on many different projects for over 10 years. The organisation’s purposes are; To preserve and regenerate The Historic Douglas Support Estate (also known as ‘The Glen’ and ‘Our Glen’) and its’ surrounding woodlands. To promote and raise awareness of The Historic Douglas Support Estate and its surrounding woodlands, in particular, the historical and recreational value. To promote and encourage public interest in the conservation, history and recreational benefits of The Historic Douglas Support Estate. 3 Viewpark Business Plan 2019 3 3 Given the location of the glen, surrounded by motorway and busy commuter roads, the organisation’s core aim is to have open space accessible initially by the local community, and in future by the wider public, for recreational use. As noted above, the glen is known by a number of names, from its correct title of the Historic Douglas Support Estate to its affectionate name ‘Our Glen’. For the purposes of consistency, we will use ‘Our Glen’ throughout this business plan. 1.3 What we have done so far While the overarching aim of VCG Some examples of what we have done has been to save the glen and much of our time has been taken up with We have organised Halloween Walks since 2014 winning that battle, at the same we reaching out to 500- 700 people each year. These are are actively working towards our organised by the local community and involve a objective of guided walk, including costumed and professionally made up ‘jumper-ooters’ along the way. The walk is ‘the community actively managing followed by a buffet and children’s games in the local the woodland in a manner that community hall. Through volunteers and sponsorship, maintains, enhances, and it is priced in a way that makes it accessible to all perpetuates the existing diverse members of the community. environment and to develop its value to the community as an educational We have taken children from local nurseries and and recreational resource’ 1 primary schools on Beastie Walks in the glen We have a committed group of We have a group of enthusiastic volunteers who keep volunteers who support our vision a monitoring watch on the glen, highlighting fly tipping and offer a range of skills and to the local authority and addressing litter problems experience to our group. Some have with the community. a particular interest in history and heritage and we have gathered a We have organised exhibitions of historical maps, significant collection of historical resources and artefacts to help the community material, both in relation to the understand the historical importance of the glen. Douglas family and their tenure of the estate and also the more recent We have held fishing competitions in the rivers that social history of ‘Our Glen’. We have run through the glen a group member who has trained as a walk leader allowing us to increase understanding of the history, flora and fauna of ‘Our Glen’. The table opposite highlights some of the activities that we have carried out and which we will build on when we have community ownership of the glen. Over the last six months we have undertaken independent research, commissioning Community Enterprise to speak to people in our community, local stakeholders and partners, to determine the future for ‘Our Glen’. We consulted with the community through: Focus groups at a youth club and primary school Open meetings and speaking to residents attending our annual Halloween Event Community survey 1 Aim and future use – Green Lung report. http://www.viewpark.org.uk/media/7520/Proposal-The-Douglas-Support-Estate- GAC-V4-Redacted.pdf 4 Viewpark Business