Dumfries and Galloway Councillors Prepare to Approve Local Place Plans for Four Communities
Residents in Gretna, Rigg, Gretna Green, and Springfield, and St John’s Town of Dalry have been diligently working on proposals for the establishment of “local place plans” over the past year. These plans aim to empower communities to shape their living spaces according to their vision, in collaboration with Dumfries and Galloway Council. This grassroots approach has been hailed by council officials as a means of empowering communities to realise their aspirations through partnership with the local authority.
At the upcoming meeting of the council’s economy and resources committee, councillors will be called upon to endorse the registration of LLPs for Gretna, Rigg, Gretna Green, and Springfield, as well as St John’s Town of Dalry. With Dalry Community Council, Glenkens Community and Arts Trust (GCAT), and Glenkens Community Spaces Network (GCSN) leading the way in developing the Dalry local place plan, the focus is on fostering positive transformation in and around St John’s Town of Dalry. The Dalry LPP outlines core principles for driving positive change and envisions The Glenkens as a well-connected, resilient, and carbon-neutral community.
The Dalry LPP is structured around three main themes for improvement: infrastructure and active travel, resources, services, facilities, and employment, and leisure, land use, and access to nature. Meanwhile, work on the Gretna, Rigg, Gretna Green, and Springfield Place Plan commenced in November 2023. Extensive community engagement activities have taken place, including a community survey, events, involvement of children and youngsters, business consultations, and thematic sessions, reaching around 10 percent of the population.
Key themes of this plan encompass creating a vibrant and enterprising locality, enhancing skills and opportunities, ensuring beauty and safety, promoting an active lifestyle, providing quality living spaces, and supporting the younger generation. As projects within the place plans progress, funding will be sourced from the Borderlands Inclusive Growth Deal, and potentially supplemented by additional investments from various stakeholders, including Dumfries and Galloway Council.
In Summary, Dumfries and Galloway councillors are poised to approve local place plans designed by residents of four communities, illustrating a collaborative approach between the council and local communities to shape the future of their living spaces. The plans outline key areas of improvement and development, aiming to create vibrant, sustainable, and inclusive environments for residents. Through this participatory process, communities are empowered to play an active role in driving positive change and realising their shared vision for their localities.