Funding to allow communities to have say in designs for their area

Community projects from Argyll and Bute to Shetland will share around £312,000 to regenerate their neighbourhoods, local government minister Kevin Stewart has announced.

As part of the Making Places Initiative, 19 projects will receive funding to bring people together to agree priorities for their area and shape future planning and design.

The funding will support events that bring local people together with design professionals to identify how their places and communities can be improved.

The 19 projects awarded funding include workshops to develop physical and environmental improvements to the Woodside area of North Glasgow, creating a development plan for Scalloway in Shetland and a plan to improve a shopping centre in Wester Hailes in Edinburgh.

Kevin Stewart said: “I am pleased we received so many applications from a mixture of local authorities and community groups, keen to get local people involved in plans to improve their area.

“This scheme and every project supported by it creates more opportunities for communities to choose what works for them.

“Each project has its own design challenge, whether it is a plan to regenerate an area of a city centre or looking at a smaller site in a rural community. All of these projects should lead to improvements that will create benefit for hundreds of people.”

The successful projects sharing a total of £311,890 are:

Design workshops to develop a community action plan and vision, including development of play space and community garden on site of Whitletts Primary schools.

Community design events to develop a regeneration masterplan within the New Cumnock Community Action Plan.1

Design workshop to create a masterplan for the town centre greenspace.

Series of workshops to involve the community in developing a masterplan for Mayfield & Easthouses.

Charrette to develop a masterplan for Westside Plaza with the aim of creating a civic square at the heart of Wester Hailes town centre.

Workshops to develop an action plan for physical and environmental improvements to the Woodside area of North Glasgow.

Design workshops to consider the future development of Scalloway and develop a Local Place Plan.

Workshops to support the local community to develop a Local Place Plan.

Community led event to develop a masterplan for a key area in Dunfermline town centre.

Walking events and place workshops to identify community priorities and improvement projects.

Develop and pilot a People’s Place Plan for Leith, following the successful Leith Blueprint which created a community report.

Community consultation to create a vision and masterplan to inform the future planning process.

Community activities to deliver a Master Plan for Inverkeithing, focusing on community assets, strengths, interests and values.

Develop an architectural plan for the Gairie Works site, a key priority identified in the Kirriemuir Charrette funded by Angus Council.

Design-led project concentrating on Forth & Clyde canal and connection to Clydebank town centre.

Charrette to develop a vision and design statement for Falkland and its immediate environs which will combine spatial, social and economic strategies and solutions.

Project to progress ideas generated by Charrettes into physical prototypes that test assumptions and engage with local audiences.

Develop plans for the creation of the ‘East Pollokshields Urban Common’ on the site of a derelict bowling green.

To produce a community led, mixed use development masterplan for council owned land at Westbank Street, Portobello.

Further details of the Making Places Initiative and how to apply for support is available online.