COMMUNITY PLACE PLANS TAKE CENTRE STAGE

the National Park is legally obliged to take Local Place Plans into account as it prepares the next Local Development Plan - the Park-wide planning policy document that will be published later this year for public consultation.

The National Park has been providing support to communities preparing Local Place Plans and a number of communities have already completed Plans including Callander, Killin, Drymen, Luss and Arden, and Arrochar, Tarbet and Ardlui. More information on Local Place Planning in the National Park can be seen here: www. lochlomond-trossachs.org/planning/ planning-guidance/local-developmentplan/local-place-plans/

In Arrochar, Tarbet and Ardlui over several months, the local community prepared a door-to-door community survey to find out people’s aspirations for the future, then held a series of drop-in events to tease out priorities and solutions based on those aspirations. This led to a draft plan, published for community feedback, and then an amended final version.

Local landowner Luss Estates Company provided financial support to the community, helping to fund survey printing, hall hire, website hosting and the services of independent consultants. Luss Estates Company worked in conjunction with the community, so that they might better understand community aspirations and to inform their own future 10 year Estate Plan.

293 people shared their aspirations for Arrochar, Tarbet, Succoth & Ardlui. The survey responses are a fascinating insight into the community as it is now, and what we want it to be.

Affordable Housing

Some of the issues raised in Arrochar, Tarbet and Ardlui will be familiar in other parts of the National Park. Making sure local families and workers have access to affordable housing, for example: average house prices increased in Arrochar and Tarbet by over 70% between 2019 and 2021 and a high percentage of the houses that have come on the market in recent years were snapped up for second homes or holiday letting further reducing the housing stock available for locals. Similarly, concerns about the effects of trunk road traffic through villages, being able to get about safely on foot or by bike, and having good opportunities for young people, will be echoed in other parts of the National Park. The plan highlights specific things for Arrochar and Tarbet too. Tackling dereliction and vacancy is one issue, with the villages blighted by buildings and sites in poor repair. This neglect acts as a drag on the community, who are hoping that the Local Place Plan will be a tool to generate new collaborative ways of tackling the problem.

Time will tell whether that will bear fruit. But without the plan identifying the issue, the chances of something happening would be much slimmer.

You can see more detail about how the community prepared the plan - and of course the plan itself - at bit.ly/threevillages-LPP